Composite Fencing?

tmdtmd
edited July 2013 in Products & DIY
I'm going to be getting a kai ken puppy from one of Yamabushi Kennel's future litters (yay!) and so it's time to add a fence to our home. We're currently on 10 acres and much of the exercise will happen outside the fence area, but I want to have a small privacy fenced area for our future puppy and our current dogs to have some socializing space.

My question is in regards to the composite material now being used for some fences and decks on homes. Does anyone have any experience with this material? I'm not much of a home construction guy and I find the prospect of putting something up that doesn't really have to be maintained and has something like a 25 year warranty to be highly attractive. It also comes in more pleasing tones than the bleach-white vinyl fencing, something our neighbors would abhor. I guess I'm saying that I'm willing to pay a bit more now if it truly delivers on its promises and was hoping for someone's personal experience or even reasonable alternatives. Thanks!

Comments

  • LosechLosech
    edited July 2013
    I don't really like this stuff. Not very durable in my experience, but maybe the stuff Conker ripped apart was just cruddy quality. I will always use metal or wood for fencing.
  • tmdtmd
    @Losech Interesting. I think some of the stuff (Trex brand specifically) is rated for hurricanes and is supposed to last close to forever, but I didn't even think about it being used as a chew toy.

    Do you have privacy fencing? In our area, the 4 board fencing backed with metal is popular, but I worry about the distraction of the woods right on the other side and we're also thinking about installing a door from our bedroom into this yard, so the privacy is key for that reason too.
  • PoetikDragonPoetikDragon
    edited July 2013
    We have used composite material in our yard and love it. It is extremely durable and tough. You must take extra precautions when working with it, however. The "sawdust" is finely ground fiberglass shards and toxins. You don't want to breath that or get it into the soil or groundwater. Also it is so tough that its very hard on the saw blade. If you're doing a very large project you may need to sharpen or replace the blade because it will get worn down. It is exceptionally dense, making it awkward to transport to the site its being installed at. I recommend cutting and building in-place rather than trying to make sections and move them where they belong. Once installed it has the strength of stone and the look of highly weatherproofed wood or high grade plastic (depending on which finish you get). Nothing cuts or bores into it, no rot, no splinters, no bugs, and it wipes clean like lawn furniture. I haven't painted mine (the white color it came in was acceptable) so I don't know how well it takes paint or how often it needs to be repainted. It doesn't really bond with anything, so you'll have to use hardware (not glue) in your construction. One other note, you cannot cut it into very thin pieces, because they will fracture or shatter rather than cut.
  • WrylyBrindleWrylyBrindle
    At our old house we had 6 foot solid pvc woodgrain-colored privacy fencing on the street-facing side. Our neighbors didnt mind it. I have a 65lb reactive dog (Sage below) and despite any of his rage, he never damaged the fence- he didnt attack it, and he was never bored enough to chew on it. We had wire fence on the forest-facing side, which preserved our view and blended in nice. At our current house we have cedar wood picket (5 and 6 feet) facing the road/neighbors, and 6 foot wire facing the woods. With the wood fence, I have been able to staple wire fence along the bottom edge to prevent any interest in digging escapes or peeking. The ground is not as level as the bottom of the fence.

    We had Trex decking on our front porch- it was nice but seemed to get hotter to touch than wood.
  • tmdtmd
    @poeticdragon @wrylybrindle glad to hear it's worked for both of you in some capacity. I'm fairly convinced it's the way to go, especially for such a small area. We're likely to expand the fence coverage with something more economical like wood or wire, but this will be our distraction-free zen garden area.
  • sukoshi_momsukoshi_mom
    For fence durability, use the metal round posts.
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