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We’re interested in vinyl fencing. I suspect that many folks here would discourage such a course of action. I’m open to input, but:
1. We must have a fence (total of about 300 lineal feet).
2. MUST be “maintenance free”. That’s just a reality for us.
3. Want the white picket fence look (don’t like the look of aged wood for our neighborhood).
If there’s an alternative, I’d be happy to hear about it. If not, who makes the “best” vinyl fencing? Best possible quality, looks, variety of choices, flexibility of installation (a few “special” requirements), etc.
Thanks,
Jim
Replies
*. Another thing about the vinyl picket fencing I've noticed is that the pickets are too far apart for my taste. This looks cheap with a wooden fence and worse with a vinyl fence.
Vinyl fencing looks just like...vinyl fencing. Oh so ugly. The first I saw some years back was clunky looking, as larger than usual members were required for strength. And it was PVC pipe smooth and shiny. Like vinyl siding, it's evolved since then, with smaller scale, texture, and less gloss. But there's still the old fencing being sold out there. For a start, go to
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I can't say for sure how their fence is, but I put a vinyl railing on my front porch. The company that I bought from was Bufftech (I think in the Buffalo area). I did a bit of research and I really liked the way their products were designed. For instance they used an extruded aluminum insert on long horizontal sections for added strength. I am very happy with the product and the service. You might look them up.
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My reply does not apply directly to vinyl fencing, but to a situation I must vent over. Why does everyone have to have maintenance free?? I know, no one enjoys having to paint all of the time, but I am sick of vinyl siding,doors, fences porch rails and floors, along with all of the other "fake" products. Has everyone just gotten lazy? In many years to come, people will not look at these maintenance free homes as fine homes but as pieces of crap put together by a lazy society. A home built with the proper materials with some attention to routine maintenance does not require intensive maintenance. Maybe those afraid of maintenance should rent an apartment. I know that I will hear it over this, but does anyone else feel the same?
*Jim;I've never done anything with the picket stuff, but I've put in around 2500 feet of 3 rail ranch fence. I've used Master Halco and KROY (the former is in So Cal, the later is in York, Nebraska[cute, york backwards])If you pick up a horse magazine (Equus, etc) you'll find plenty of ads for fencing, a good resource to get at manufaturers of the picket variety.On a different note, I guess I'm of two minds: I despise Corian and prefer Granite, wood windows over vinyl, forget about laminate floors...BUT outside I like TREX and the Vinyl is a superior fence for horses. Granted, I look at it from 400 feet away, but it performs better. No splits, no damage to the horse if the horse runs into it, easy to repair, easy to haul and construct and no painting. (Just ask the wife, I've got better things to do then power wash and paint 1/2mile of fence every 2 years.)Good Luck
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I wouldn't consider either my wife or I lazy. Quite the contrary - we're too hard working. Our careers consume our available time. Most days, we leave shortly after dawn and get home shortly before dusk. Doesn't leave much time for maintenance.
Not much choice about career changes, either. Promised the kids an education. 3 in college, 2 in private high schools.
Like I said, it's a reality for us. The work won't get done unless we minmize it. It's all choices, I guess. We've chosen to live with a few "fakes" in order to have other things more important to us.
*I just had vinyl fencing installed around the backyard of my new house. I chose the Nebraska brand after much confusing research. All the fence companies make claims and counterclaims on whose is best but it appeared to me that they had a good product. Our vertical slats are 3" wide with a 2" gap between them. This looks fine to us up close and far away. Maintenance free fencing was important to us too. I do not mind normal upkeep on a house but did not look forward to the constant upkeep on a fence. These fences are pricey up front but maintenance has to be figured in on this. Besides what is wrong with wanting products that do not require upkeep all the time? I put Hardiplank siding on my house and it looks great. I am using MDO (not MDF) for front porch columns. These low maintanance products were not cheap products. They are high quality and were price as such. I am glad we spent the dollars up front to have a vinyl fence installed.
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The problem is not "maintenance-free," the problem is "ugly." A lot of synthetic products came and went simply because they were ugly. We don't notice the ones that caught on, simply forgetting that they were synthetic. Consider all the engineered wood products out there, and and I don't hear anyone calling for a return to milk paints.
I've seen some high-end vinyl fences which were actually pretty darn good-looking. The aluminum core seems to be very important, and it must account for the high cost. I remember a quote of like $250 for a 6-foot section -- high, but of course the labor to install it is insignificant. Visit your best building supplies, they will have some of this material for inspection. Only if you see and feel it will you know whether it is acceptable.
If you can't afford all this, get a *&^%&( chain-link fence. IMHO if they aren't rusty or crooked them look fine. Wrought iron is nice, too, and of course it looks like wrought iron instead of pretending to look like wood. Paint on metal lasts longer than on wood.
Jim, I hope y'all aren't too busy. It can take quite a toll on your health, I've seen it often enough.
*I've used some of the Heritage stuff for a purely ornamental railing on a flat roof. Slipping a vinyl 4x4 tube over the badly peeling painted wood ones reduced not only the sanding/scraping prep but the period repeat. Haven't completed the sections between posts yet (other projects intervened and the homeowner (Mom) hasn't decided on style. But their rails are available with the inner extrusion, but I think it's galvanized steel. The stuff is shiny but up there on the roof not so bad.I'm not sure anything is maintenance FREE. LOW maybe. In some climates I'd anticipate the white vinyl going mossy green or at least getting dirty. You could pressure wash it or wipe it down with a sponge pretty easily and not have to repaint, but that's not free.Just did some repairs on a cypress stockade fence that went up in 1955. Actually it was a few years ago so say this fence was up for 40 years with NO maintenance. It weathered silvery gray, a little moss green here and there. About 50% of the pickets had developed enough decay that they wanted replacing. I'm sure a preservative treatment every 5 years or so would have extended life even more. But sounds like the weathered look doen't work for you.
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What made you choose Nebraska? Do you have contact information?
Jim
*So what's a "high-end" brand? Which brands use an aluminum core?We ARE too busy, but its paying the bills and leaving a bit for savings. One of the things we work at is trying to enjoy the leisure time we do have; we'd rather be hiking than painting fences.Thanks for the advice!Jim
*Exactly - a power wash a year! Sounds like a Saturday afternoon. That much, I can handle.So Heritage has the metal core? I didn't get that from their website, but we do like one of their styles (I think they call it Classic 4).Thabks for the advice!Jim
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I don't recall the name of the one I looked at -- but I'd recommend you buy something you can take a look at close-up -- give it a shake and look at detailing to assess the quality. So it depends what local dealers carry. Type vinyl fence aluminum into Altavista and you'll get dozens of hits, including a couple of factory-directs.
Are you hiring someone to install this? Their experience may an important resource.
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We're interested in vinyl fencing. I suspect that many folks here would discourage such a course of action. I'm open to input, but:
1. We must have a fence (total of about 300 lineal feet).
2. MUST be "maintenance free". That's just a reality for us.
3. Want the white picket fence look (don't like the look of aged wood for our neighborhood).
If there's an alternative, I'd be happy to hear about it. If not, who makes the "best" vinyl fencing? Best possible quality, looks, variety of choices, flexibility of installation (a few "special" requirements), etc.
Thanks,
Jim