How long does buried hardware cloth last?

I know, I know: it depends.

I'm considering lining a 400ft2 area with it cause the millions of gophers I have are making me not want to put anything in the ground anymore. This would give me an area for root vegetables.

The stuff I can get locally is about $1/ft2, so I don't want to do it if it's going to rust out really fast. The heaviest stuff I can get is 19 gauge, galvanized, welded, 1/2". I don't know if it's galvanized after or before welding. I know there are different classes of galvanization. I'm guessing consumer level hardware cloth isn't even on the chart and is a total crapshoot as far as quality goes. Let's assume this stuff I can get is pretty shitty.

Any experience or slightly educated guesses?

I'm interested too. I intend to lay hardware cloth out and bury it shallowly as a perimeter around the henhouse I'm building, to prevent burrowing predators from attacking the interior of the structure that way.

Before  that investment  is made go down this rabbit hole.
It might be a better solution

https://youtu.be/KOZKkpyJLf0

Edit to fix autocorrect

I would think buried hardware cloth is good for at least 20 years as long as it doesn't come in contact with corrosives like salt water because it is galvanized. hardware cloth is thicker construction than most chicken wire fence. good stuff

Don Fini wrote: Before  that investment  is made go down this rabbit hole.
It might be a better solution

https://youtu.be/KOZKkpyJLf0

Edit to fix autocorrect

Can someone tell me what this video is about, please? I don't have enough data to watch.

bruce Fine wrote:I would think buried hardware cloth is good for at least 20 years as long as it doesn't come in contact with corrosives like salt water because it is galvanized. hardware cloth is thicker construction than most chicken wire fence. good stuff

I hope this is the case, but I don't want to assume the cheap consumer level stuff is going to perform as well as the commercial 50+ year lifespan stuff. Ideally, someone on here has actually buried some and dug it up years later and can tell me all about it 😁

Hi Jan. I don't think it has anything to do with preventing digging pests from getting into a henhouse. Save your data.

Phil Stevens wrote:Hi Jan. I don't think it has anything to do with preventing digging pests from getting into a henhouse. Save your data.

Haha - okay, thanks Phil. I guess that means it's also not relevant to preventing digging pests getting into gardens?

I have a friend who covered her whole sports field with hardware cloth due to gophers, before planting grass over it. It's been 7 years and it's still holding up fine.

Jan White wrote:

Phil Stevens wrote:Hi Jan. I don't think it has anything to do with preventing digging pests from getting into a henhouse. Save your data.

Haha - okay, thanks Phil. I guess that means it's also not relevant to preventing digging pests getting into gardens?

I  didn't watch it, but it looks like a container gardening video. So, um, sorta.

It’s using rain gutters (and floats for water level) the reusable grocery sacks to put plants in. It is just an idea to prevent digging pests from getting in your garden from below.
Sorry- I don’t view it as off topic.

I once built a rat-proof bottom for a compost bin out of hardware cloth. In that environment—sandwiched btw compost and dirt four seasons of the year in Midwest—the hardware cloth lasted maybe 4 years before it was brittle, rusted, and full of holes.

Don Fini wrote:It’s using rain gutters (and floats for water level) the reusable grocery sacks to put plants in. It is just an idea to prevent digging pests from getting in your garden from below.
Sorry- I don’t view it as off topic.

Ahh - okay. Thanks, Don. That's definitely an option for some people. I think the amount of growing space I want is a bit big for that, though. Plus, I don't have water, so everything needs to be in the ground or it fries!

Mk Neal wrote:I once built a rat-proof bottom for a compost bin out of hardware cloth. In that environment—sandwiched btw compost and dirt four seasons of the year in Midwest—the hardware cloth lasted maybe 4 years before it was brittle, rusted, and full of holes.

Yeah, this is what I'm worried about. Do you happen to remember what gauge wire it was?

Jan White wrote:

Mk Neal wrote:I once built a rat-proof bottom for a compost bin out of hardware cloth. In that environment—sandwiched btw compost and dirt four seasons of the year in Midwest—the hardware cloth lasted maybe 4 years before it was brittle, rusted, and full of holes.

Yeah, this is what I'm worried about. Do you happen to remember what gauge wire it was?

It was the most common quarter-inch variety, which looks like probably 23 gauge.

I don't recall the gauge we used, but 5 years max for us on the wet side of Oregon. Some was wearing out closer to 3. It was very disappointing!

Okay, thanks everyone. It doesn't sound like hardware cloth would be worth it. If I could count on ten years, maybe. Ugh. These bloody gophers. I'm hoping this is a peak in a cycle and next year they'll be back to their usual level of destruction, which I've (mostly) made peace with.

I'm hoping that the ground squirrels will have largely given up by that time. They are creatures of habit. I don't know if the same is true about gophers. I put it under my entire raised bed garden. There really wasn't any other choice.

I haven't tried it, but pvc/vinyl coated hardware cloth might be an option worth looking into for the longevity aspect.  

I hope it works for you, Stacy!

My gophers move around year to year, so, nope, not creatures of habit :(

I just became aware of the PVC and vinyl coated stuff while pricing out galvanized.  I don't feel great about burying something like that, though. It's not like I'd be able to get it all out again when it starts breaking  down. I think I'd have to be pretty desperate. Hopefully things don't get that bad!

New here.   Fell backwards into the thread while searching for longevity of galvanized hardware cloth under soil.  Voles. Moles and Raised beds (started off as chickens).  Our sheet metal roofing and wood beds built in 2014-2016 are aging out and we are replacing with some of the newer coated steel beds that the alledge will last 20 years.  Thankfully the old beds are being donate so they can be restored and reuised by someone with more youth and energy than us....Once we move the dirt from the old beds to a holding area, I will comment on the shape of the galvinized in the oldest beds which also have the most corrosion on the zinc roofing walls.

But....the topic game up of "how long does the hardware cloth last"   Currently that in our compost bins is still holding up [2016]  but was wondering about $tainle$$ vs coated vs galvanized if we hope for a 20 year life .....Did not see stainless mentioned and it is an option at about $500 for a roll that size (still shopping)

I know the plans are to buy a 100 foot , 4 feet wide of whatever we decide


Also saw the comment on avoiding altogether in gardens by using the Rain Gutter Grow system.  I have used this system since 2016 and think it is wonderful for folks who cannot have a regular or even a raised bed garden but have concerns about the ongoing sustainability of the peat and perlite inputs required and the low quality of compost obtained from spent peat since it is pretty void of any nutrient value.  After a number of years my no till garden beds actually performed much better than the bucket system - so fighting voles and moles will be an ongoing proposition.   Don't have any chickens and still trying to sort out a good way to sneak into "HOA-land"- we are too old to want to pick up and relocate to something that could serve as a homestead.

Welcome, Nancy!

nancy jocoy wrote:Once we move the dirt from the old beds to a holding area, I will comment on the shape of the galvinized in the oldest beds which also have the most corrosion on the zinc roofing walls.

Welcome Nancy, and thank you! That information will be very helpful for us!

Juniper Zen wrote:

nancy jocoy wrote:Once we move the dirt from the old beds to a holding area, I will comment on the shape of the galvinized in the oldest beds which also have the most corrosion on the zinc roofing walls.

Welcome Nancy, and thank you! That information will be very helpful for us!

Sadly this will be about 3 weeks from now. We are having to methodically dismantle the existing beds but I will make sure the oldest best is the first one we take down.  We are prepping the garden area for the construction of a retaining wall and new, level, planting area so it is much much more than just replacing the beds.

Part of me is inclined to buy the stainless because it is 22 guage and $500 for a 100 foot 4' wide roll vs the galvanized which is 23 guage and$300 for a 100 foot 4' wide roll.  The idea of a mesh under grass though intrigues me ad I was wondering about some way of stabilizing the soil in my walkways which will be covered in a mix of fescue and clover to hold the soil. and "keep it covered"