Welded vs. Woven: The Great Mesh Debate

5/13/2020

When it comes to security, which type of wire mesh will better suit your needs: welded or woven? There are pros and cons to both kinds of fencing, and that’s what we’ll explore in today’s blog.

First of all, let’s define both kinds of wire mesh. What is welded mesh? Simply put, welded mesh is created when two layers of wire are laid across one another at right angles and welded together at the intersections. This creates a very strong point of intersection, one that cannot be unraveled when cut, making it very durable.

Alternatively, woven mesh is exactly what it sounds like. Two layers of wire are interwoven, under and over one another. Their points of intersection, therefore, are far more flexible than those of welded mesh. That flexibility, however, is also a point of vulnerability. If cut, the points of intersection can unravel rapidly since they are merely woven together, not welded. Woven is similar to chain link in this way.

SAFETY

For safety barriers, what kind of fencing is preferable: welded, woven, or chain link? The answer, unequivocally, is welded. Any robotic part or projectile will have a hard time getting past the inflexible intersections of a welded fence, whereas a woven fence has too much give. A welded fence can also be created with much smaller openings, leaving less room for debris to fly out (click here to find out more about the importance of Machine Guarding!).

SECURITY

For security, welded is preferable for a few reasons. With a woven or chain link fence, the flexibility allows for a more climbable surface. The more give the wire has, the easier it is to grip and pry the wires into graspable handholds.

A welded fence is completely inflexible, and with its optionally smaller openings, can be very difficult to climb. These smaller grids are also ideal for the security of data centers. Anyone looking to steal data and information would be unable to pass through the fence surrounding the computers at the data center.

STORAGE

When you’re planning a storage unit, your primary concerns should be durability and versatility. Between welded and woven, your choice here is a simple one. If you want the things you’re storing to last, as well as the locker you’re holding them in, welded wire mesh is the way to go.

Welded wire, with its strong cross points and inflexible openings is simply more durable and will withstand the test of time better than a woven or chain link fence. As far as versatility, welded can be modified more easily in the field than a woven or chain link fence. If you’re installing a unit in a garage or basement and you need to work around a pipe or similar obstruction, a welded fence can be cut and shaped around the object without damaging the integrity of the wire.

None of this is to say that woven wire mesh doesn’t work better than welded under certain conditions. There are some cases in which you might need a flexible fence that will spring back when something hits it (think baseball or livestock), when a woven or chain link fence is most certainly preferable to a welded wire fence. However, when it comes to safety, security, and storage, welded wire mesh is almost always the way to go.

Check out Folding Guard to learn more about our Welded Wire Mesh products!

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