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Trex Fencing – Privacy Considerations and More

May 5, 2016Edmund Rose

Trex Fencing Offers Advantages Over Wood

In thinking about a property in high visibility area, particularly where a home or building is in an urban space or where the buildings on the property are close to the fence line, Trex provides several unique benefits:

 

  • The interlocking picket system completely blocks the view through the fence. Wood fencing is susceptible to shrinkage and can create unpleasant gaps which reduce privacy. Even a board-on-board design in wood isn’t fully private as wood pickets tend to warp creating gaps as well.
  • The fence looks the same on both sides. Most wood fences have framing on one side, but with Trex you will see the same elegant design as the passers-by on the other side.
  • Unlike wood fences where pickets are usually attached with nails or a significant number of screws, Trex is easy to disassemble if you need to replace some of the components. The interlocking system makes the fence secure, but if you need to take it apart, there’s no need to extract a large number of screws.
  • Trex provides better sound suppression than other fences. While it won’t entirely eliminate street sounds it can muffle them more effectively .
  • Trex is much thicker than vinyl. Kids kicking balls or throwing small rocks against the fence aren’t likely to break it in normal situations, whereas thinner-wall products break more easily with similar force.
  • Trex can be painted. For example, if graffiti has adhered and can’t be removed, the tagged area can be painted over. You can do that with wood as well, of course, but not with vinyl or similar manufactured products. And, unlike wood, Trex won’t rot, splinter, crack, or warp.
  • Block wall is susceptible to cracking as it settles. It also has a harsher “look” than a fence. If aesthetics are a big part of an owner’s decision, Trex soars past mere functionality.

 

Gaps between pickets in wood fence

Filed Under: Selling Points, Wood Fencing, Wood-Alternative Fencing Tagged With: Privacy, Vinyl Fencing, Wood Fencing

Trex Fencing Pickets – a Smart Design

September 15, 2014Kelley Neel

Trex Fencing pickets – a Smart Design

Trex Fencing Composite PicketsOne of the best features of the Trex fence product is the design of the pickets. At first glance, the pickets look like overlapping solid boards. That’s intentional.  A “board-on-board” design is a popular look and gives Trex a distinct appearance among composite and vinyl fences. Other composite and vinyl fencing designs use a butted slat approach.

 

Exploded View shows how Trex pickets interlockThe Trex picket is actually designed with curved edges. When the pickets are installed, they alternate front and back and as they are pulled tight the curved edges interlock. The benefit to this approach is that the interlocking eliminates any chance of gaps that you might see between solid fence boards. This full-privacy look also has three additional advantages: the elimination of warping and the weight of the fence.

 

  • As a design principle, a curved edge forces rigidity that a flat surface does not. Having a flat surface is why you often see some waviness with other composites and even with wood.
  • The 1/4″ wall on the Trex picket is twice as thick as a typical vinyl picket and because of its density, Trex has similar strength properties to a wood picket. But, it is also thinner than a full plank such as those used for decking. That means a lot less weight which has its benefits during an installation.
  • Speaking of installations, the interlocking pickets also significantly reduce the number of number of fasteners. Except for the three screws for the picket that attaches to the post, no screws are necessary for any of the other interlocking pickets.

 

Trex pickets have a distinctly natural look. Unlike vinyl pickets which have a reflective sheen, Trex pickets have the look of a painted wood fence. Trex comes in three popular colors. Since the fence system comes un-assembled, the color options give you some creativity such as the combination of different colors (see examples).

 

In terms of measurements, the lengths are 67″, 91″, the width is 5.75″, and the depth is 1″ (with some nominal tolerance). The pickets are interchangeable with the bottom rails so if you have a shorter section, you can use a picket as your rail.

 

A contractor contributed this video to demonstrate how the pickets go together. Take a look.

 

Filed Under: Composite Fence, Installation, Technical Details Tagged With: Composite Fencing, Fence Installation, Fence Pickets, Vinyl Fencing

How is Trex Different from Vinyl Fencing?

August 14, 2014Kelley Neel

How is Trex Different from Vinyl Fencing?

Recycling Image

One of the most common questions regarding Trex fencing is how it differs from PVC vinyl fencing. The simple answer is that Trex is actually quite different.

 

Up until about 25 years ago, there was no major alternative to wood for privacy fencing. During the 1980s and 90s, however, manufacturers experimented with plastics and eventually developed a viable material for fencing. As manufacturing techniques, materials, and designs improved, vinyl fencing became a popular low-maintenance alternative to wood.

 

More recently, composite fencing has also become an alternative to both wood … and even vinyl. Composites, usually made from a combination of wood and plastic, have beneficial attributes from both products. From wood, composite materials inherit the ability to absorb pigmentation and express a more natural look. From plastic, composites eliminate rot and insect damage, and do not require painting or staining.

 

While vinyl has been a good solution as an alternative fencing product, there are some limitations, particularly in natural colors/surface finishing, and durability. Composites are typically much stronger, primarily due to their density and thickness. They also hold up better in heat and cold. In terms of strength, Trex has the additional benefit of the interlocking picket design which creates added strength (more on that in a future post).  Among composites, Trex leads the industry with asthetic appeal. Rather than take the approach of emulating a traditional stockade style fence, Trex fencing was designed based on the results of a national a survey in which consumers indicated a preference for a “cap-and-trim” and “board-on-board” look.

 

Midwest Fence in Minnesota has written more extensively on this topic. You might find it interested to get a contractor’s perspective because they work directly with consumers like you:  “PVC Vinyl Vs. Trex Composite Fencing.”

 

Filed Under: Composite Fence, Materials, Selling Points Tagged With: Composites, PVC Vinyl, Vinyl Fencing

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