Vinyl fencing has several advantages over wood fencing. It is easy to assemble and durable. Vinyl fencing will not crack, rot, or mold, and is weather resistant. A little soap and a hard spray of water will keep this fencing clean. Paint will not chip off of vinyl fencing. Vinyl fencing is less expensive to buy over the long run than wood, and may also come with a warranty.

DIY Vinyl and Wood Installation:

Do you want to put up your fence quickly? Vinyl fencing is the way to go, particularly if you want to have a painted fence. Vinyl fencing comes “pre-painted.” As an additional benefit, vinyl fencing is less likely to show scratches than wood fencing because color is impregnated into the vinyl material. Consequently, vinyl fencing will not need to be touched up, unlike fencing made of wood. No special tools are need to install a vinyl fence. With a wood fence you will need nail gun(s) and a compressor.

Most sections are shipped unassembled. Assembly is easy. Many of the styles can not be assembled ahead of time due to the fact the fence sections are held together after the rails are slid into the posts. A section assembles in minutes.

Maintenance:

Let’s talk JUST about treating your wood fence, so it at least stays in a shape somewhat comparable to when the fence went in. Using a standard treatment, or stain, you’ll spend between $120-$180 for 5 gallons of stain, which will cover a typical 200? of fence one time- on one side. Double that for both sides (I’ll assume you’re nice to your neighbors), and then figure you’ll need two coats, you’re spending approximately $600, or $3/lineal foot of fence just on treatment alone!

Add the cost of the sprayer for a weekend, and you’ve added another 50 cents per foot to your wood fence. It’s already looking like less of a bargain, and we haven’t even talked about the weekend you could spend in the house that you’re spending outside treating your fence and praying that you don’t kill your new flower garden with overspray.

That’s year one.

To keep that wood fence in reasonable shape, it needs to be stained at least once a year for the first three years, then you can relax to every other year after that. It doesn’t take much math to see that in 10 years you’ve spent close to $20/lineal foot just treating the wood fence,  which you could have spent on the vinyl fence to start with and saved the hassle. On top of that, even with stain, wood is going to rot. Boards will warp, nails will work their way out, and after 10 years of all that spending and working, you still have a fence that looks 10 years old. The vinyl fence next door looks the same as the day it was put in, especially after a good power-washing.

Your vinyl fence will need to be hosed off to remove loose dirt and debris. THAT’S IT!

Vinyl Vs Wood Cost/Pricing:

The initial costs of superior quality vinyl fencing material and components are usually a bit more expensive than most wood fence materials. However, high quality wood is getting more and more expensive all the time. As this price increase in wood continues to occur, the differences in initial cost of fencing materials is getting closer and closer to becoming completely nonexistent. If you look at the long term maintenance, the vinyl fence materials win by a landslide.

Warranty:

Vinyl fences also trump wood fences when it comes to warranty. Because wood is naturally susceptible to decay regardless of how well you have it treated, wood fences rarely come with a warranty. For a vinyl fence, a lifetime warranty is quite common.

Conclusion:

A big difference in vinyl vs. wood fence is in maintenance. Wood fences will need to be painted every two to three years, or stained every one to two years. The nails or staples securing wood pickets may come loose, particularly if the pickets are repeatedly struck or bumped. Wood fence may develop green mildew that may need to be pressure washed off.

Vinyl needs no special care but like wood, vinyl may develop green mildew in prolonged humid conditions. Soapy water–you may need to add vinegar or bleach depending on the severity of the mildew–and soft bristle brush is all it takes to scrub a vinyl fence clean.

So if the low price tag of the wood fence on the front end is enticing, do a little math and realize that to get the fence you want you’re going to have to spend the money anyhow, so consider the economics of a vinyl fence.

Choosing the right type of fencing is an important decision for any homeowner. A good fence can make or break the appearance of not only your yard, but your home. Whether you choose vinyl or wood for you fence, make sure that you measure correctly and follow any installation instructions carefully. Enjoy your new fence!

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