What is the difference between composite and vinyl fencing?
There are many options of fencing today that simply didn’t exist 20 years ago. Wood and iron used to be the main materials used. Chain link was also an option, but there really were not a lot of options for a nice-looking fence.
When composite came out, it had the advantage of looking more like wood. It was usually made up of wood byproducts. The problem was, it was very heavy which made it difficult to have the spans necessary to create fencing. Color was also a big problem. The colors faded very quickly. Manufacturers would show you color samples, but the color would change after the sun hit it for a few months!
Composite has come a long way, and several manufacturers have come up with better color solutions and added metal too much of the product to increase the spans and strength of the products. You are still quite limited with the types of caps; accessories and styles are also quite limited with composite fencing.
Vinyl fencing does not really have the rustic look like composite. It’s a smoother, cleaner look. There are more color options with vinyl and many more styles to choose from. Vinyl can also be more customized than composite fencing. Things like changing heights and installing on sloped ground are much easier with vinyl fencing. Vinyl fencing is also less expensive. That can make a big difference on projects that are of greater size.
If you have a small project, and you want the fence to look more like wood, then composite fencing is not a bad way to go. If you have a larger project and you want to be able to customize the fence and have it keep looking the same for many years, then vinyl is probably your best alternative.