Fencing part deux

Ok, so you've decided to go vinyl for your fence. Now comes the fun part of picking which brand you want to put in. You're probably thinking that it doesn't matter, but like anything else you get what you pay for.

You should probably do a little research before you go ahead and spend the oodles of money it costs to put up a fence. Keep in mind, don't go for a fence just because it's cheap. If you want to save money and do it yourself, there's really no issue with that, but don't settle on just going to one of the box stores because you think it's the only place that will allow you to walk out with a do it yourself kit. There are so many choices out there, and quite a few retailers will do a cash and carry type sale.

So what should you look for? Excellent question! First off, find out what kind of material is in your fence. Sure, they're all some variation on plastic, but not all are created equal. A lot of manufacturers will use recycled PVC to cut their costs. If you are into green, this may be the way to go, but the quality of the vinyl suffers for it. Unfortunately when the plastic is introduced into the mix, it messes with the overall formula of the fence. It doesn't cool the same way the second time around. The result is a brittle fence. You can't see the difference, but there is a good chance that it will at some point make its presence known. It will shatter more readily, especially in the cold which already makes most vinyl more brittle. They will try to woo you with beefier rails, don't be fooled. Ask what goes into it. There are manufacturers that have the bigger rails that are not using recycled material, but you'll probably notice a difference in the price.

Next, find out where it comes from. Some of the fence is imported. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, but chances are your installer/retailer isn't going to know what's actually in it. With the lead scares earlier this year, I would be a little wary.

You should also find out if there is any kind of UV inhibitor. Most vinyl fences will have them, just double check to be sure. If they say that it's coextruded, you are good to go. That means the outer layer has the inhibitor in it. The inside doesn't really need it as, well, it shouldn't ever actually see sunlight. Unless of course you bought the recycled stuff and it shattered allowing light into the inside of it... but at that point you have bigger problems.

When pricing out the fence, find out what you're paying for. If you are told, for sake of argument, a section is $100.00, and another guy tells you 105.00 for a very similar fence, find out if they are 6' or 8' sections. The 8' in this case would be the better deal.

Lastly, check out the warranty. Some have lifetime warranties, which sounds wonderful. However, make sure that it is not a prorated warranty. Basically what happens there is that every year the value of your fence goes down and the less money you will get back from the manufacturer. If there is a shorter duration, say 20 years, but it's not prorated, this may actually be the better warranty as if something happens in that first 20 years that is a covered issue, the item will be replaced by the manufacturer. Two quick notes about warranties, first the manufacturer will generally NOT cover the cost of labor to replace the item, so keep that in mind when choosing an installer. The second, most manufacturers, if not all will not cover storm damage.

There are quite a few manufacturers out there. They range from Cadillac grade to Yugo grade. Try and find yourself a nice Toyota. Do research on the web and know what you want before you even contact a retailer/installer. Don't let them talk you out of what you want as many of them have their preferences to which wholesaler they use. If they won't get you what you want look around to find one that will. If you've educated yourself before you even walk in, you'll walk out with what you want.