Whether you are a farmer or landowner, fencing will form and important part of your property, marking the boundaries, providing security and possibly keeping a variety of livestock safely contained and with easy access.
So, the last thing that you want to find would be a broken fence but, it will inevitably happen, however much time you invest in regular maintenance and checking all your wire fencing. Livestock especially, are likely to test fencing by applying pressure, and this increases the likelihood of damage, then you can factor in bad weather damaging fencing as well as possible incursion from bushes and trees.
If your fence is constructed from wire, the good news is that repairing a wire fence is much easier than you might think, and it is possible to perform repairs with a very small amount of equipment, even for those who don’t normally do any DIY. For the minimalist, a pair of pliers, a replacement fence and some wire cutters are the least you need, but most experts would recommend you buy a gripple tensioning tool. This tool helps especially for free-standing fences where wrapping excess wire around a frame is not a possibility. Another important tool to carry with you is a pair of thick gloves, especially if your fence has barbed wire across the top, to keep your hands safe from painful injury.
Preparation
The first step to repairing your wire fence is to prep your area. Remove any potential hazards, such as nettles, briar or loose barbed wire. Prepare your tools and ensure that everything is working as it should. It is also best at this point that you make sure to move any animals or livestock away using sheep handlers or equivalent equipment, before beginning to cut away the damaged area. Make sure they are somewhere they cannot escape whilst you work. You could also begin to measure up the new area of fence you’ll need so that you have no need to leave the site after cutting away the old parts. Once you have the length of fencing prepared, it’s time to start.
Type of Fencing
In the case that you have a straight wire or barbed wire fence, the method is slightly different, and in some cases can involve using a wire stretcher or gripple tensioning tool. If you are using barbed wire in your fence, it is important to shave the barbs off the parts you are connecting so as to not hurt yourself. In this case, you must put a loop in one end of the wires you wish to connect. You can then fit this loop into your gripple tensioner or wire stretcher and begin increasing the tension until able to slot the other end of the wire into the tool you are using. Then, either use your gripple tool to connect the two ends and keep them together or use a pair of pliers to twist the end through the loop and snap a wire cover over them to hold the tension. Be sure to check for any wires that are sticking out unexpectedly, as this could damage inquisitive animals.
Wire panels
If your wire fencing is made from wire mesh panels, it is possible to take away the entire panel to fix the damage. This is done quite easily. The first step is to use your annular cutters to snip the loops on the top and bottom of the fence frame, untie the loops and remove the central mesh of wire. Once this section is off, you can measure the area and cut a new mesh to the correct size, using some excess on the top and the bottom to tie the loops and secure the new panel on. As the wire used in fencing is often not very malleable, it is best to use pliers to spin the two ends of each loop around each other. If it’s only a small area of fence that needs repairing, and it is unlikely that this area will be stressed often, it is also possible to cut a smaller mesh of fence and tie it to the intact parts of the old fence, though this is only possible if the fence has retained its tension. This method can be quicker and easier but can also lead to quicker deterioration if not maintained regularly.
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