9 FAQs About Stainless Steel Wire Mesh for DIY Projects - TWP Inc.

Boasting impressive durability and versatility, stainless steel mesh is a go-to for a range of DIY applications. Find answers to frequently asked questions about this endlessly useful material below.

For more information, please visit our website.

What is Stainless Steel Wire Mesh?

Stainless steel wire mesh is a type of woven metal. Known for its exceptional strength and long lifespan, the material is essential not only to various industries but also for a wide range of home applications.

It's created with wires of various sizes, ranging from 0. inches to 0.047 inches in diameter. Beyond the standard mill finish, metal mesh can be coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or galvanized for extra resistance to heat and corrosion.

What's the Difference Between T-304 & T-316 Wire Mesh?

T-304 (type 304) stainless steel contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel. It's the most common alloy used to make wire mesh and is generally reliable, versatile, and resilient in most environments.

T-316 (type 316) stainless steel is a higher-grade metal alloy. It contains 10% nickel, 6% chromium, 2% molybdenum. Since T-316 wire mesh is a bit stronger and more resistant in extreme temperatures and harsh conditions, it's the pricier option. However, T-304 is suitable for most home applications.

How Do You Clean the Material?

Stainless steel wire mesh can be cleaned with warm water and mild soap, followed by a rinse with clean water. Depending on the weave, you may need to use a soft nylon-bristle brush to remove stubborn particles.

TWP Inc. offers ultrasonic cleaning as part of its expert wire mesh services. The method combines high-frequency sound waves with liquid to get rid of all dirt, debris, grease, and contaminants.

How is Steel Mesh Used for Winterizing a Home?

Wire mesh comes in handy for a variety of home winterization projects. You can use it to make gutter guards, a chimney cap, foundation vents, and soffit screens—to name just a few.

Can It Be Used for Fire Safety?

When it comes to fire safety, one of the main things people use metal mesh for is spark arrestors. The screens keep flammable debris away from embers and can contain flames within a chimney or fireplace.

Installing an indoor fireplace cover—along with the foundation vent, soffit, and gutter screens mentioned above—can also help prevent residential fires.

What Metal Mesh Products are Best for Pest Control?

Galvanized, welded, and poly-coated stainless steel are among the best wire mesh materials for pest control. Since they're notably strong and able to withstand severe weather conditions, these products work well for excluding various critters, including rodents, bats, raccoons, gophers, and snakes.

Can You Make Insect Screens Out of Stainless Mesh?

Insect screens can be made out of a few metal mesh materials. These include aluminum, copper, and multiple types of stainless steel.

Woven from super-fine steel wires, high-transparency mesh is a top choice for window and door screens. That said, professional installation is recommended to ensure a wrinkle-free finish.

What Mesh is Best for Gardening & Landscaping Projects?

While copper is a go-to for slug and snail control, stainless steel is the most widely used material in the garden. It can be fastened into fences, trellises, greenhouses, chicken coops, or benches. Some folks place it underneath the soil to keep moles, gophers, and other burrowers at bay.

To learn more about this do-it-all material, see our Guide to Stainless Steel Wire Mesh.

Contact Our Wire Mesh Suppliers

TWP. Inc was founded in the California Bay Area more than 50 years ago. As one of the top wire mesh suppliers worldwide, our woman-owned business carries a robust selection of woven, welded, galvanized, and poly-coated T-304 and T-316 stainless steel panels, sheets, and rolls.

Haopeng are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.

Shop our inventory today, or contact us with questions.

What’s the difference between 304 and 316 marine grade mesh?

I am sure you have heard many security brands use the term 304 marine grade stainless steel or 316 marine grade
stainless – sounds high tech but what does it actually mean?

Marine grade refers to stainless steel, that is suitable for marine environments and exposure to elements such as water, strong winds and saltwater corrosion.
304 marine grade stainless steel is generally used in outdoor environments, food processing and manufacturing
facilities – it has a chemical composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel and provides reasonable corrosion resistance.

While 316 marine grade stainless steel also has a composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel but with the addition of 2% – 3% of molybdenum, a metallic element that works in conjunction with the nickel alloy to provide a higher level of corrosion resistance.

Darley’s ScreenGuard stainless steel security mesh system is made with 316 marines grade stainless steel mesh, making it the perfect security system for residential homes, particularly coastal environments. Overall 316 marine grade stainless steel is considered superior over 304 marine grade stainless steel because of its higher level of corrosion resistance.

Wire Composition

As you probably already know stainless steel mesh is made of intersecting columns of stainless steel wire. This type of mesh has been around for centuries and is used in a number of applications such as fencing, barricading, grills, sisters and metal safety gloves.
As mentioned previously, the type of marine grade stainless steel is an important factor to consider because of its chemical composition and marine grade 316 is considered the superior mesh because of its higher corrosion resistance.

With the increasing popularity of 316 marine grade mesh, it has never been more important to reassure customers of the quality of the mesh used in their security products. It is for this reason, Darley send samples of our screenguardmesh to third party laboratories to verify the chemical composition of our stainlesssteel mesh and ensure customers receive quality 316 grade stainless steel.

Another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is the diameter of the wire used in the stainless steel mesh. In Australia, the two most common wire diameter sizes are 0.8mm and 0.9mm. Our ScreenGuard system uses wire with a diameter of 0.8mm. The same wire diameter has been used in the manufacturing of ScreenGuard mesh for over 15 years, offering consistent quality and appearance but also making it slightly challenging in the weaving process with the thicker wire being harder to weave.

As you probably already know stainless steel mesh is made of intersecting columns of stainless steel wire. This type of mesh has been around for centuries and is used in a number of applications such as fencing, barricading, grills, sifters
and metal safety gloves. As mentioned previously, the type of marine grade stainless steel is an important factor to consider because of its chemical composition; marine grade 316 is considered the superior mesh because of its higher corrosion resistance.

Another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is the diameter of the wire used in the stainless steel mesh. In
Australia, the two most common wire diameter sizes are 0.8mm for 316 marine grade mesh and 0.9mm for 304 marine grade mesh.

Our ScreenGuard system uses wire with a diameter of 0.8mm. The same wire diameter has been used in the manufacturing of ScreenGuard mesh for over 15 years, offering consistent quality and appearance but also making it slightly challenging in the weaving process with thicker wire being harder to weave. The tensile strength of the individual steel wire is an important contributor to the strength of the stainless steel mesh.

Tensile strength is the measurement of force the wire can withstand before it breaks. The stainless steel mesh used in the ScreenGuard system has a tensile strength of 850 – 900 pascals. Meaning it can bear a heavy load before breaking
– making it an ideal barrier in extreme weather conditions. It’s interesting to note – it is possible to increase the tensile strength of a single strand of stainlesssteel wire. This process is referred to as quenching and involves applying a heat treatment to the wire, followed by rapid cooling – which alters its chemical properties and increases or decreases its tensile strength.

Test Reports

Most security fabricators are familiar with the tests applied to security products under the Australian Standard AS - . One of the tests used in the standard is the Knife-shear test, which is designed to imitate a knife attack from an intruder, where they attempt to cut through the mesh of the security window or door.

Our ScreenGuard security products have been tested for and meet Australian Standard AS-, passing the knife
shear test, as well as, other compulsory tests including dynamic impact, antijimmy, child fall prevention, bushfire and fire attenuation.

In fact, the supplier of our ScreenGuard mesh goes one step further and applies their own knife shear and salt spray tests.
Every time we receive a new batch of mesh from our supplier, they provide an independent knife shear test report and salt spray test report – which confirms over hours of testing with no signs of corrosion. Darley also conducts spotcheck testing with a NATA accredited laboratory to provide a secondary level of QA screening.

Another important factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the actual installation of the security doors and windows. AS is the standard that governs manufacturing of security windows and doors, while AS is the Australian Standard that for installing Security screen doors and window
grilles. This standard provides installers of security screen doors and grilles with specifications for installing security screen doors and window grilles used primarily= in residential applications. If the security product is not installed correctly and according to these standards, then it is not considered secure.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Stainless Steel Mesh.