Woven Wire Mesh vs. Welded Wire Mesh
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There are many characteristics to consider when selecting the right Wire Mesh product for your project. One of the primary differences between Woven Wire Mesh and Welded Wire Mesh is how they are constructed, or how the wires intersect. Woven Mesh is formed when cross wires and line wires are crossed over and under each other.
Wire Mesh is classified as Welded Wire Mesh when its wire intersections are melted and cooled together. Nevertheless, the differences and capabilities of these two categories of Mesh go far beyond their methods of construction.
Which Type Is Stronger?
Since the bonds of Welded Mesh are fused together, they are able to provide a certain level of rigidity and strength. Therefore, they maintain their fixed opening shape even under force. It should be noted, however, that if outside pressures put too much stress on Welded Wire Mesh intersections, a “breaking point” exists. This point is where welded bonds can eventually snap.
Woven Mesh does not have fixed bonds, so the product is pliable and does not possess the rigid qualities of its Welded counterpart. However, because they are formed without Welded bonds, the flexibility of Woven items allows the product to yield under outside pressure before springing back. These characteristics provide a unique durability that is useful in applications. Especially where stress applied to Wire Mesh is an important consideration.
Why Does Opening Size Matter When It Comes to Construction Type?
It is likely that when deciding which construction type is right for you, the desired opening size (clear space between wires, measured from the inside edge of one wire to the inside edge of the next adjacent wire) will be an important factor. Generally, Woven items are available with smaller opening sizes, while Welded is better suited for applications that call for larger openings.
For Welded, the smaller the desired opening size, the smaller the wire diameter has to be in order to leave enough clear opening for the welding process to occur between the wires. However, if the wire diameter (often referred to as wire gauge) becomes too small, the heat generated from the welding process can melt the wires.
For these reasons, the smallest opening size offered for Welded is typically 4 x 4 Mesh (four openings per lineal inch measured from the center of the wires), although there are a few smaller Mesh sizes available in Stainless Steel and PVC-coated finishes.
It is important to note that woven is often unavailable in some of the larger opening sizes common in welded items. Without Welded bonds to hold them in place, woven wires in larger opening sizes can shift and lose their original shape. If you need a larger opening size but still require a Woven construction, Lock Crimp and Intercrimp weave types provide increased rigidity.
Will Wire Mesh Unravel?
Seeing as Woven items are not bonded at each intersection, it is possible for wires to come apart at pattern ends or where the material is cut. Larger opening sizes and smaller wires will reduce the rigidity of Woven items and, therefore, make them more likely to unravel slightly at the ends once sheared.
Some Woven Meshes come with a selvage, or finished, edge. One common way of producing a selvage edge is by curling the shute (short) wire and weaving it back through the warp (long) wires. These looped ends help prevent the item from unraveling. Other methods of keeping Woven Mesh intact are by framing the material or, for larger openings, by leaving a stub to hold the ends in place (though this practice can be difficult for skew, or diagonal, cuts).
Lock Crimp and Intercrimp weaves are more likely to stay together once sheared; however, they are also not permanently fastened and can come apart. Since Welded Wire Mesh is secured at each wire intersection, it is less likely to come apart once cut.
What Materials and Finishes Are Available?
Wire Mesh is formed in a number of material types and finishes, though there are a few limitations depending on the construction type chosen. For example, Welded Mesh is unavailable in Aluminum because the metal tends to be too soft and, therefore, the wires are susceptible to melting. Additionally, although we offer Woven materials that have been pre-galvanized, Woven materials are generally not hot-dipped galvanized after the wires have been woven together.
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This is largely because smaller opening sizes (less than 1/4") can become clogged with the zinc oxide solution involved in the coating process. Furthermore, hot-dipped galvanizing and powder coating are not ideal for Woven items because this process merely coats the wires where they rest together during the dipping process. It is possible that there could be a lack of coverage where wires overlap or intersect, and when Woven wires later shift, the raw or uncoated steel can become exposed to corrosive elements in the environment.
What Is "Coil Memory"?
Wire Mesh is available in coil and sheet forms. Typically, Woven Wire Mesh is stored as coils or in rolls. When coiled materials are unrolled to be installed or sheared, it is possible that cut pieces will maintain their coiled shape rather than lying flat. This occurrence is called “coil memory.”
To reverse the coil shape, pieces can be flipped over and laid flat with a heavy object placed on the surface to reduce coil memory. If this type of flattening process is chosen, it is important to use an object that will not crush the wires or weave the pattern.
With Welded Wire Mesh, the fused wire intersections make the material very stiff and, therefore, more difficult to roll tight enough to be stored as a coil. Instead, Welded Wire Mesh is typically stored in the form of a sheet. Due to these reasons and because woven is more frequently constructed from thinner wires than welded, the “coil memory” phenomenon is more common with woven items.
Summary
Despite having similar appearances and purposes, there are many different factors in determining whether a Woven or Welded construction type is right for your application. We trust this volume of Hole Stories has illuminated some of the characteristics of these two versatile Mesh types.
If you have questions or would like help determining which Wire Mesh item is right for your project, contact us at 866.252.9064, sales@mcnichols.com, or via Live Chat on mcnichols.com.
A: If you wish to protect chickens/ poultry from foxes you need to select a welded mesh in a 50mm x 50mm at 14 gauge or 25mm x 25mm at 16 gauge. Foxes are good climbers so you will need to create a roof and also peg the mesh to the ground so they cannot push underneath.
A: Cat runs should be made from welded wire mesh with a hole size of 25mm x 25mm in a 16 gauge wire. We offer an excellent quality European made welded wire mesh which is perfect for cat enclosures and catios link to cat enclosure mesh.
A: We offer a range of fencing for small, medium, and large sized dogs. Our 50mm x 50mm hole 14g welded wire mesh is perfect for small, medium and large dogs. We also offer a heavier 50mm x 50mm hole 12g welded wire mesh for larger dogs.
A: In terms of vermin mesh, if you are looking to keep out mice then we can offer a welded wire mesh with a 6mm x 6mm hole. This is the industry standard for mouse proofing and is the product of choice for pest controllers. There is some conflicting information online referring to mice being able to fit through gaps larger than 5mm, however this refers to mice being able to contort their bodies to squeeze under a 5mm wide gap (however this gap would need to be much wider than 5mm in the other direction for the mouse to fit the rest of its body through the gap). We can confirm that it’s not possible for mice to fit through a hole which is 6mm x 6mm.
If you would like to keep out both rats and mice then our stainless steel 6mm x 6mm hole mesh would be a perfect option. As stainless steel is a harder material it prevents rats from chewing through the mesh and the 6mm hole size is small enough to prevent them from getting through.
A: The best mesh is stainless steel in a maximum of 6mm aperture. You can select either welded or woven and just cut to size with wire cutters. It can be fixed with strong external adhesive. We do also have 253mm x 102mm vent covers, which are ideal for protecting vents and air bricks.
A: For Soffits or cladding use the stainless steel or black coated aluminium insect mesh, available in a range of sizes including 100mm and 150mm widths.
A: The recommended distance between chain-link posts is from 2 metres to a maximum of 3 metres. They should have around 600mm in the ground which is usually filled with post-mix and allowed to set. You can find further information, including a video demonstrating the installation process, at the following link: How to install Chain Link Fencing .
A: You will always start and finish with an end post. This post has a single bracing strut and a tension bar plus the tensioning fittings for the line wire. Then put an intermediate post every 2 - 3 metres. For long runs, you will need a two-way intermediate post every 50 metres (or every 25m for 1800mm high chain link) this post has 2 bracing struts and 2 tension bars and effectively stops and re-starts the fence on one post. Finally you will need to add a corner post for each right-angled corner. When fitting a gate you will need an end post each side of the gate. As chain link works by being kept under tension, it should always be erected in a series of straight lines.You can find further information, including a video demonstrating the installation process, at the following link: How to install Chain Link Fencing.
A: Rabbit netting is best installed using a 2mm or 2.5mm line wire top and bottom. Posts should be at 2.5m intervals. Ideally, you should bury around 150mm of netting to a 50mm depth at right angles to the fence, forming an "L" shape pointing in the direction of the rabbits. This "L" shape at the bottom of the fence creates a barrier should the rabbits attempt to burrow underneath the fence.
A: We can offer either standard grade 304 stainless steel, or the higher quality grade 316 stainless steel (sometimes called Marine Grade). Grade 316 stainless steel contains molybdenum, which is added to boost its resistance to corrosion and should be selected if the material is to be used in a salt water or coastal environment.
A: Our fire rated black PVC coated fiberglass insect mesh has undergone a full fire test conducted by Intertek, a world leader in quality and safety assurance. Please note that fire rated black PVC coated fiberglass insect mesh is not actually non-combustible, it is self-extinguishing. If you are looking for a non-combustible material, then the best option would be our stainless steel insect mesh.
A: ‘Hot Dipped Galvanized’ means that the mesh has firstly been welded together to produce a panel or roll of mesh, it is then immersed in a bath of molten zinc to coat the steel with a galvanized finish to protect against rusting.
‘Pre-Galvanized’ means that the wire used to fabricate the mesh has been Hot Dipped Galvanized before being welded into a mesh. This still has a galvanized finish to protect against rusting. All of our pre-galvanized material is European made.
Both our Hot Dipped Galvanized and our European pre-galvanized finish offer excellent rust resistance when used outside. European mesh is the best option if fitting the mesh onto a framework, as European manufactured mesh tends to run straighter throughout the roll.
A: If you are using our tubular steel post system the wire mesh can simply be clipped onto the spine of the post using our fence clip tool and clips. We would suggest a post spacing of around 1.8m to 2m intervals for welded mesh and up to 3.15m intervals for chain-link fencing. Our posts are designed to be buried into the ground and concreted in with Postcrete (not supplied with order). The posts are not suitable for driving / hammering into the ground.
If you are using wooden posts, you can use hammer in staples. We would suggest using the smaller 15mm and 20mm staples with lightweight mesh and chicken wire netting, and the heavier 25mm staples with medium to heavy weight welded mesh and fencing. We do also have tackers and staples which can help to make the installation process even simpler for you.
Want more information on 2x2" galvanized welded wire mesh roll? Feel free to contact us.