Howard's Blog
Field notes, spec deep-dives, and shop-floor know-how from the people who’ve been cutting wire mesh in Hayward, California. Mesh counts, alloys, finishes, and the jobs they end up on — written plain.
- // Editor The Howard Wire Crew
- // Cadence Published When It Matters
- // Topics Specs · Materials · Applications
- // Loc. Hayward, California
Featured Read
Our most recent long-read — the one we’d hand a new buyer before they pick a mesh count.
Featured
Keeping Skunks and Raccoons Out From Under Your Deck: Why Winter Is the Window
Skunks breed in February and March, and raccoon young arrive in April and May, usually under a deck or porch. Here's the mesh UC recommends, how to bury it so they can't dig under, and why you want...
All Notes
Everything we’ve filed from the shop floor — sorted newest first.
// 03
Hardware Cloth vs. Chicken Wire for a Backyard Coop
Chicken wire or hardware cloth for a backyard coop? Which mesh goes on the walls, the floor, the roof and the buried...
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// 04
Copper Root Barriers: How They Work and Where They Go
How a copper root barrier works on tree roots, how deep to install it, where it goes, and who pays when roots...
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// 05
Getting Ready for El Niño in the Bay Area: Gutters, Downspouts, Drains, and Rain Barrels
NOAA gives a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño this winter, and California is already under a preparedness...
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// 06
Chimney Spark Arrestors in California: The Mesh Size and Wire the Code Requires
California requires a spark arrester on every chimney that burns solid fuel. The openings have to land between 3/8 and 1/2 inch,...
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// 07
Rodent-Proofing Your House for Winter: The 1/4 Inch Rule
Mice move indoors when fall nights turn cold, and a mouse only needs a 1/4 inch gap. Here's why 1/2 inch mesh...
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// 08
The Quiet Shift to Aluminum: Why Lightweight Mesh Is Showing Up in More Specs
Aluminum wire mesh is gaining ground in architectural and industrial specs. Here's where it makes sense to switch from steel — and...
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// 09
Fall Planting in Northern California: Why the Basket Goes In on Planting Day
Fall is the best planting window in Northern California — warm soil, cool air, and rains that do the watering. It is...
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// 10
California's Zone 0 Rule: What It Requires and Where Mesh Fits
California approved its Zone 0 five-foot ember-resistant zone on August 19, 2026. What the rule requires, when it takes effect, and where...
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// 11
Wire Mesh and Perforated Metal in Cars: Grilles, Intakes, and Screens
In March 2026, a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT sold at auction for $3.1 million. It is a carbon fiber monocoque with a...
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// 12
How to Read an Expanded Metal Spec: 1/2" #16 Decoded
Expanded metal is specified as a diamond size and a gauge number — and neither one is the size of the hole....
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// 13
Beyond 304 and 316: When Stainless Is the Wrong Alloy for Wire Mesh
Stainless handles most jobs. But there are conditions where 304 and 316 fail predictably — hot chlorides, sulfuric acid, flammable atmospheres, RF...
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