Vinyl, an Introduction

Are you ready to become acquainted with one of fencing’s “newest” materials: vinyl? Vinyl was first introduced in the 1980s. It has yet to become the number one product choice due to its biggest competitor, wood. Wood is still holding steady in the lime-light. Most people have never heard of, or know what vinyl is, let alone the possibilities it presents for their fence. Allow me to make the introductions.

First off, what is vinyl fencing? It is a petroleum based plastic material made with poly-vinyl chloride, also known as PVC. In English, it is a special and durable plastic that you often find around most vinyl window frames. It comes in a handful of colors and textures offered by several brands, such as Bufftech, and is fairly easy to install and even easier to maintain. Repairs are also easy enough; the only hiccup lies with finding matching material. Vinyl is also a relatively versatile material installable over hilly terrain and will provide privacy between you and your neighbors. The best part, not that this product doesn’t already sound too good to be true, is vinyl companies warrantee the fence from 10 years to a lifetime.

So why is vinyl not the talk of the town? How come it is not the pride and joy of every yard in the country? The first and most likely reason, besides lack of product knowledge: vinyl is expensive. The cost of a vinyl fence can be anywhere from 2 to 3 times the cost of a wood fence depending on your choice of color, style, and brand. Second, if you are looking for a rail-type fence to hold in livestock, vinyl will not be the best option because it is weaker than other materials. Third, vinyl will scratch and sometimes become brittle under UV ray lights causing minor damages over time. In such cases, should you want to make repairs, it is not always the easiest task. As I said before, the action of repairing vinyl fences is easy enough. However, if your profile, or color/texture, choice is no longer available, finding an exact match for your fence will be near impossible, making repairs a challenge. Fourth, while companies are working to expand their profile selections, there are currently a limited number of color options available. When vinyl was first introduced in the 80’s, though, white was the only available color. They’ve come a long way since then. Lastly, you cannot paint vinyl.

Now that the introductions have been made, are you interested in getting better acquainted? As with any decision, there is much to consider when choosing your fence material. If you have any questions or would like to see some samples, feel free to give us a call at 253-531-5452 or stop by our shop. We’d be more than happy to show you more!