The same nuisances that can ruin summer fun — heat, humidity, bugs — can wreak havoc on fencing. While summer weather offers an excellent opportunity for homeowners to enjoy their outdoor spaces, it often requires investments in time and money toward fence repairs and replacement. Yet, not all fences are created equal and vary significantly in durability and resistance to summer hassles.
Vinyl fencing is the best suited to resist summer heat and pests. The advantages that serve homeowners year-round like superior durability and few maintenance requirements become especially crucial when there is increased wear and stress. Vinyl fencing is highly moisture resistant, performing well in summer humidity that can rot wood and rust metal. Vinyl is highly pest-resistant, turning away termites and other critters that frequently break down other types of fencing. Vinyl is highly heat resistant, retaining its shape and color in high temperatures. For these reasons, vinyl requires much less maintenance, meaning homeowners can spend less time fussing over their fences and enjoying all the opportunities summer offers.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the qualities that make vinyl the best choice for summer-proof fencing:
Vinyl Is Highly Moisture Resistant
Humidity, the amount of moisture present in the air, frequently rises in the summer months. Especially humid climates like the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast can see humidity levels reach 80% and higher consistently. For humans, this means sweat, stickiness, and air conditioning. For building materials, summer humidity has two main consequences: moisture retention and increased weathering.
Moisture retention happens when porous materials, especially wood, absorb moisture in the air. This causes an overall expansion in the material, sometimes causing lasting changes in shape. Moisture increases the breakdown of organic materials like wood, speeding up the process of rot. More, moisture retention invites other headaches like mold, which causes discoloration and further breakdown.
For metal fencing, especially iron, increased weathering means the acceleration of rust. Rust is the process of oxidation, by which oxygen reacts with metal atoms to cause flaking and discoloration. The presence of moisture helps speed this reaction, meaning an increase in humidity brings about more rust. Salt also accelerates the process of rust, meaning areas near the ocean are especially at risk.
Vinyl, much less porous than wood and containing none of the elements susceptible to rust, is the strongest performing material in high humidity. It naturally maintains its shape, color, and composition, meaning fewer maintenance expenses and more peace of mind.
Vinyl Fences Are Highly Pest Resistant
Pests thrive in summer weather. Heat and humidity bring out swarms of hungry critters, from mosquitoes to termites. Some of these insects feed directly on building materials, namely wood. While termites are the most well-known and widely feared, other bugs also feast on fences. Carpenter ants, beetles, bees, and wasps all chew into wood fencing. Carpenter ants, as their name suggests, use wood to construct their nests. Beetles of the Deathwatch and Powderpost variety can drill holes into wood, scattering sawdust in their paths. Carpenter bees and Horntail wasps can create similar damage. Increased humidity can attract these pests and make wood especially vulnerable to insects. More, insects can invite rot and mold as they work.
Vinyl is virtually impenetrable to pests, many of which have little interest in the material anyways. Its low porosity–the same quality that defends vinyl from humidity–keeps pests from making their homes inside a fence. Its strength makes it incredibly difficult for insects to use the material to build their homes. As the termites, ants, bees, and beetles crawl and swarm in the summer, vinyl fence owners can sit back without needing to worry about these bothers.
Vinyl Fences Are Highly Warp and Fade Resistant
The summer sun brings about conditions that can put immense wear on a fence. Exposure to heat and ultraviolet rays can alter the shape and color of many fences. Wood warping occurs when changes in heat and moisture lead to uneven expansion and drying of wood fibers. More heat and moisture mean more expansion, while less means more shrinkage. Changes in either direction can lead to warping. On the scale of an entire fence, this can result in deformation and potentially irreversible damage.
Strong sunlight can break down the color of a fence over long periods, whether it be paint, stain, or the natural wood itself. This can lead to a faded, weathered look that requires repainting or restaining. These projects can cost time and money, and once completed, the process of fading begins anew until the next repair is needed.
Vinyl fences offer protection from warping and fading. Because of their density and strength, they maintain their shape and rebuff expansion and shrinkage. Vinyl fences never need painting, since coloring happens during the creation process, and the color is already blended into the material.
Vinyl Fences Require Little Maintenance
Each of the attributes above means less money and time spent on repairs. Similarly, the advantages of vinyl extend its life for years, making replacement unnecessary. Each of the problems listed above requires its own fix. The rot brought about by moisture reduces the overall life of a fence and involves the replacement of planks and beams, if not the entire fence. Mold requires special treatment and proves notoriously stubborn and hard to remediate fully. Pests necessitate their own fixes, often from a professional, and also frequently return to continue their destructive work. Finally, warping and fading entail labor-intensive projects like repainting and restaining in addition to a potential replacement.
Each of these projects can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Vinyl fences drastically reduce the need for these fixes without any effort on the part of the homeowner. The simple design and construction inherent in vinyl give it virtual immunity to the troubles that plague other types of fences. Spend less time worrying and fixing and more time enjoying the summer, however you spend it.
Fencing Direct – Quality Vinyl Fencing From Reliable Manufacturers
Fencing Direct will ship directly to your door, with big savings. Our sales and service staff have decades of experience in the industry, offering the most knowledge and assistance on a wide range of needs. With our state of the art quoting program, we can provide detailed estimates of the cost and materials necessary for your project. Using our Fence Builder, you can see exactly how much you’ll save over traditional fencing installation. For quality vinyl fences at a saving, turn to Fencing Direct for your next project.
