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5 Common Architectural Wire Cloth Patterns

Wire cloth woven products are often used for infill panels, metal facades and a number of other architectural applications. While there is an unlimited number of potential weave patterns, wire gauges and opening sizes, some combinations are more popular than others for architectural use.

Wire-Cloth Weaves Reverse-Plain-Dutch

Wire-mesh Weaves Twill-Dutch

Wire-Cloth Weaves Twill

Wire-Cloth Weaves Plain / Double

1. Plain Weave

Plain weave is the most popular wire cloth pattern, offering general-purpose functionality and strength, and a uniform look many designers prefer for architectural applications. A plain weave is formed by running a set of vertical wires (the shute) alternatively over and under a horizontal set (the warp) running perpendicular to it. Plain-woven wire mesh features the same mesh count in both dimensions.

2. Plain Dutch Weave

Plain Dutch weave is a variation on a standard plain weave in which larger-diameter warp wires are used. The thinner shute wires are woven around the warp. This allows for a tighter, denser and firmer weave that does not have a clear mesh opening. Plain Dutch weave is often used in filtration, though it has architectural applications as well. A variant, reverse Dutch weave, has the warp and shute strands switched, with the larger diameter wires running horizontally.

3. Twilled Weave

A twilled weave is similar to a plain weave, except the shute crosses two warp wires at a time, creating a staggered arrangement with a distinct front and back pattern. Twilled weave is a popular architectural wire pattern due to its increased pliability, which makes it easier to maneuver around curved features such as spiral stairs and sconces. Twilled weave patterns allow for the use of larger-diameter wires, which create a finished product with greater strength and corrosion resistance.

4. Twilled Dutch WeaveArchitectural-woven-Wire-infill-panels

Twilled Dutch weave is, as the name implies, a twilled variant on the traditional Dutch weave. In it, a single shute wire crosses two warp wires at a time. The adjacent shute wire crosses a different set of two warp wires, creating a staggered pattern and tighter weave. Twilled Dutch wire cloth weave is popular for its ability to filter out particles as small as 2 microns wide.

5. Stranded Weave

In a stranded weave, individual warp and shute strands are replaced with a group of smaller wires run alongside one another. Stranded weaves are typically done in the plain style, though variants exist. They are popular in architectural applications largely for their unique look.

Check out our Architectural Gallery to see real-word examples of some of the more popular architectural wire cloth patterns. Along with our standard weaves, we have interesting architectural weaves. For more information about our weaving capabilities or to request a quote, contact Marco Specialty Steel.