Fence Materials

vytoland

vytoland

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our fence needs to be replaced soon and I am undecided on the type of material to use.

what have you found to be long lasting , sturdy, weather resistant?
cedar, treated wood, PVC, or something else?

I would like something with a "closed" private feature (no chain link) and about 5 - 6 feet high.
 
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Many of the naturally durable woods like cedar and redwood that are widely available contain sapwood along with the heartwood - sapwood has no durability, so if you see white or light streaks in the wood it will likely not last. All-heart redwood is quite expensive, but will last. Best bet now is the pressure treated wood, which is a bit friendlier to the environment than it was in the past. It will last, but if you buy it "wet" it will warp as it dries. Still better than plastic, though...there is just no warmth in the plastic stuff.
 
I had this installed in 06. Cedar on a pt frame. I used Cabot cedar transparent oil stain and it is still looking good. Will probably get a couple more years before re-coat.

DSC00978.jpg


after the rubber mulch
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Hello my friend! I am in Florida, and have a Cypress fence. We do not stain cypress fences here. They turn gray, and that's the way we like them. Mine needs a few screws once in a while, but it is 25 years old. Regards, Flapjack.
 
I've had my pressure treated privacy fence for 29 years. Had to replace a few boards, re-nail/screw, and last month need two posts replaced. Never put any stain or finish on it. All and all, it's lasted good. But will get replaced in the next couple of years with a PVC one.
 
I have a rental house where I put up a PT fence. IMHO, they must be stained, they look awful when they start to get weathered. Probably the lowest cost to put up, but you have to factor in the cost of staining.
 
I've had bad luck with vinyl fence. It sags in the summer and becomes EXTREMELY brittle in our winter months. Two years ago, I asked myself the same question and ended up installing 5' tall abbreviates (spaced 32"). It actually turned out cheaper than any other type of privacy fence AND added value to the property. ( Fence won't) But since I wanted a drive through gate in my green fence, I installed a vinyl double swing 12'Wx 6' high gate bought from a big home improvement store. Turns out that 12' of gate cost me well over $400 by the time I bought the panels, gate kits, latch's etc. Install was a nightmare and the hardware flimsy. Worse part is it blew apart the fist winter during a storm! Never again. At least I can repair cedar!

ps. If you install any wood other than cedar, know you will need to paint/stain it regularly. Fence grade PT/Pine is junk and will quickly rot, mold, split or warp if forgotten. Cedar is much more forgiving since it has natural oils in the wood.
 
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Seems everyone down here is going with the PVC. Probably due to lack of maintenance. I do not like them plus they are very expensive.

Nothing beats WOOD for looks. Depends on your budget.:)
 
Saw a PVC fence melted by the homeowner burning leaves a bit too close.
 
Pressure treated pine (or whatever you have in your area) sprayed with Thompson's water seal (doesn't take long with a cheap plastic garden sprayer) or something similar about every five years. Spray the posts real good before putting them in the ground and make sure nothing touches them but the Quik Crete. Put some in the bottom of the post hole, put your post in and then surround the sides. The ones I have done that way have so far outlived me. The only problem I've had is the occasional hurricane that blows the whole thing down. My insurance covered the last one.
 
FENCES

Makes me tired just thinking on this subject. :rolleyes: I needed a fence and it was started a good time ago. I got sick and it never got finished. Two sections to go. When I got Sara I KNEW it had to get done. Finally it was. My plane of action was as follows.

8' 4X4 posts, tarred two coats, the bottom two feet.
Posts were then set in concrete, two feet deep.
3ea 2x4's in each section.
5/4 deck boards were nailed up, then screwed in place.

All the above was pressure treated wood. 18 years and counting, nothing has blown, or fallen down yet-- :)
 
Definitely recommend pressure treated pine. Be careful about the quality of PT wood though. The stuff you buy at the big box stores (blue and orange both) is NOT what you want. Their wood is marked "treated for color" which means they wiped a little green stain on and called it good.

What you want is certified CA-B or CA-C rated yellow pine lumber, generally sold under the name "Wolmanized" lumber. Be sure to look for the listed treatment weights of .10 lb/CuFt for above grade and .21 lb/CuFt for below grade use. That fence will outlast you. It starts out greenish yellow and will slightly gray over time but never looks as bad as an old cedar fence.
 
If I had it to do over, I would have used TREX composite or similar - this stuff has a 25 year transferrable warranty.

4X the initial cost of treated lumber but pressure treated lumber does not retain stain or paint very well. And after 12 years of power stripping and re-staining every three years, I wish I had spent the money up front.

And it does not warp. Period.

YMMV

Trexfencing.com | Composite Fencing | Trex Seclusions Fencing and Gates
 
THANK YOU all for your help and information.

time to get the check book out and get started....
 
Few fences are 100% maintenance free. I never cared for the white plastic ones - they are too "sterile" looking for me. In general I hate fences. How about using a chain link fence and then planting fast high growing shrubs to give you a look of no fence at all - but will still keep dogs, kids, etc out.
 
Hold the fence post a minute;)

The eco fences and decks made of recycled material may last for ever, but they really give off an odor in the heat and sunlight.

Many places around here use them for decks, boardwalks, play ground etc.

When they heat up the give off a very very strong plastic odor,

Something to consider or smell.:)
Not a pleasant smell at all, Cooked soda bottles:p
 
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