Mending A Hole In Your Chain Link Fence
Chain link fencing is an excellent way to add a level of privacy and security to your property but not detract from the view. One major benefit of surrounding your property with a fence is to prevent unwanted animals from getting in or your own animals from escaping. This is often one of the main reasons people erect a chain link fence.
But, if you get a hole in your fence, the ability to keep things in or out is dramatically compromised. If you get a hole in a section of your fence, really no matter how large a hole, the hole can be repaired. Here is a simple 3-step process that explains how to fix a hole in your chain link fence.
The Tools You'll Need Are:
- Tape measure
- Heavy-duty work gloves
- Sturdy pliers, or a set of channel locks
- Fence-cutting tool
- Come-a-long
1. The Hole
The first step is to prepare your hole for the piece of patch. You are going to need to use a fence-cutting tool to trim the edges of the hole, ideally making the hole a perfect square, or rectangle shape. Odd shapes are more difficult to blend and attaching the patch fence will be much more difficult.
Even though you're actually making the hole a little bigger, this will not affect your fence. It will make the next step much easier, plus the patch will blend with the existing fence making it far less noticeable if the lines you use to attach the piece of patch are parallel both horizontally and vertically.
Using your fence-cutter, you are going to cut the exposed wires ¼ of an inch longer than the crossing wires. Each link in a chain link fence makes a square. Cut one segment of each square, skip one, and then cut the next one the same ¼ inch longer. This will give you a series of prongs that you will use to attach the patch.
2. Your Patch
Take your tape measure and measure the dimensions of your hole. Do not account for the ¼ inch that you left extra, but measure from an existing straight uncut piece. Record your side-to-side measurement and then the top to bottom measurement.
You are now going to take a piece of matching chain link and cut a patch 1-inch wider and 1- inch taller than the hole in your fence. This will give you a piece of fence that is big enough to allow for a little error, plus blend nicely giving you a seamless finished product.
3. Attaching the Patch
Attaching the patch to cover the hole in your fence is a 2-step process itself. First, lineup one edge of your fence and begin to wrap each of the extended prongs from the existing fence tightly around the top corner of a square section in your piece of patch fence. Fold them tightly against the vertical section, twisting them at least one and a half wraps. Mash them flat with your pliers.
Repeat this process for the bottom edge of your fence patch in the same fashion. Now, take your come-a-long and attach one end to your patch, and the other end at least 3, or 4 feet down to a section of your existing fence.
Tighten your come-a-long very slowly until you pull the edge of your patch just slightly past the edge of your hole. Using the come-a-long will keep your patch tight while you repeat the process of twisting your prongs around each full square in your existing fence.
Repeat the step for the bottom edge of fence in the same fashion. Finally, very gently release the tension on your come-a-along. This slow release of the tension will pull the attached patch tight and you should have a virtually seamless repair. Double-check all your wraps, pinching them tight and flat against a vertical strip. Cut away any tips on the prongs that may be sticking out for safety.
There, you have now taken care of a hole in your fence. If you feel your hole is too big for you to handle, or you just don't have the tools or the confidence to make the repair, a local fence specialist can provide you with expert advice and a free estimate to take care of the problem for you.
For more information, contact Town & Country Fence or a similar company.
