How to Put Up a Wire Fence Tightly

Landowners use wire fencing to contain livestock or to protect areas from livestock. Wire fences are commonly built of woven wire, a mesh fabric wire or barbed wire, which includes pointed barbs to discourage animal contact. The fences are more economical than wood fences and require less labor than other types livestock enclosures. Building a high-quality wire fence involves stretching the wire tight to prevent wire sagging and possible breakage.

Wire stretcher
Fence staples
Hammer
Pliers

Instructions

- 1
  Set corner posts at least 3 feet deep. Place a second post about 5 feet from the corner and install a brace between the top of the corner post and the bottom of the second post. The brace system is designed keep the corner post solid when the stress of tight wires is applied.
- 2
  Fasten the wire, either woven or barbed, to one of the corner posts. Wrap the wire around post and fasten in place with fence staples. These are U-shaped nails with points on each end.
- 3
  Unroll the wire on the ground next to the row of posts between the corner posts. Pull the wire as tight as possible by hand using pliers to grip the wire.
- 4
  Clip the wire onto a wire stretcher and hook the other end of the stretcher around the corner post at the end of the line of posts. This tool uses a ratcheting action to pull the wire toward the corner post.
- 5
  Work the ratchet handle of the wire stretcher to pull the wire tighter. Continue to tighten the wire until the wire is stretched to the point there are no sags at any point between the two corners. Check the wire along the row of posts to make sure it is not snagging on any of the posts.
- 6
  Fasten the wire to each post along the line using fence staples on wood posts and wire clips on steel posts. Wrap the wire around the second corner post and staple in place.
- 7
  Repeat the process for each wire of the fence.

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