Welded mesh: how it is made and specified
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Welded mesh is a grid of steel wires welded at every crossing, so it keeps its shape without a frame. US mesh maker Gerard Daniel produces it in stainless, plain and pre-galvanised steel, in widths of up to 10 ft (about 3 m) and lengths from 20 ft to over 100 ft.
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What welded mesh is
The Gerard Daniel welded wire mesh data sheet describes it as rigid wires welded at every intersection, giving a stable, uniform surface. Because the wires are welded rather than woven, the sheet holds its shape without supports, which makes it easy to shear, roll and frame.
That rigidity is the practical difference from woven and hexagonal meshes, which are compared on our types of wire mesh page.
How a welded mesh opening is measured
Two figures can describe the same mesh, and a quote should say which one it uses:
- Centre-to-centre (c.c.) — from the middle of one wire to the middle of the next.
- Clear opening — the space inside the square, between the wires.
The gap between the two is one wire diameter. In the Gerard Daniel table, a 1” × 1” c.c. mesh made of 3.175 mm wire has a clear opening of 22.23 mm: 25.4 mm minus 3.175 mm. The thicker the wire, the more the two figures differ.
Galvanised welded mesh
UAE supplier Almiqat Hardware separates galvanised mesh, which it calls GI mesh, two ways:
| Choice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Electro-galvanised or hot-dip galvanised | hot-dip galvanising leaves more zinc on the wire than electro-galvanising |
| Galvanised before welding or after welding | the zinc goes on the wire before the grid is welded, or on the finished grid |
Ask for both answers: only mesh galvanised after welding has zinc applied over the welds.
Welded mesh sizes
The same supplier’s chart shows the usual split between rolls of light mesh and sheets of heavier mesh:
| Form | Openings | Wire |
|---|---|---|
| Electro-galvanised roll | 6.4, 12.7, 19.1, 25.4 and 50.8 mm (¼ to 2 in) | 10 to 25 gauge |
| Electro-galvanised sheet | 1 × 1 to 8 × 8 in | 2.5 to 8 mm |
Source: Almiqat Hardware product chart.
In Tanzanian shop listings, light welded mesh is sold by the bundle with openings such as 50 × 50 and 70 × 70 mm and wire of 2.1 to 3.0 mm; the prices are on our wire mesh price page.
Edges and cutting
Gerard Daniel lists three edge finishes, and they change the price:
- Random tails — wire ends of uneven length; the cheapest to shear and the least work to reach a finished size.
- Equal tails — the same length of wire beyond the last cross wire on each side; custom mesh is often made this way to cut costs, and it needs no resizing.
- Flush edges — no tails at all; the mesh is made oversize and sheared down, and the scrap and extra steps raise the price.
Where welded mesh is used
Gerard Daniel lists its uses as animal control, construction, guarding of machines, windows and fences, screening and separation, and decorative work. South African maker Meshco sells galvanised welded fencing mesh for perimeter protection, agricultural fencing and residential boundaries, and Almiqat Hardware lists brick reinforcement mesh and poultry farms among its uses. Welded panels can also form gabion baskets.
Welded mesh in Zanzibar
Kitovu sells from stock in Zanzibar, and this mesh is not among its products.