BIRD NETTING
Mesh Sizes
- 19mm Sparrows
- 28mm Starlings
- 50mm Pigeons
- 75mm Gulls
- Use 50mm on vertical walls of gull nets
Colour
- Black - blends well into most situations
- Stone - may be appropriate on lighter buildings
- Translucent - for white buildings or against the sky
Translucent face net
Construction
- Extruded polyethylene monofilaments twisted together
- Pigeon, starling and sparrow net is made from 6 filament twine (0.85 to 0.9mm diameter)
- Gull net is made from 9 filament twine (1 to 1.3mm diameter)
- The twine is knotted into netting, heat-treated to prevent knot slippage, stretched in both directions, then converted from the diamond shape produced by the net-making machine, by joining on corner triangles with invisible joins. For bird proofing, squared mesh running vertically and horizontally is important for easy unobtrusive installation
No Flame Net
- For use in fire sensitive areas e.g. canopies where combustible materials are stored below, or above fire exits
- It is black with a red tinge (made from 5 black filaments and 1 red)
- Flame retardant added prior to extrusion for longevity
- Conforms to BS5867
Life Expectancy
- Network Birdnet is protected with optimum UV light stabiliser
- Provided the nets are correctly installed and not physically damaged, they have been shown to last at least 10 years in UK weather conditions
- Note that life expectancy is likely to be shorter where sunshine levels are greater
- Black net can resist UV degradation better than other colours, so should, wherever possible, be used for bird proofing in sunnier climates
Black pigeon nets installed in India
Other
- Softens approx 120°C; melts >130°C
- Retains flexibility at freezing temperatures
- Weight per m2(approx): sparrow 73g, starling 42g, pigeon 21g, gull 30g
Hog Rings
- Use a Hog Ring Stapler to attach net to straining wire ensuring net is pulled tight and square
- Attach every mesh of net to the perimeter wire and every third mesh to any middle support wires
- The P7 handtool allows speedy one hand operation, but for bigger nets a battery or pneumatic hogger may be preferred
- Hog ring staples are available galvanised (cheapest), aluminium (softest and quickest to use) or stainless steel (most durable)
- Cable ties can be used to fasten awkward corners of the net neatly
Access Through Net
- Where access required through net, such as to light fittings, fix in Net Clips or a Net Zip
- Zips are easier to open and close, but are more noticeable
- Ensure the hog rings actually pierce the zip fabric, this is much easier with a battery hogger
