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.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

 

Five Major Considerations When Installing A Vinyl Fence

By Sally Hart

Are you interested in installing a vinyl fence? If so, there are many considerations that you will have to think about before you actually move forward with the installation process. After all, installing a fence is a major addition to any home. With that being said, this job can be taken care of easily enough if you take your time.

Here are 5 major considerations that you should keep in mind when installing a fence. They may not all apply to you, but chances are that they will make you think a bit.

1. Before you install any fence you need to decide what type is best for you, your family, and your home. Are you going to install a traditional wood or aluminum fence? Or are you going to consider a more modern look such as vinyl fencing? This choice is very important, and one that you must make on your own. You should look at the benefits of each type of fencing, and then make a decision as to what option is best for your situation.

2. You need to decide who is going to install your fence. For instance, vinyl fencing is not difficult to install if you have all of the proper tools. With that being said, you may not want to do this on your own. If this is the case you will need to find somebody who can help you out.

3. Shop around for the best price when buying fencing. After you know what type of fence you want to install, the next step is to determine where you are going to buy the supplies. In today's day and age there are many hardware superstores that can sell you fencing at a low cost.

4. Have an exact idea as to where your property ends. This way you will know where to install your fence. There is nothing worse than undertaking a project like this just to find out that your fence is on your neighbor's property. To avoid this you should simply get a survey from your borough.

5. Do you really want a fence? Many people think that they want to fence their yard in just to find out that they do not like the way that the job turned out. Before you decide on any type of fence you will want to be 100 percent sure of yourself.

These five considerations should help you before, during, and after installing a fence. Regardless of if you want to install a wood, aluminum, or vinyl fence you will need to think the entire process through before you get started.

About the Author: Sally Hart is a contributing author for USA Vinyl. USA Vinyl only uses top quality 100% Virgin materials in everything you see and touch. USAVinyl utilizes high quality acrylic and vinyl materials (not from secondary markets) in the substrate. Visit USA Vinyl.com today!

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