Vinyl Fencing - What do I need to know?

[CTdiznymom]

Time to put up a privacy fence. Would appreciate any tips or questions to ask when getting an estimate. It's not a big job, roughly 80ft. or so. Need to block two neighboring yards so we don't want pickets. Some have wooden posts inside the pvc others have steel (like a chain link would) inside the pvc. Any suggestions would be appreciated so I don't look clueless.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Personally, I would use tall arborvitae unless it also had to keep animals in/out. They grow like weeds and easily block the view. They look prettier than a plastic fence too. jhmo

 

[Jonathan Swift]

You need to make sure the construction of the fence is using virgin vinyl, not recycled. Look on the inside of the posts and check to see if the color on the inside matches the outside. If not, it's probably a gray core coated with a thin layer of vinyl and is hollow. That kind of fence will only last for about ten years before it needs to be replaced. You need to check the thickness, especially the posts. I doubt anyone glues the panels together anymore, but make sure the pieces interlock. Unless the bottom rails are really high (6" or more), the bottom of the fence should be reinforced with an aluminum beam to prevent sagging.

Most fence guys put their name as a sticker on the fences they put up. If you see any fences that look bad, see if you can find out what company did the job and avoid them. And for gosh sakes, avoid Lowes and Home Depot! Their fence products are garbage!

You want Double/CO-Extruded Vinyl (PVC). Not Monoextruded or plastic. You also want the PVC to contain UV inhibitors.

Your fence posts should be 5x5x9 and gate posts 5x5x10. Don't hire anyone that pays by the hour. Pick companies that pay by the foot. Make sure they use concrete for the posts. Also, make sure all the incidentals like post caps and hardware for the gate is included in the price.

Here's more info: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/vinylfence

 

[CTdiznymom]

Thank you so much for the excellent advise. I will definately ask all those questions. As for the trees, we have them now, and they aren't blocking the view or keeping the neighbors kids in their own yard.

 

[Jimsig]

One thing to think about if you have kids would be to skip the vinyl and go with wood. My brother who has a 4yo DS wanted to get a vinyl fence and the the fence guy came out and basically said he really didn't want to put a vinyl fence up for him. His reasoning is that kids will be apt to kick balls etc at a fence and the vinyl will break a lot easier then wood and wood is a lot easier to fix.

 

[pam95]

We recently installed an aluminum fence and plan to add landscaping for privacy. Our yard is small and we were worried that we would feel boxed in by tall privacy fencing. We also found this option to be more affordable.

We spoke to, and received about 4 quotes, from local fencing companies before making a decision. Home improvement projects are tough! Good luck!

 

[CTdiznymom]

Home improvement projects are tough! Good luck![/QUOTE]

You are so right! Especially when they cost a bundle and you don't want to screw up! I'm finding that I don't know what I don't know.

We've lived in the house for over 25+years. We've seen neighbors come and go. Our yard has been open to all the neighboring properties so far. Unfortunately now, one neighbors yard has turned into a dump, and the other neighbors kids think they can play ball on a postage stamp of a backyard. It's also difficult to sit out on our patio while 8ft away they are playing catch. So we definately need something solid and something high!

 

[msmama]

I have a 6 foot tall vinyl privacy fence. It's slats, but there isn't much room between the slats. I felt like having it completely solid made me feel a little too claustraphobic and my yard is fairly large.

I think the "slat" part is just hollow vinyl but the support posts are vinyl over wood. Seems to work well. Before the vinyl we had a wooden fence that blew down several times every winter (I seem to have a wind tunnel that goes through my back yard - it's since taken out 4 trees, too, but the vinyl fence is still going strong).

I called several companies for pricing and I went with the person I liked the best. I'd rather pay a slight bit more for someone I feel comfortable dealing with.

 

[nhmommy]

Vinyl cracks more easily in cold weather but it looks really nice and shouldn't ever need to be painted. If you get a quote you can live with ask for references and drive by and look at their fence also try to ask for a fence to look at that is a few years old at least. also now that spring is here and more people are outside stop and ask people who have the vinyl what they think of it.

 

[a1tinkfans]

what we found was that the vinyl was all over the place with cost...then realized theres lots of cheap, thin vinyl and some people that bought the more expensive than had vandalism on it....for some crazy reason kids like spraying it and it can crack in COLD weather?????

We chose cedar and with cement posts, decorative top...it has aged over the year to blend in a bit, looks natural......and beautiful ...love the choice!

 

[Jonathan Swift]

If your vinyl fence is cracking due to the cold, you bought a crappy fence. I live in the northeast. If that were true, everyone's fences would be toast.

 

[PooohBear]

I've had a vinyl fence for about 8 years and I love it ! It still looks brand new and has not cracked at all and I live in Chicago, definitely go with a higher quality fence or you're just wasting money in the long run

 

[DeniseE]

Hello,

I have been in the vinyl industry for 10 years and seen it all! I would like to echo what some of the users are saying: vinyl should NOT break in the cold. Any vinyl that does is inferior and cheap and doesn't have a good warranty. If you avoid the thin stuff (which includes the low grade stuff at the box stores), you should have a vinyl fence with a lifetime warranty against any cracking and splitting- even in the cold. Make sure you look for the warranty! You'll pay a little more for the good stuff, but be glad you did over the years. (Incidentally, in my area Home Depot doesn't even offer their off-the-shelf stuff in their installed program! They use an upgraded product. That tells you a lot right there.)

I would recommend that you contact local fence installers and find out who offers quality. There are many great vinyl fence manufacturers out there. Some of these companies include but are not limited to Westech, Country Estate, Certainteed (Bufftech), and Enduris. Most manufacturers that supply professional fencers don't thin down or cheapen their product. The company I worked for previously bought vinyl from Westech and Enduris and never had a warranty claim in the 7 years I had worked there.

You can also save money doing it yourself! That's what my company specializes in- a DIY vinyl fence project that requires no special equipment engineered and designed for a homeowner. It has a lifetime warranty and is professional grade vinyl.

It's like most things- you get what you pay for!

Good luck!
Denise
WamBam Fence