Produced from a plastic-based substance, vinyl fencing is a resilient product perfect for the fencing industry. While standard wooden fences tend to rot with age and require continuous staining and or painting, vinyl fencing is essentially care free. To clean it, all a vinyl fence needs is a spray from a hose or a good night's rain.
Vinyl fencing has been on the market since 1984, having been developed, designed, and tested since the 1950's. As with wooden decks, wooden fences oftentimes contain chemical treatments which can prove hazardous to those exposed to the chemicals. Vinyl fencing, on the other hand, is a family friendly product made of non-toxic materials and is fully recyclable.
Nearly all manufacturers of vinyl siding offer a lifetime guarantee on their product. Try finding that from a wooden fence supplier. Since the vinyl fencing is UV protected it will not wilt or discolor under the sun's gaze. Also, vinyl fences are graffiti resistant as paint easily washes off of its base.
Wooden fencing and vinyl fencing products cost roughly the same to install, though vinyl fencing may be a bit more expensive initially depending on local wood prices. However, since vinyl fencing wears better and carries a lifetime guarantee, experts believe that over time a vinyl fence will run about one-third the cost of a similar wooden fence.
Though wooden fencing products may look stronger, vinyl fencing, according to vinyl manufacturers, "has five times the tensile strength of wood and four times the flexibility." Aside from the strength factor, these experts claim a vinyl fence will never "discolor, peel, rot, pit, blister, warp, flake, crack, corrode, or be damaged by insects." If one of these problems does occur, the buyer is protected by the lifetime warranty.
Vinyl fencing is available in assorted light colors (white, gray, and tan) but do not expect to find any darker colors available since darker colors will absorb the heat from the sun and would eventually damage the product. The three most popular vinyl fence styles are privacy, picket, and ranch.