One reason vinyl fences are so popular is because they’re essentially maintenance-free after they’re installed. However, there are still simple steps you can take to ensure your vinyl fence maintains its appearance and efficiency for many years:
Clean the fence regularly. Mix a bit of non-abrasive household detergent with water, gently sponge away any grime and spray the fence down with a hose. Most greasy or oily stains can be easily wiped away with mineral spirits and a soft cloth.
Check the fence’s stability. No matter how securely your vinyl fence has been installed, sometimes freeze, thaw cycles and other natural forces can loosen its posts. It’s a good idea to periodically walk the fence line and make sure everything is still firm and straight. If the fence is unstable in any areas, use a shovel to adjust the earth around the posts and backfill as necessary.
Inspect the post caps. Due to expansion and contraction caused by shifting weather conditions, it’s not uncommon for snap-in fence post caps to become loose. Use a specially formulated PVC fence glue to secure the caps back in place.
Repair any broken pieces. Although vinyl fencing is flexible and durable, it can still be damaged if struck by a heavy object, such as a fallen tree limb. If this happens, it’s important to order replacement pieces that most closely match the original broken components. The actual repair procedures vary by circumstance—sometimes the fix is simple, while other times it requires moving another section of fencing and working backward.
Before purchasing a vinyl fence, make sure you examine it to ensure you’re getting the best possible product. Simply holding a test piece will tell you how resistant the fence will be to pressure and impact, whether it stretches and bends too easily, and other important characteristics.
To find a Diamond Certified fence company in your area, click on one of the links below.
Alameda County: www.diamondcertified.info/alameda-fences
Contra Costa County: www.diamondcertified.info/contra-costa-fences
Marin County: www.diamondcertified.info/marin-fences
San Francisco: www.diamondcertified.info/san-francisco-fences
San Mateo County: www.diamondcertified.info/san-mateo-fences
Santa Clara County: www.diamondcertified.info/santa-clara-fences
Solano County: www.diamondcertified.info/solano-fences
Sonoma County: www.diamondcertified.info/sonoma-fences
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One of the best to consider for vinyl fence owners and I believe a good source of information to be aware how to make your fences last for a long time.
Does anyone have any advice on maintaining a vinyl fence in colder weather conditions. We are currently moving up North and would like maintenance recommendations. We never really had to worry about the cold in Florida. Does it create any additional problems? Thanks.
Weather conditions can make your vinyl fence brittle and vulnerable to damages and one the cons of installing vinyl fences especially on places with extreme cold weather.
Up north its important to bury your posts below the frost line 2 1/2 to 3′ and to put gravel at the bottom of the hole to drain any water away from the post. You can also drill some holes in the bottom of the vinyl post so that the concrete seeps in and hardens, anchoring the post in place. Its unlikely that a high quality vinyl fence will crack just due to cold weather. It usually takes a pretty good impact to cause the fence to crack because many manufacturers use polymers that are engineered to adjust to temperature swings.
Very good information on how to maintain a vinyl fence. Home owners should like this tips. Thanks for sharing!
Hello,
Thank you so much for writing this article, I found it quite informative. with regards to repairing vinyl fencing, just like pvc fencing, some damage might not be apparent except on closer inspection. Vinyl fencing just like PVC will tend to become brittle over time after several harsh winters, and constant exposure to the sun. you would have to test it for rigidity and if the portion breaks away (which is a probability) then it is time to replace.
I recently built a vinyl fence around my backyard for privacy and to keep my children and pets safe. I chose vinyl over wood for the first time, my initial reason being that I thought wood fences took too much maintenance and chain link fences are just unattractive. I’m actually pretty pleased with my decision, but I was unsure of how to keep it looking and working well. Thank you for such a specific and clear article and all of the tips on how to take care of a fence like this.
I’ve never had any problems with our vinyl fence. I agree with the author, it doesn’t require much maintenance, which is great! I just clean mine from time to time and that’s it.
I think my wife and I are like most people and don’t even think about these kinds of things. I mean, cleaning a fence? Who does stuff like that right? Thanks for the post, we really appreciate it and are gong to work harder to not be as lazy as we are and use some of these great tips here including the inspection of the fence every now and again doing some preventative maintenance that we already should be doing.
It sounds to me like vinyl fences are really great, because they aren’t that difficult to maintain. Recently, my husband and I have been looking at fencing options, but we weren’t super sure about getting wood fencing. It sounded like it would be hard to maintain and keep in good condition, and we would probably have to repaint it often. However, if we got vinyl fences, then that would probably help out a lot to make sure that it is clean and that it is stable. Thanks for the great post!
I have an old vinyl fence in my yard, and I’m not sure if I should try to fix it up or get a new one. Thanks for the tips, I will have to go clean it and see how it looks. You mentioned to check the fence’s stability, how do you suggest I do that? thanks for the post it will come in handy.
Vinyl fencing must be one of the best options for residential use. I assume that its one of the most durable and cheap options for buyers. This article is a great guide on how to clean a fence but, I also though that a pressure washer would be a great way to get off all the grime.
My wife and I have a vinyl fence in our backyard. I really appreciated these tips, especially because we want to make sure the fence lasts us a long time. I didn’t realize that sometimes freeze, thaw cycles and other natural forces can loosen fence posts. Thanks for sharing this with me.
My family is getting a vinyl fence installed around the front yard. I like the advice you give about how you should check the fence’s stability every once in a while to be sure it’s still firm and straight. My suggestion would be to make sure that your fence is based on concrete, so that you can be sure it won’t move easily and will stand tall for a long time.
Thanks for the tips to maintain vinyl fence. My old fence was made out of wood and fell apart due to old age and a lot of wear and tear. For my next fence, I want to get Vinyl as the material it will be made out of, due to it being able to last a long time.