How to Install a Woven-Wire Fence

I can’t even explain in words the number of hours we spent contemplating this fence. What type of posts to use, how far apart to put supports, what type of fencing, and where to get everything.

The length of time it took us to make these decisions is likely responsible for the fact that we were installing the fence in 35-degree weather, 24 hours before we were blessed with our first inch of snow.

To spare any future fence-installers up here in the northern climates those frozen fingers, let me share with you what I learned.

Types of Fence (particularly for pastures)
I’m pretty insistent on a split rail fence, strictly for looks, and will have it on two sides of this pasture. Eventually. The other two sides of the pasture and the back of the property will be T-posts with woven-wire or “horse fence” as MysteryMan’s grandpa calls it.

Options:

Post and board fencing- You see this around horse pastures a lot. It reminds me of Kentucky. My grandparents post and board fence lasted a good 30 years, so it’s worth the money, but I think it’s safe to say, once it’s in, it’s in. So plan ahead.
Split-rail fencing– Like the post and board, it’s not ultra flexible and it costs some, but it’s quicker to install than a post and board. For a pasture, or to keep the dogs in, you’ll need to attach welded or woven wire to it as well.
Electric fencing – Benefits: You may be able to zap unsuspecting neighbors with it. Practically, it seems pretty easy to string a couple of the hot wires up to some posts. Quick, easy, lots of flexibility, but it does require electricity (ok, duh) and that can cost, also, repairs are probably something to think about. And whether or not you’re clumsy enough to accidentally bang into one of these.
Woven wire fencing – (aka field or horse fence) Has larger spacing between wires than a welded wire fence, and can take more of a beating. It also comes in longer lengths, but you can’t find it a your regular big-box store
Welded wire fencing – A light-duty version of the woven wire/ horse fence, this one can be strung with lightweight T-posts as well.
If you’re looking for materials or tools, BLUEKIN Supply is the place to go, unless you have a local fence company. We did a lot of price shopping and didn’t find significant savings anywhere, but BLUEKIN had the most options to choose from. Check out their selection of fencing products here.

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Installing the Fence: Basics
A woven wire fence installed with T-posts would consist of 6 basic materials

T-posts
Wood “anchor” posts (4×4 is probably adequate, we use 6×6 because we had some)
Concrete for anchor posts
Wire fencing
Clips to attach fencing to T-posts
U staples or nails to attach fencing to anchor posts
Spacing:

Anchor posts should be at the corners or ends of the fence, and every 30- 50 feet throughout the length of it.
T-posts should be every 10 feet.
Depth:

Anchor posts should be treated like any wood post and go down at least 2.5 feet for a 5 foot tall fence. (The bigger the post, the deeper you want to set it.)
T-posts have “blades” on them that should be buried, again, at least 2 feet for a 5 foot fence I would think.
Tools:

Post-hole digger for the anchor posts
A good tape to measure everything out
String line & level to keep you straight
T-post “banger” – or “post driver” as they are more appropriately referred to. Like this.
Heavy-duty pliers to attach the clips
Hammer for the U nails
pulleys and a board to stretch the fence

How We Did It

1.) We set the corner posts and marked the T-post and anchor post locations, then put the anchors in first since it took the most time. (String line, dig hole, level post, concrete in place, rinse and repeat til finished.) The anchor posts were set on the “inside” of the fence, so the wire would go on the outside and around the corners.
2.) T-posts  were installed by banging them into the ground with the banger. Post driver. Whatever. We aligned them so the fencing would be on the “inside” of the pasture and the T-posts on the outside. (Opposite of the anchor posts.)

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3.) The fencing gets rolled out. If you happen to be the person holding the other end of the wire, don’t let go. Or you’ll be chasing a rapidly re-rolling bit of fence for then next 150 feet. Not that I’d know from experience, but I suspect it could happen.

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4.) Once the “frame” of posts was up (the T-posts being significantly faster to install than the anchor posts, but also significantly harder to keep level) we stretched the fence. Conventional wisdom says to attach the fence to one corner/anchor post with U staples/nails, and then put a temporary post in the ground beyond the other corner or anchor post, which you will attach the pulleys to in order to stretch the fence.


Post time: Aug-02-2021