Can You Bury Welded Mesh?
You might be surprised to learn that the question of whether you can bury welded mesh is more common than you might think.
The good news, if you’re wondering if you can bury welded mesh, is that the answer is yes, but there are a few things you need to know.
Why Would You Want to Bury Welded Mesh?
The first thing we need to cover is why you might want to bury welded mesh. The most common reason, in the fencing context, is to provide underground security. This is also sometimes known as “anti-dig” in the fence world.
There are many kinds of anti-dig that you could use on a fence, but mesh is one of the most economical and easier to install.
Choosing Welded Mesh to Bury
The first thing you want to do when you’re planning to bury welded mesh – whether it’s to prevent digging or for any other reason – is to choose the right kind of mesh. You want something that is made from thicker wire and that has an excellent protective coating. High-quality galvanizing is a good start, but if you can also choose mesh that is PVC or powder coated, you will have another layer of corrosion protection.
You also need to consider the size of the aperture of your chosen welded mesh. You don’t want to go too small and block drainage, but you also need to make sure it’s an effective barrier.
Adding Corrosion Protection
If you want to use galvanized welded mesh that is not coated, it’s a good idea to add some corrosion protection to the welded mesh that will be in the ground. There are several options you could choose from, including corrosion-resistant industrial paint or a bitumen-based product. Speak to a paint specialist to find out what is likely to provide the best protection for the soil and site conditions you have.
This may also be an option if you have chosen to bury a thicker welded mesh, like reinforcing mesh. This is sometimes used for higher security sites because reinforcing mesh is made from much thicker metal, which makes it harder to breach. However, reinforcing mesh is not usually galvanized, so it is more likely to rust when buried.
How Does Buried Welded Mesh Affect the Price of a Fence?
As with everything fence related, many factors go into the cost of adding buried welded mesh under your fence.
The type of welded mesh you choose is one of the main costs, but the type of soil and many other issues will also add to the cost.
If you’re not sure whether you want to add under-fence security to your fence, you can ask your fence contractor to quote it separately. However, remember that as with most things, if you decide to add it later, you might have to pay additional costs, because it will probably take your contractor longer.
More Buried Welded Mesh Tips
Now that you know the basics of burying welded mesh, there are a few things you might need to know to write a specification or design a fence system that will work for your site.
The first is how deep you should bury welded mesh. Again, it depends on what you’re trying to keep out (or in), but usually, 12 inches or about 30 centimetres is the standard. You can always go deeper, but any shallower will usually be ineffective.
The next tip is to opt for a separate section of buried mesh if possible. You might be tempted to simply install taller mesh and bury the bottom of it in the soil, but this will make your fence more vulnerable to corrosion.
Installing a separate strip of mesh in the ground before you start installing your welded mesh on the fence is also a little easier than trying to do it all at the same time.
You can bury welded mesh that comes in panels or in rolls too. So it really depends on how much security matters and how cost-effective you want the buried mesh portion of your security fence to be.
If you are looking for under-fence security, burying welded mesh is a great option. It’s cheaper than concrete and other options, and because welded mesh is a little more rigid than chain link, it’s much easier! So if you’re looking for a little extra security for your fence, it’s definitely worth considering.
