Buyer's Guide for Vinyl Fences
Vinyl fences are a long-lasting and attractive, if expensive, option for landscaping or containing animals. The first plastic fences were prone to UV damage over time and tended to become brittle in cold weather or soft in hot weather. These problems were corrected quickly and newer high-quality fences use weather- and UV-resistant polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE). Does this Spark an idea?
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PVC Fence
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PVC post-and-board fence replicates the look of a traditional painted wood fence, but requires less maintenance and is longer lasting when it's installed correctly. Since proper installation is vital to the strength of the fence, it's usually best to get PVC fence professionally installed. Wash the fence periodically with a mildew remover to prevent discoloration in humid environments. PVC fence comes in heavy duty varieties for livestock containment and light duty varieties for decorative or landscaping applications.
Vinyl Coated Wood Fence
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Vinyl coated wood fence is made of wooden posts and boards dipped in PVC. The coated boards are more durable than regular lumber and, like PVC fence, do not require painting. Vinyl-coated wood boards are very strong, but it is prone to warping and twisting in extreme conditions, just like uncoated wood boards. If vinyl coated wood boards shatter, they may have sharp edges and splinters that are dangerous to livestock, unlike solid PVC fence, which tends to break smoothly.
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High Tensile Polymer Fence
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High tensile polymer fence does not use boards at all. Technically, it's a wire fence, but the wires are encased in a plastic sheath that resembles board fence when assembled. Some varieties can even be electrified. Like all high tensile fence, the polymer fence must be stretched in order to function properly, so corner posts must be securely braced. Once installed, high tensile polymer fence is one of the safest fencing options for horses; it is strong enough to stop a galloping horse but flexible enough to prevent injury.
Vinyl Picket or Privacy Fence
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Vinyl fence also comes in solid sections for use as picket fence or privacy fence. Picket fence, usually about 4 feet tall, defines a boundary without blocking the view. Privacy fence encloses a yard and prevents neighbors from seeing in. PVC privacy fence differs from wood privacy fence in that the fence sections may be a single solid mold instead of several boards nailed or screwed together, making it less prone to warping and damage.
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References
- Photo Credit White Fence Under the Tree image by steverts from Fotolia.com
