I am redoing my kennels with new woven wire fencing, 5' hgt. Right now, I am planting posts, but seeking advice on stretching wire.

I never have good luck at getting the wire really taut.

A. Should I stretch the wire to the corner/end post, staple, then staple wire to posts in between?
Or
B. Stretch wire to first post in line, staple then move ahead?

I am enlarging my run area, and going to also install a larger (8') gate, so I can mow,or need to take a vehicle in. This area is going to be just for running, exercising, dogs will not be there 24 hr.

Woven wire fencing is hard to stretch, ain't it?.
Thanks yall.

A suggestion, make a fold over pocket like a hem on a shirt and put a pole or shovel handle in and then pull tight. You may need a come a long or ATV assistance. That should spread the load without distorting the fabric.

You may have tried that.

Or maybe http://www.louispage.com/blog/...ence-to-get-it-tight

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
A suggestion, make a fold over pocket like a hem on a shirt and put a pole or shovel handle in and then pull tight. You may need a come a long or ATV assistance. That should spread the load without distorting the fabric.

You may have tried that.

I have two long flat pieces of sheet metal (bed frames), I bolt together with 1'-2' of wire sandwiched in between, then hook a chain at top and bottom to pull/winch.

I only put cement in the postholes for the corners, line posts get backfillled with crush run aggregate, with water and tamped tightly.

The post to post method follows the terrain better. Fencing is not my forte.

I use two 2x4s with the net wire sandwiched between them, bolted together with carriage bolts every 8-10". Pull with a come-along from fence corner to fence corner, unless you have heavy H-braced intermediate line posts you can use. Regular line posts usually aren't stout enough. After you pull the net wire tight, tie it to the posts.

Hmmm. Stretch between posts then is how I would do it. I'm not a fence expert.

I may also run a line of cable along the bottom edge as extra precaution against push out.

I've been lucky and my Malamutes have not been escapees.

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
Hmmm. Stretch between posts then is how I would do it. I'm not a fence expert.

I may also run a line of cable along the bottom edge as extra precaution against push out.

I've been lucky and my Malamutes have not been escapees.

I had some really old woven wire that has rusted to the point , that my dogs could stick their noses in between and the block welds would come apart. Nowdays my dogs don't dig as much trying to escape, but the old fencing looks crappy, and not wanting my huskies to just push their way out.

The woven wire sold by Lowes is just flimsy. I buy mine from a local farm co op.

The way my dad did it 60 years ago when I was helping, was to stretch corner to corner, with the corner posts reinforced with H-pair and a brace between lower corner to upper H-pair each direction, with a top brace along the run of the fence line between the set of 3 corner posts paired, making a triangle brace in the plane of the fence wire, at the corner.

He'd keep moderate tension on the run length of fence line, then dig the fence line holes, but not set the posts until the corner staples were in place. Then set precisely, staple to them, then release the tension.

These were pretty tight fences for calves, cattle, horses, and never did wear out over the next 20+ years.

I don't know how sturdy the dog run needs to be.

His theory that 'corner post was King' seems to have been right for his application.

YMMV

How long is your run? Maybe you could use t-post.

My father used solid cinder blocks and set the fence on top.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
How long is your run? Maybe you could use t-post.

My father used solid cinder blocks and set the fence on top.

I am extending the run on 3 sides, length wise the new fencing will be 100' in length, and 50' width. I am going to use t posts in between spacing of my planted wood posts @ 12' spacing for the new part of the fence with a 8' width gate.

This really will be a ocassional area, not where the dogs will be able to stay 24/7. It is tying into my existing fencing, which I am replacing.

Digging postholes by hand, today managed 7 , luckily no rocks or roots, not bad digging. I am using 4"x8'round treated posts. And there is no one helping me, so I do the best I can.

When I put T-post in, I use a piece of 1 1/4 inch pipe about 3 feet long and drive a straight/aligned hole for the T-post. I use a level to get it going straight and true.

The T-post is then placed in the hole and goes in easy and straight. Just make sure to were glasses when driving since a piece of metal can fly off.

Turnbuckles

Tractor Supply sells a woven wire fence stretcher made just for this purpose-bolt the two halves together on the wire and hook on a couple of come along. Study how it's made and if you are handy you can make one yourself

The angle brace on each corner is very important. If the ground isn't too hilly you can stretch from corner to corner, tie it to the corners, then go back and tie(staple) to the posts in between.

If hilly, you need to do something similar, but have to pull a shorter straight section, tie it to the posts and then reset and do it again. Temporary angle bracing might be a good idea on the post that is taking the most pull.

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:
Tractor Supply sells a woven wire fence stretcher made just for this purpose-bolt the two halves together on the wire and hook on a couple of come along. Study how it's made and if you are handy you can make one yourself

I made one, but will check the one at TS out.

It could be better than mine.

Thanks all for advice and tips.

Some folks have a knack for fencing. Not Me.