If someone were to tell you that vinyl fencing was made of repurposed PVC they wouldn’t be right, but they wouldn’t be far wrong. That doesn’t mean that vinyl fencing is brittle and ugly, anyone who says otherwise is probably trying to sell you a wooden fence.

PVC or polyvinyl chloride, is the basic chemical structure in vinyl, made by combining chlorine (found in salt) with ethanol (found in plants like corn). There is a lot more to vinyl fencing than a bit of corn syrup and table salt, if it meets the ASTM F964 industry standard then you can be sure that it’s been rigorously tested for quality assurance.

ASTM F964 Quality Assurance

With the standardization of the vinyl industry, you can be sure of a few things:

1. Qualifying brands will be strong enough to withstand average summer heat without warping.

2. They will be able to suffer through average snowy temperatures without cracking.

3. They will have a modicum of tensile strength and be able to withstand average impacts.

You can tell the lumber salesmen to pack up his pine planks, this standard already surpasses the long term quality of a wooden fence.

Unfortunately, the ASTM F964 is the minimum standard for vinyl fencing. If you live somewhere with excessive heat or cold, you might be disappointed in the quality.

What is the Homestead Fence Company Doing About it?

We at the Homestead Fence Company weren’t satisfied with producing minimum quality fencing. Because our brand is used in both desert and wintry climates, it was important to us that our products be resistant to:

• Excessive Cold

• Excessive Heat

• Ultra Violet Light

Winter Fencing

In regions where trees freeze, crack and fall apart under layers of ice and snow, we recognized the need for a stronger more durable fence.

• Metal fences are eaten away by the long months of exposure to snow and ice, causing rust and corrosion.

• Wood, like the trees absorb the moisture and as it freezes, it expands, cracking planks and deteriorating the wood all the way through.

• Vinyl is non- porous, not allowing moisture in, and therefore not degrading or cracking under the internal pressure of ice. Our vinyl walls are also thicker than the competition (conforming to the standard), so they are even more resistant to the cold and the weight of snow packed around them.

Keeping out the Desert Summer

On the other end of the spectrum, desert dwellers put themselves through 125 degree heat for months at a time each year, so their fencing goes through a completely different set of problems.

• Metal fences get so hot that they burn skin on contact, even rubberized and painted on coatings breakdown in the heat and flake off, leaving bare metal exposed to the heat.

• Wood fences dry out, warp and splinter, the problems there are obvious.

• Our vinyl fencing, because of its thickness, sheds even extreme heat without warping, cracking or sagging, it’s even cool to the touch in the middle of summer!

The Problem with PVC and the Sun…

Regardless of climate, exposure to UV rays tends to turn vinyl yellow. It may be standing strong to all weather, but it doesn’t have the innate beauty it once did, unless it’s a Homestead Fence.

Our fences contain a high percentage of Titanium Dioxide (12 parts of TiO2 to be exact). Even if another company claims to include TiO2 in their mix, it won’t be at that level, because it borders on excessive. Even in desert heat, our titanium dioxide is more than enough to keep the UV from damaging the color or eating away at and drying out the plastic, even with 350 days of sunshine beating down on it every year!

Regardless of where you live, you need a fence that will stand up to the elements and beautify your property. If you want something that will be low maintenance and high quality for decades of use, it’s got to be a Homestead Vinyl fence.