# Can you explain the appeal of white vinyl fencing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461 "2024-07-19T14:46:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/21 "2024-07-19T19:10:54Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > For a lot of people, just the fact that it’ll never have to be painted or have boards replaced will make the extra price worth it. For sure. No painting, no staining, no rotting, > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Yeah - we’ve had 3 cedar fences installed - each stood well over 10 years with ZERO maintenance issues. They will start having issues. 10 years isn’t very long. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > For my $, chainlink - especially vinyl coated - looks much better. Chain link has always looked cheap and tawdry to me. Even with slats in them. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Just my personal taste, but I find the [tan vinyl](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-Pro-Series-6-ft-H-x-8-ft-W-Tan-Vinyl-Woodbridge-Privacy-Fence-Panel-128015/202878319) much more attractive than the white. Yeah, it’s less jarring. I’m guessing that with the rise in the price of wood in the last few years, vinyl may now be less expensive than cedar. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/22 "2024-07-19T21:08:08Z")
What I like about our white vinyl fence is that it was already installed when we bought the house. Plus it gives me something to power wash and it’s easy for bears to tear through. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/23 "2024-07-19T21:25:21Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I’m guessing that with the rise in the price of wood in the last few years, vinyl may now be less expensive than cedar. The prices of vinyl and cedar are about the same around here. When people consider the ease of installation and low maintenance the plastic is very attractive. Quality cedar will last 25 years or more. Even untreated posts will last that long depending on the environment. But fences aren’t usually built out of the best quality wood. Cedar heartwood is stronger and denser than the outer sapwood and should be used for posts. It’s the sapwood usually used for slats and pickets that tends to go first even above ground. Don’t know if @thorny_locust will join the discussion, but both Black Locust and Honey Locust wood is often used for fence posts because of it’s durability and rot resistance. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/24 "2024-07-20T07:28:22Z")
It saves them from having to look for a Tom Sawyer to paint it. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/25 "2024-07-20T11:01:37Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Chain link usually looks terrible quickly and doesn’t look great to start with. Chain link doesn’t look great to start with, but I don’t think those who prefer it like the look exactly. When bought my house it had chain link fences. It didn’t feel as closed in as it does now- and I could talk to my neighbors over/through the fence. Right now though, I’m happy white vinyl is the most popular. I’m going to replace the wooden fence attached to the chain link fence on one side of my house - and at least the other two fences are both white vinyl. I’m replacing that fence because I want them all to be at least the same color and material. My property is small - the whole lot is 20 x 100 so you can always see at least two fences. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/26 "2024-07-20T11:08:07Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Right now though, I’m happy white vinyl is the most popular. … My property is small - the whole lot is 20 x 100 so you can always see at least two fences. IMO, small rectangular yards are where tall vinyl looks bad. The yards appear as little pens. Plus, it looks so artificial - not the looks I prefer in my yard. But ain’t personal taste a wonderful thing. In a world where so many people enjoy rap music, I should have no problem accepting that many people prefer the look of shiny white plastic fences! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/27 "2024-07-20T13:16:33Z")
I agree - but two white vinyl and one wooden is even worse. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/28 "2024-07-20T16:20:57Z")
I’m not too crazy about the appearance of [this type of aluminum fence](https://www.barretteoutdoorliving.com/product/aluminum-privacy-fence-aluminum-fencing), but if you need privacy and have the $$, it might be the way to go. Looks like you could risk superficial burns by touching it in hot summer climates though. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2024, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/29 "2024-07-20T17:57:17Z")
We considered getting the [aluminum picket](https://www.barretteoutdoorliving.com/product/premier-series-v-aluminum-fencing-panels) type of fence but it was eye-wateringly expensive. We also looked at vinyl, which was quite spendy too and only available in white. I’m glad we decided against it because it was a fairly new product back then and there have been issues with those older products. We wouldn’t have gotten a privacy fence because I don’t want the place looking like a compound, though I certainly see the appeal if there are neighbors very close all around. I think the problem with the white privacy fences is there’s just something _in your face_ about them. It’s A LOT of fence. We ended up with wood. It’s a pain in the ass to maintain, but the posts have held up pretty well over the years. The slats need replacing fairly regularly in the front and down one side because the sun beats the crap out of them. I can completely understand someone not wanting to deal with the maintenance, and if we’d been able to afford the aluminum we would have gotten it in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/30 "2024-07-21T17:22:23Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > We considered getting the [aluminum picket](https://www.barretteoutdoorliving.com/product/premier-series-v-aluminum-fencing-panels) type of fence but it was eye-wateringly expensive. I like the look but I’ve seen too many deer impaled on them. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/31 "2024-07-22T01:42:10Z")
That is awful, but not too much of a concern for us. While we have loads of deer, we had greyhounds to keep inside the fence and nothing else that would encourage them to jump in when the hounds were inside. These days, I’d be inclined to plant shrubs either inside or outside the fence. Deer don’t like to jump into a space that they can’t see into. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/32 "2024-08-18T17:52:57Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Don’t know if @thorny_locust will join the discussion, but both Black Locust and Honey Locust wood is often used for fence posts because of it’s durability and rot resistance. Yup. That’s part of the reason for my name. I mean the black locust, fairly common around here, both a real pest in vineyards and also the very best posts to make vineyard trellis out of. Some other reasons for the name apply. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461/33 "2024-08-19T19:35:29Z")
I would expect that the proliferation in certain neighborhoods, especially in new developments, are atttributible to HOA requirements. HOA’s like uniformity as it ensures an equitable property valuation maintenance. I built a house in an HOA neighborhood a few decades ago. If you were going put up a backyard fence it had to be a wrought iron fence or the aluminum version of such. [![](https://i.etsystatic.com/24018267/r/il/5b8fe8/4502279301/il_fullxfull.4502279301_d59v.jpg) ](https://i.etsystatic.com/24018267/r/il/5b8fe8/4502279301/il_fullxfull.4502279301_d59v.jpg) [![](https://lirp.cdn-website.com/8f3e9c05/dms3rep/multi/opt/GettyImages-1057248430-1920w.jpg) ](https://lirp.cdn-website.com/8f3e9c05/dms3rep/multi/opt/GettyImages-1057248430-1920w.jpg) [![](https://aluminumfencesdirect.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/black-aluminum-fences-vs-wrought-iron.jpg) ](https://aluminumfencesdirect.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/black-aluminum-fences-vs-wrought-iron.jpg) This was so there wasn’t a sea of cedar or vinyl fencing and you could see through from one yard to the next. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-explain-the-appeal-of-white-vinyl-fencing/1004461.md?page=1)