Which is better and why...Composite Fences vs Solid Wood Fences
I would like to to get a 105 ft 5 ft high solid board fence installed in my back yard with 2 four ft gates. One company is offering Western red cedar fencing boards harvested from the Pacific Northwest for $2,000.00, Lowes is offering pressure treated pine Wood Privacy for $1,617.00 or Wood Shadowbox to match my neighbor's: $2,194.00. Home Depot is charging $2,300 for the same Western Red Cedar with the same dimensions. Lastly, another company is telling me that composite is the new thing as the maintenance is really nothing and looks and feels like real wood, however the cost is well over $3,000.00 for the material. My question is what wood is better Red Cedar or Pressure Treated Pine and is Wood fencing better then Composite? All suggestions and responses welcome Thank you for your time. Tim Go to your nearest home center and lift a 16 ft long 5/4 treated decking board. Do the same with a composite decking board. You will find that the composite is much heavier and bends far more than the wood. I think composite fencing will be heavier and require more structural support than wood. The fencing pros will be along shortly. I can't comment on the structure but I hate the maintenance required of wood outside and I would be at least looking into whether the composite was feasible. I'd also be will to pay more for it, given that I won't be out there every year or two cleaning and staining it. Not always but usually the cost change between 100 and 200 is based on the labor or the type of installation the contractor has in mind. Not one or the other is wrong for going up or down in their number. Going up more than 500 or so would have something to do with the materials. In your case that is obvious because it is already stated that there is difference between wood and the types of wood and composite. Composite wood cost more in installation as well as materials. The installation screws are more expensive than nails or just regular vinyl coated screws that one or another contractor would use. The materials cost more as well. But sometimes the materials although they cost more does not mean that they are worth more... to you , me or anyone else. Composite fencing in my experience sags. It can be melted by the sun and it can fade drastically. I believe that wood has the same characteristics, but wood is easier to know what will happen based on its history. Composite materials have their place, but surely decking may be a better place than fencing. But then again, some people are going for that look that a wood fence just can not give. The colors that composite fences give is something that is very desirable... the clear boards, the new fresh look and the smooth appearance is very nice the day of the installation. My absolute best advice would be to ask for referrals of more than 3 different installations of this material in your general area. Knock on those doors and speak directly to the people that had those fencing styles installed.. You would be amazed how informative you can find people would be when they are either pleased or displeased with the installation of any certain materials. And they may raise a question or a red flag for you to help you along in deciding. It should not be the difference in price that sways your deciding vote. It should be the reputation of the contractor, the materials he is trying to sell you and how you feel about what is next. If you trust it, go with it. If not do some more investigation before making that leap. Rules of thumb.. Keep in mind, thickness of picket boards. Anything less than 1/2 thick is questionable. And 1/2 inch thick is not on my installation list of products. Bigger box stores love that number... But that is based on giving you a wider board than contractor grade. Those stores usually sell a smaller back rail, with a much wider picket and a much thinner picket. And more times than not they use nails that are smaller than some pins my mom used for sewing. Be careful and ask a lot of questions when buying a new product. Good luck in your choice Gregs Fence~
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