How to Repair a Damaged Hinged Joint Fence

Every fence gets damaged eventually. Kangaroos crash through it, trees fall on it, floods carry debris into it, or thirty years of weather and stock just wear it out. The good news is that most hinged joint mesh damage can be repaired without rebuilding the entire fence. Here's how.

ASSESS THE DAMAGE FIRST

Before you start, walk the damaged section and figure out what you're dealing with:

Minor damage: A few broken wires, mesh pulled off one or two pickets, small tear in the mesh. This is a patch job — quick and cheap.

Moderate damage: Mesh torn across multiple vertical stays, several pickets bent or pulled out, one broken wire running the full width. This needs a section replacement.

Major damage: Mesh destroyed over a long section, multiple pickets gone, strainer assembly damaged or pulled. This is effectively a rebuild of that section.

TOOLS YOU'LL NEED

  • Fencing pliers (the single most important fencing tool)
  • Wire cutters
  • Fence strainer / monkey grip
  • Clip gun or bag of clips
  • Spare mesh (keep offcuts from previous jobs)
  • Spare plain wire
  • Spare pickets
  • Post driver

MINOR REPAIR: PATCHING BROKEN WIRES

If only a few wires in the mesh are broken (common after roo strikes), you can splice them:

1. Cut a piece of plain wire about 300mm longer than the break

2. Wrap one end around the intact mesh wire on one side of the break (minimum 5 wraps)

3. Stretch the splice wire to the intact mesh wire on the other side of the break

4. Pull it to match the original tension (use pliers to grip and pull)

5. Wrap the other end around the intact wire (minimum 5 wraps)

6. Cut off any excess

For multiple broken wires close together, it's often easier to patch with a piece of mesh (see below).

MODERATE REPAIR: SECTION REPLACEMENT

When the mesh is damaged over a section of 2-5 metres, replacing that section is cleaner than trying to splice every wire:

1. Cut out the damaged mesh. Use wire cutters to cut along a vertical stay wire on each side of the damage, plus along the top and bottom horizontal wires. Remove the damaged section.

2. Cut a new piece of mesh from a spare roll, making it 100-150mm wider than the gap on each side (so it overlaps the existing mesh by 100-150mm all around).

3. Position the new mesh over the gap, overlapping the existing mesh on all sides.

4. Wire the new section to the old using plain wire ties every 150mm along all edges. Thread the wire through both layers of mesh and twist tight with pliers.

5. Reclip the repaired section to the pickets.

6. Check the tension. If the repair section is looser than the surrounding mesh, gently tension it using a fence strainer on the horizontal wires.

REPLACING BENT PICKETS

Bent pickets (usually from roo strikes or stock pushing) should be replaced, not straightened. A bent picket is a weakened picket — the steel has been stressed beyond its yield point and won't hold its shape reliably.

1. Remove clips attaching mesh to the bent picket

2. Rock the picket back and forth to loosen it in the ground

3. Pull it out (a picket puller tool makes this much easier)

4. Drive a new picket in the same hole or 100mm to the side if the hole is too loose

5. Reclip the mesh to the new picket

Our 2.1kg/m heavy pickets resist bending better than lighter alternatives, so consider upgrading to heavier pickets when replacing damaged ones.

RETENSIONING AFTER REPAIR

Any mesh repair that involves cutting out a section means you've interrupted the tension in the mesh. After the patch is wired in:

1. Go to the nearest strainer assembly

2. Check the tension on the line wires — they may have slackened

3. Retension each wire individually at the strainer

4. Walk back to the repair and check that the patch section is now firm

FIXING BOTTOM WIRE DAMAGE

Bottom barbed wire often gets damaged by flood debris, digging animals, or corrosion (it sits close to the ground in damp conditions). Replacing a section of bottom wire:

1. Cut the damaged wire at the nearest pickets on each side

2. Run new barbed wire along the same path

3. Join to the existing wire using a figure-8 knot or wire splice

4. Tension from the nearest strainer

5. Clip to each intermediate picket

WHEN TO REPAIR VS REPLACE

Repair makes sense when:

  • Damage is localised (under 20m of fence)
  • The rest of the fence is in good condition
  • Strainer assemblies are still solid
  • The mesh and wire are not severely corroded

Replace the whole section when:

  • Damage extends over 50m+
  • The mesh is corroded and brittle (it breaks when you bend it)
  • Multiple strainer assemblies are compromised
  • The fence is 30+ years old and repair would just shift the weak point

KEEP REPAIR MATERIALS ON HAND

Every property should have a stash of repair materials in the shed:

  • 2-3 spare star pickets
  • A 10m offcut of mesh (save offcuts from new builds)
  • A roll of plain wire
  • A bag of clips
  • Barbed wire offcuts

Having these on hand means you can repair damage the same day you find it, instead of waiting for a supply run to town.

Need repair materials? Grab them at 76 Astill Drive, Orange. We sell individual pickets, clips by the bag, and mesh by the roll. Call 0434 093 077.

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