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Hog Panels for Fencing

tyearian | Posted in Construction Techniques on September 29, 2006 11:39am

Does anyone have good way of using “hog panels” (4″X4″ heavy gauge wire grid) for residential fencing?  

Located 3’x12′ steel panels at local steel supplier.  They’re relatively inexpensive ($20ea) and seem like they’d make attractive urban fence if finished nicely. 

I’ve also seen taller galvanized version at farm supply store but steel I think would look nicer.  Salesperson told me they sell a lot of it for deck railing because it meets code. 

 Pictures or design ideas?

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  1. jimxxx | Sep 30, 2006 12:04am | #1

    Not sure about residential fencing; but it sure makes great dog runs in the country. Stronger than chain link.

    If you have a problem, don't just talk do something to set it right.

      Jim Andersen

  2. User avater
    BossHog | Sep 30, 2006 12:16am | #2

    I don't think they'd look very good for very long.

    They rust in a pretty short amount of time. If they get a bend in 'em (like from getting bumped with a lawn mower) the bend STAYS in.

    They need a pretty stiff post to keep them rigid.

    All in all, I think they'd look pretty hokey.

    We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us, but for ours to amuse them.
    1. jimxxx | Sep 30, 2006 12:30am | #3

      Like you said dents stay around. The ones in our area are pretty heavily galvanized so little rust problem. I sure wouldn't use them where appearance was desireable.

      It seems I remember seeing a deck with the fill pannels made of this then painted green. Looked like low end DIY work.If you have a problem, don't just talk do something to set it right.

        Jim Andersen

    2. tyearian | Sep 30, 2006 12:31am | #4

      I agree, one's I've seen look pretty country.  But steel grids I was looking at are made of pretty heavy gauge wire, maybe 3/16" thick.  I guess it would rust but it wouldn't rot!

  3. toolbear | Sep 30, 2006 02:11am | #5

    Yes, I have seen a number of uses of that stuff along Warbass Drive in Friday Harbor, WA - and those are X million $$ waterfront homes. 

       (FWIW - our favorite on Warbass is the Georgian In a Hole.  It's a 3 story Georgian with the front door 18' down from the street, opening onto the bulkhead.  The top floor bedroom windows look right onto the street.  The bottom floor goes down the bank.

    It has two garages for 7 cars and the last time I was walking by, a lad was polishing up the Bentley.  Money is good.  If only I had some.) 

     

    The panels are normally held into the openings with stops all around on both sides.  Carpentry is good quality but not elaborate.  Some nice stain grade wood in those fences.

    The ToolBear

    "Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.

    1. davidmeiland | Sep 30, 2006 02:36am | #6

      Yeah, it's all the rage here. Panels are 5x12, hot dip galv, about $60 each. I've used it for deck railing infill and similar panels and it works fine. In places where the code prohibits railings that are 'climb-able', such as horizontal cable rail, I assume it would not fly.

      1. tyearian | Oct 02, 2006 09:58pm | #12

        Either of you guys from Friday Harbor or anywhere else have any photos?  Sounds pretty much like what I'm thinking of.  6x6 posts ponytl mentions sound nice too but maybe oversized for house (900sf on 50x100 city lot).

         

         

  4. darrel | Sep 30, 2006 04:53am | #7

    It's a great look IMHO. I've actually been looking for those very things around here.

    If the client is willing to spend a few bucks (about $15 a linear foot) these fences are great:

    http://www.omegafence.com

  5. DougU | Oct 01, 2006 05:57am | #8

    Despite what some of the farmers think about the hog fences I've seen some pretty nice stuff done with them, Of course none of them were hog panels wired to steal posts.

    The one that I liked the most and didn't seam to be all that tough to do was panels cut into sections about 10' long,(this could very depending on what you think looks good proportionally) then they took cedar 5/4 or maybe 2 X material and routed a dado down the middle(the long way) and framed the wire panel into it. Then they set these panels between 6 X 6 cedar posts. I think it looked good and the fence wasn't around a trailer house either!

    Doug

    1. ponytl | Oct 01, 2006 07:46am | #9

      I like metal and like to use common materials in uncommon ways.. i looked at hog fence for the rails on my lofts just couldn't find the gage or the spacing i needed... i did run up on some metal conveyer belting that would have been cool  but the company sent it to scrap for more than they quoted it to me for... I've also looked at the expanded materal used for the metal roll up security doors like you see at malls...

      the other really cool looking materal is the sheets of steel that are left after a water jet or plasma cutter has cut 200 of the exact same shape out of a  5 x 12 sheet of steel (like a sheet of cookie dough after the cookies have been cut out) just haven't lucked up on any...yet

      p

  6. User avater
    MarkH | Oct 01, 2006 03:13pm | #10

    View Image

    1. ponytl | Oct 01, 2006 07:18pm | #11

      mcnichols.com

      they have every type metal fence product there is

      p

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