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
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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// 05
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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// 06
Mesh Count vs. Inches: Why 1/4" Hardware Cloth Is Called 4 Mesh
You ask for 1/4" hardware cloth. The invoice says 4 Mesh. Same roll, two naming systems — and the opening you actually...
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// 07
Ember-Resistant Vent Mesh: What California's Code Requires
Most homes lost to wildfire are not hit by the flame front. They are ignited by wind-driven embers that get in through...
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// 08
How to Keep Gophers Out of Your Garden (Without Poison)
Gophers pulling your plants underground? Skip the poison. Here is how galvanized gopher baskets and hardware cloth-lined raised beds keep roots safe...
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// 09
What Size Hardware Cloth Do You Need? 1/8", 1/4", 1/2" Compared
1/8", 1/4", and 1/2" hardware cloth each earn their keep on different jobs. Here's how opening size, wire gauge, and galvanizing decide...
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