What kind of steel wire and connector to use to spread grapevines on pergola?

Hi,

We are building pergola with 6 90*90 mm posts, connecting them with 4 beams 90*35*2500mm and 3 90*35*3200 mm joists. We are planning to spread grapevines over this with steal wire mesh connecting beams and joists.

What thickness steel wire would be ideal? And what kind of connectors to use to make the mesh?

Thank you.

Regards,

Vidya

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Comments

EricL

Hello @Vidya

Thanks for sharing your question about creating a mesh for your grape vines.

I propose looking at using Pinnacle 2mm x 30m Marine Grade Stainless Steel Wire Rope in combination with Pinnacle 6mm Stainless Steel Wire Eye Strap - 2 Pack to hold them at the ends. To lock the wires in place, I suggest using Taskmaster 4mm 316 Stainless Steel Wire Rope Grips.

Another option would be to use RapidMesh 900 x 1200mm 50 x 50mm Silver Wire Mesh Panel. But you'll need to build a frame to hold the mesh in place. I suggest having a look at this discussion - Hardwood and mesh trellis with planter boxes by @DIY4Knuckleheds. It's an excellent example of how you can create a frame to hold the mesh in place.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag and @Jewelleryrescue for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Vidya

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/37732#Comment_37732

Thank you Eric, much appreciated. 1st approach sounds great. I will wait for the expert opinion as well before finalizing.

Regards,

Vidya

Dave-1

Good Evening @Vidya

I would love to have a grapevine myself 🙂 I like the sizing that you have suggested for the posts tho I think the crossbeams and joist thickness may be a little small to carry the weight of the vines and the mesh. (they will want to sag like crazy)

Something along the lines of this 200 x 50mm 2.4m Sleeper Hardwood - 50mm for the crossbeams and 150 x 50mm 1.8m Treated Pine Sleeper CCA H4 - 1.8m for the joists. Not necasarily the type of timber more for the sizing. Tho I do prefer hardwood over treated pine.

For the steel mesh, I was thinking of giving that a miss and go for fencing wire Longyard 3.15mm x 375m Low Tension Fence Wire mainly because its cheaper then mesh and less weighty to have overhead. Plus easy enough to repair.

I would string the wire like a clothes line and then bring every second wire back around and spiral wrap the ends over the clothesline run of wire, that way if one part breaks you have the rest still secure. The holes I would just drill through the timber crossbeams. I do admit that at first the wire is a little hard to work with but once you have done one it becomes easier (I have used this wire for my gabion walls and intend to use it for my blackberry bushes for trellising the blackberry canes)

Dave

Vidya

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/37733#Comment_37733

Thank you Dave. Can you please explain the spiral wrapping part a bit?

Regards,

Vidya

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/81097#Comment_81097

Hi @Vidya

Let me tag @Dave-1 to make sure he sees your question.

Eric

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/81097#Comment_81097

Evening @Vidya

Picture this, your Crossbeam is directly in front of you, it has a hole drilled through it for the wire to go through.

The wire goes through and pulled tight from the far side of the beam, then you bring the wire up over the top of the beam and keeping the wire taught you then spiral wrap this tail around the wire you just threaded through the hole of the beam. (If you cant see it I will draw a picture tomorrow 🙂 )

Dave

Vidya

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/105222#Comment_105222

Thank you 😊 much appreciated

Vidya

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/105221#Comment_105221

Thank you Eric 😊

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