Guide to Steel Mesh and Perforated Products

Mesh and perforated steel are the types of products that seem straightforward until you actually need to choose one. Welded, woven, expanded or perforated? Mild steel, galvanised, or stainless? Fine openings or large apertures? Sheet or roll?

If you’re struggling to decide which product is right for your project, our advice is simple: start with what you need the material to do, then work backwards.

At Edcon Steel, we stock a wide range of welded steel mesh, woven steel mesh, expanded steel mesh and perforated steel for builders, fabricators, tradies, manufacturers, and DIY customers. From guards to cages, workshop shelving to privacy screens, fencing to decorative projects, we’re sure to have the right product for the job.

So, which type should you choose?

Welded Steel Mesh

Welded steel mesh is probably what most people picture when they hear the words “steel mesh”. It is a grid of steel wires welded together at every intersection to form a stable pattern with square or rectangular openings. It is strong, holds its shape well, and is sold in flat sheets or rolls.  

That construction gives welded mesh its characteristic rigidity and makes it a practical choice for guards, cages, fencing, shelving, partitions, animal enclosures, trailer enclosures, tree guards, window guards and general fabrication.

We supply welded mesh in a variety of aperture sizes and wire diameters, including galvanised mild steel and 304 and 316 stainless steel options.

When choosing welded mesh, pay attention to the aperture (space between wires) and wire diameter rather than simply looking at the overall sheet size. A smaller aperture may make sense when you need to prevent smaller objects or animals passing through, while a heavier wire may be more appropriate when rigidity and durability are priorities.

For DIY customers, welded mesh is particularly useful because it is predictable. You have a regular grid, it is relatively easy to measure and plan around, and there are plenty of ways to fix it into frames or other structures.

The trick is not automatically choosing the heaviest option. A garden trellis, storage rack, and animal enclosure all have very different requirements. Choose for the job rather than assuming more steel is always better.

Woven Steel Mesh

Woven steel mesh can look similar to welded mesh from a distance, but it is made differently. Instead of welding intersecting wires together, the wires are woven over and under each other.

While it might seem like a minor distinction, that difference matters.

Woven mesh can offer smaller and more precise openings and tends to have more flexibility than a rigid welded panel. This makes it useful where screening, filtration, separation or a finer barrier is required.

Edcon supplies woven mesh in 304 and 316 stainless steel, with various sizes available.

If you’re trying to decide between woven or welded mesh, think about what has to pass through (or what needs to be kept out). Fine woven mesh can suit applications where the opening size is the critical requirement rather than the structural rigidity of the panel. It can be useful for screens, filters, guards and other industrial or fabrication applications requiring a finer mesh.

For DIY customers, the same principle applies. If your project needs a finer, more flexible screen rather than a rigid grid, woven mesh may be the better starting point.

Material selection is also important. Stainless steel is particularly useful where corrosion resistance, cleanliness, or appearance matters. For projects in demanding environments, talk to the Edcon team about whether 304 or 316 stainless steel is more appropriate for your application.

Expanded Steel Mesh

Expanded steel mesh sits somewhere between traditional steel mesh and sheet metal.

Rather than being assembled from individual wires, expanded mesh starts as a sheet of metal. The sheet is cut and stretched to create a repeating open pattern, commonly with diamond-shaped openings. This is an important practical advantage, as the openings are created without weaving or welding separate wires together.

Expanded mesh is a good product to consider when you want a relatively robust open panel for applications such as guards, screens, barriers, enclosures, ventilation, partitions and general fabrication. It can also work well where appearance matters, making it useful for architectural and decorative projects as well as industrial ones.

For DIY projects, expanded mesh can be particularly effective for outdoor screens, garden projects, storage systems, workshop guards and custom furniture or cabinetry details.

Expanded mesh is often overlooked, as customers often jump straight from welded mesh to perforated sheet, when expanded mesh can provide a very practical middle ground.

Edcon stocks various sizes of expanded mesh in both mild steel and galvanised steel.

Perforated Metal

Like expanded mesh, perforated metal starts as sheet metal and has a repeated pattern of holes punched or formed through it.

Quite different from welded or woven wire mesh, perforated metal retains much more of the appearance and behaviour of sheet metal, while introducing openings for airflow, drainage, visibility, sound transmission, screening or decorative effect.

Perforated products come in different hole sizes, patterns, pitches, thicknesses and percentages of open area.

Open area is particularly important, as it tells you approximately how much of the sheet consists of openings rather than metal. If airflow or visibility is important, that percentage can have a major influence on which perforated product suits the job.

A ventilation panel, for example, has different priorities from a privacy screen, and a machine guard has different priorities to an architectural panel.

For home projects, like ventilation panels or decorative garden panels, perforated metal can be an excellent way to achieve a clean, professional finish. Perforated metal is a great option when you want the material to become part of the design.

Edcon’s range of perforated products includes options in 304 and 316 stainless steel, Galvabond, uncoated mild steel, and zincanneal, with perforated aluminium also available. 

Welded, woven, expanded or perforated: which one should you choose?

Choose the right product

Rather than asking which product is best, ask which one is best for the specific job.

Welded mesh is a strong all-rounder when you need a rigid, regular grid. It suits fencing, cages, guards, racks, shelving and general fabrication.

Woven mesh is worth considering when you need finer openings, flexibility or more controlled screening. It is commonly suited to screening, filtration, separation and fine guarding applications.

Expanded mesh provides an open pattern while remaining a one-piece sheet-based product. It is a practical choice for guards, barriers, screens, ventilation and decorative applications.

Perforated metal is ideal when you want a sheet-like finish with controlled openings for airflow, screening, drainage, visibility or appearance.

If you’re still unsure, don’t guess from a product photo. Aperture, wire diameter, thickness, open area, material and finish can make two apparently similar products perform very differently. Talking to someone who knows the range can save a lot of frustration.

Choose the right material

Once you have narrowed down the type, consider the environment.

For many indoor projects, mild steel may be a practical option, particularly if the finished product will be appropriately coated or protected.

For outdoor applications, galvanised products can provide additional corrosion protection. Edcon stocks galvanised options across parts of its welded and expanded mesh ranges.

Stainless steel is another option where corrosion resistance, finish or project requirements call for it. Edcon supplies both 304 and 316 stainless steel across our mesh and perforated product categories.

Projects near the coast or in more corrosive environments need particular attention, as material selection can have a big impact on long-term performance. It is worth discussing your project needs with our team rather than choosing solely on price.

And if the mesh or perforated product forms part of a structural, safety-critical or regulated installation, make sure the specification is confirmed by the appropriate engineer, builder or other qualified professional.

Choose the right size

One of the most common mistakes with steel mesh and perforated products is choosing the right type and material, but overlooking the practicalities of sheet size, transport and installation.

Before ordering, check the dimensions carefully and think about how you’ll get the product to your job site or home. A full sheet might suit the project on paper, but it also needs to fit on your vehicle, through access points and into the space where you’re working.

Edcon Steel does not offer custom cutting for mesh products, so if your project requires a specific size, make sure you have the appropriate tools and experience to cut it safely, or arrange cutting with a suitably equipped fabricator.

A little planning at this stage can save plenty of frustration later. Whether you’re a fabricator working from detailed plans or a DIYer building a garden screen, enclosure or storage solution, check the product dimensions, transport requirements and any cutting you’ll need to complete before placing your order.