Welded mesh has wires fused at each intersection, giving a rigid, dimensionally stable sheet best for fencing, cages and reinforcement. Woven mesh interlocks crimped wires, staying flexible and reaching very fine apertures, so it suits filtration, sieving and screening. Choose welded for structure, woven for fine separation.
By the WireMeshQA editorial team · Independent wire mesh reference
Welded and woven wire mesh look similar at a glance, but they are made in fundamentally different ways and behave differently in use. The choice usually comes down to whether you need a rigid structural panel or a flexible screen with controllable, often very fine, openings.
What is welded wire mesh?
Welded wire mesh is produced by laying straight wires in a grid and resistance-welding them where they cross. Each intersection becomes a fixed joint, so the finished sheet holds its shape, resists distortion and carries load across the panel. It is commonly supplied in flat sheets or rolls and in a range of wire gauges and square openings. Because the geometry is locked in by welding, welded mesh delivers consistent square apertures and is straightforward to fabricate into cages, trays and frames.
Figure 1: Welded Mesh vs Woven Mesh (indicative comparison).
Figure summary: Welded mesh fuses the wires at each crossing for rigid, dimensionally-stable panels used in fencing, cages and concrete reinforcement, while woven mesh interlaces the wires into flexible rolls better suited to filtration and sieving. Choose welded for structure, woven for fine, flexible screens.
What is woven wire mesh?
Woven wire mesh is made on a loom-like process where warp and weft wires are interlaced and, in many weaves, crimped to lock the wires in position. Nothing is welded, so the cloth remains flexible and can be drawn down to extremely fine apertures, including micron-scale openings used in precision filtration. Weave patterns such as plain, twill and Dutch weave let manufacturers tune aperture, open area and particle retention for specific separation tasks.
Side-by-side comparison
Criteria
Welded mesh
Woven mesh
Construction
Wires fused at each intersection
Wires interlocked / crimped, not welded
Rigidity
High, holds shape as a panel
Flexible, drapes and conforms
Opening accuracy
Precise, consistent square apertures
Very fine apertures achievable, tunable by weave
Strength behaviour
Strong, stable structure; joints can fail if over-bent
Strong in tension; relies on crimp rather than welds
Choose welded mesh when you need a rigid, load-bearing or shape-holding panel for fencing, cages, partitions, shelving or reinforcement.
Choose woven mesh when you need fine, accurate apertures and flexibility for filtration, sieving, screening or any task driven by particle size.
Consider gauge and coating separately from construction, since both types are available in galvanised, PVC-coated and stainless variants.
Rule of thumb
If the job is about structure, lean welded. If it is about separation and fine, controllable openings, lean woven.
Frequently asked questions
Is welded mesh stronger than woven mesh?
It depends on the loading. Welded mesh is more rigid and better at holding shape as a panel, which makes it feel stronger in structural uses. Woven mesh performs well under tension and at fine apertures, but it stays flexible rather than rigid. Compare by intended load and aperture, not by a single strength number.
Can woven wire mesh achieve finer openings than welded?
Yes. Woven mesh can reach very fine, even micron-scale, apertures because the wires are interlaced rather than welded. Welded mesh is generally limited to coarser, structural openings, so fine filtration and sieving almost always use a woven cloth.
Which is better for fencing and animal cages?
Welded mesh is the usual choice for fencing, cages and enclosures because the fused joints keep the panel rigid and dimensionally stable. Woven mesh is more often reserved for filtration and screening rather than structural barriers.
Does welded mesh rust at the welds?
Plain steel welded mesh can corrode, and the weld points are a typical first place to see it once a coating is breached. Choosing galvanised, PVC-coated or stainless mesh, and avoiding cuts that expose bare wire, reduces this risk considerably.
Is welded mesh cheaper than woven mesh?
For heavier structural gauges, welded mesh is typically lower in cost. Woven mesh price varies widely with fineness, so a fine filtration cloth can be considerably more expensive than a comparable welded panel. Always compare like-for-like specification and material.
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