Reinforcing Mesh is premade steel reinforcement material that is fabricated from welded wires.

Though it is manufactured in various sizes, square and rectangular flat sheets are the most common.

The reinforcing mesh sheets provide tensile strength to the concrete elements and prevent cracks in the structure.

As the name suggests, Ute-Sized Mesh is also a type of steel mesh for reinforcing but made to fit on a standard ute.

DIY builders and small contractors prefer this version since it fits any standard Ute, but the non-standard size has its pros and cons.

Pros of Ute-Sized Mesh

Easy installation

Ute-Sized Mesh is quite versatile and comes in just one size 4m x 2m, which allows for legal transport on a standard ute.

The unusual size makes it ideal for small jobs where heavy transport isn’t viable, plus it’s smaller size makes it a little easier to install.

Ute-Sized Mesh also helps in various applications like small slabs, driveways, patio slabs and footpaths.

Pain-free transport

The compact size of the Ute-Sized Mesh allows for easy transport.

It is impractical to transport regular mesh sheets on a ute, as the overhang is dangerous for motorists.

Then again truck delivery fees may not be economical, especially to move a small volume of steel reinforcing mesh.

With a ute in hand, you can save transport costs and get the steel mesh you need.

Lightweight design

Since the ute mesh is a special sized sheet (4m x 2m), it’s easy to install and tie in place.

This means you can buy, load and even install it without help from others.

If you know what you’re doing, an average person can handle the mesh sheets as long as you follow proper manual handling techniques.

Cons of Ute-Sized Mesh

Material wastage

The Ute-Sized Mesh is smaller than the other mesh sheets, requiring quite a lot of material to cover larger concrete areas.

The usage of smaller sheets results in many overlap points which means more steel mesh is required to cover the same area as standard-sized mesh.

Put simply… The more overlap points, the more sheets you require to complete your project. This will increase the overall cost.

This however can work in reverse as well, if your concrete slab does not require a full-sized standard mesh sheet (6m x 2.4m), you will be paying for more material you may not require.

Conclusion

Ute-Sized Mesh is a concrete steel reinforcing mesh for general purpose concrete reinforcing applications.

It is made to fit on a standard ute, at a size of 4m x 2m.

Though it has a few drawbacks, ute mesh is the choice of small contractors and DIY builders who only require a small amount of mesh and wish to avoid delivery fees.