Saturday, February 17, 2007
Wood or Vinyl fence, which is best for me?
By Ken Plain
When deciding between wood and a vinyl fence cost seems to be a major consideration. And it should be, but it also should not be the deciding factor. As a long time fence saleman, I have gained a wealth of experience in assisting you so that you can make an informed decision. So let's take a look at the two choices and the factors you need to know.
You've heard that old adage a fence is a fence is a fence. In a realtors eyes this could not be more true. Most realtors will tell you that when appraising a home for sale it does not matter what type or style of fence you have on your property. Whether it is a chain link or a vinyl or wood fence, the fence only adds x amount to the resale value irregardless of which material is used. This means if you are planning on living in the home for less than ten years you are likely paying the additional money for vinyl for the next owner to reap the benefits of vinyl.
So the next thing you should consider is how long will be living in this house? If you plan on living in the house for a long time then vinyl can be a cost effective choice. It is almost a no maintenance product, all that is normally required is a good pressure washing when needed. It will look the same ten, twenty, or more years from the day you install it. The decision to go with vinyl or wood should at least consider how long you will be there. Some want the vinyl for its beauty and for the color. In that case your choice will weigh that factor as well.
As a rule of thumb Vinyl fencing (6' high) privacy style is more than double the cost of a comparable height wood fence. For example if you are looking at a 100 foot vinyl fence you can expect to pay between 34 and 44 dollars a linear foot. Of course it may be different in your area of the country, but that is a genral price range for installed vinyl. Wood on the other hand can range from 13 to 24 dollars a foot. Plus the gates for wood are much less than vinyl gates are.
In vinyl there are two grades of material generally sold one is a commercial grade and one is a retail grade. The general differences between the two are retail grade panels are usually glued. This means they are rigid, so if you do not have a perfectly flat area to be fenced you will need to stair step the panels. Retail vinyl is also genrally less thick than a commercial grade as well. Commercial grade vinyl on the other hand is normally precision routed so that you can rack the panel up to eight inches from one end ot the other end of each panel. This means less stair stepping. Glued panels also can become loose as the years go by and the glue breaks down.
When deciding between wood and a vinyl fence cost seems to be a major consideration. And it should be, but it also should not be the deciding factor. As a long time fence saleman, I have gained a wealth of experience in assisting you so that you can make an informed decision. So let's take a look at the two choices and the factors you need to know.
You've heard that old adage a fence is a fence is a fence. In a realtors eyes this could not be more true. Most realtors will tell you that when appraising a home for sale it does not matter what type or style of fence you have on your property. Whether it is a chain link or a vinyl or wood fence, the fence only adds x amount to the resale value irregardless of which material is used. This means if you are planning on living in the home for less than ten years you are likely paying the additional money for vinyl for the next owner to reap the benefits of vinyl.
So the next thing you should consider is how long will be living in this house? If you plan on living in the house for a long time then vinyl can be a cost effective choice. It is almost a no maintenance product, all that is normally required is a good pressure washing when needed. It will look the same ten, twenty, or more years from the day you install it. The decision to go with vinyl or wood should at least consider how long you will be there. Some want the vinyl for its beauty and for the color. In that case your choice will weigh that factor as well.
As a rule of thumb Vinyl fencing (6' high) privacy style is more than double the cost of a comparable height wood fence. For example if you are looking at a 100 foot vinyl fence you can expect to pay between 34 and 44 dollars a linear foot. Of course it may be different in your area of the country, but that is a genral price range for installed vinyl. Wood on the other hand can range from 13 to 24 dollars a foot. Plus the gates for wood are much less than vinyl gates are.
In vinyl there are two grades of material generally sold one is a commercial grade and one is a retail grade. The general differences between the two are retail grade panels are usually glued. This means they are rigid, so if you do not have a perfectly flat area to be fenced you will need to stair step the panels. Retail vinyl is also genrally less thick than a commercial grade as well. Commercial grade vinyl on the other hand is normally precision routed so that you can rack the panel up to eight inches from one end ot the other end of each panel. This means less stair stepping. Glued panels also can become loose as the years go by and the glue breaks down.
