Vinyl (PVC) Fence

Vinyl fencing is one of the most versatile materials in fencing today. It can mimic both wood and ornamental styles and provides an attractive, maintenance free look to homes and businesses.

The major advantage of vinyl fencing is that it's maintenance free. You don't have to worry about splinters, screws or nails, and vinyl fences offer long-term beauty.

Vinyl fences do not rot or have to be painted. About the only maintenance required is periodic washing. Vinyl fencing answers today's marketplace and lifestyle. People don't have time to paint and repair their fences. They want to use their precious free time for leisure activities.

In addition to its maintenance free characteristics, vinyl fences come in a wide variety of appealing styles.

Traditional white picket fences add charm to a property and can be used to contain pets and children.

Vinyl privacy fences shield a property and can be built as a solid board or in a style that allows wind to pass through it.

Post and rail, a very popular style of vinyl fence, adds a ranch look to a property and can contain larger animals, like horses.

Ornamental vinyl fences provide an elegant look and are often used to enclose swimming pools.

Several color choices are available, like white, gray, tan and some cedar wood tones. Some manufacturers offer black or green as well. Vinyl's range of choices complement any architecture.

One of the most highly valued benefits is the warranty available for vinyl. Because it is rot resistant and needs no painting, vinyl fences come with extensive warranties, and many manufacturers even offer lifetime warranties.

The Vinyl Process

Vinyl fences are manufactured to meet the needs of consumers. Manufacturers are able to offer extensive warranties because of the thorough manufacturing process that ensures a long lasting product.

Vinyl resin and various additives are mixed together in a heat/cool blending process that causes the ingredients to bond. The blend is then transported to an extruder where it is heated to the polymer melting point and forced through a die to create the desired shape. The formed profile polymer is calibrated to exact dimensions, then cooled to hold its intended shape and size.
The combined mixture of vinyl resin and the various additives makes the resulting material sturdy and weatherable. Vinyl remains strong, even in extreme weather climates, and will withstand high impact levels. The weatherability benefits ensure even coloring over the years and resistance to the physical implications of aging.

Several types of extrusion processes are in use today but primarily the vinyl fence manufacturers use mono-extrusion and co-extrusion. Both processes utilize blends of resin and additives. The mono-process uses only one extruder for the material blend, with the UV protector distributed throughout the product.

The co-process uses two extruders, which allows two blends of the material to be applied in two permanent layers. The outer layer called the capstock is the outermost layer and is usually a blend of 100% virgin resin and concentrated UV protection. The outer layer is naturally where the ultraviolet protection is most needed. The
inner layer, called the substrate, is generally a blend with less ultraviolet protection.

Vinyl is manufactured for strength and durability but in addition, the properties of the vinyl make it resistant to fire. Vinyl is considered a self-extinguishing material.