Composite Fence Types
Composite fence boards are made from recycled plastic and wood fiber, molded with a wood-grain face. Most of it comes as panels up to 6 feet wide rather than single boards. Here are the builds you'll be choosing between.
Composite Board Privacy Panels
The full privacy panel is the most common composite build, at about $55 to $85 a foot installed. HomeGuide says the plastic and wood fiber mix makes it stronger than vinyl, and that most composite costs more than vinyl panels. The exception is a simple post-and-rail design under 6 feet. Boards interlock edge to edge in some systems, so there's no gap to see through.
Composite with Aluminum Posts
Some systems pair composite boards with metal framing. Trex, for example, sells 5-by-5-inch posts in 8, 9 and 12-foot lengths and a heavy-gauge aluminum bottom rail meant to stiffen each panel. Ask how much of each post goes below grade for the height you want, and whether the posts are set in concrete.
Composite Horizontal Panels
Composite planks can run sideways in a metal frame, tight or with small gaps between them, which gives the modern horizontal look without staining. If you'd rather build it in pine or cedar, see Horizontal Fences.
Composite Picket
Composite pickets come prefinished in a stained tone and run about $30 to $35 a foot installed in Fixr's guide. They won't splinter. Fixr also warns that composite can expand and shrink with temperature, grow mold or algae and fade. Wood, PVC and metal pickets are compared on Picket Fences.
Composite Gates
Trex's fence line lists aluminum gates alongside its composite panels. Whatever the gate is faced with, ask for a frame and hinges rated for its weight, and a hinge-side post sized to carry it.
Why Tallahassee homeowners call Tallahassee Expert Fencing
- The call and the form are free
- Your request goes to one contractor, not a list of bidders
- Ask for posts, gates, removal and cleanup priced line by line
- Hold the final payment until the gates swing and latch
Trex Fence and Composite Brand Claims
Trex is one composite brand people search for by name. Here is what Trex says about its own fence. These are the maker's claims, not test results we checked:
- Designed to last at least 25 years, and it won't rot, peel or splinter or need paint or stain
- Rated for wind loads of 130 mph or more
- Made from 95% recycled material
- New boards start dark and settle to a lighter weathered shade over 12 to 16 weeks of sun and rain, with the top rail and caps changing first
That last point surprises people. Expect some color difference between parts for the first few months, and between boards in general, since the recycled content takes pigment unevenly. For how wind and storms treat fences here, see Storm Damage Fence Repair.
Composite Upkeep in a Humid Yard
Composite skips the stain-and-seal cycle that wood needs. A hose-down now and then is the main chore, and Fixr says composite handles rain, UV, pests and mold better than wood fencing. The same guide also notes that composite pickets can grow mold, mildew and algae, so shaded runs near sprinklers will still need a wash.
Two more points before you buy:
Termites
Composite resists pests, but any wood posts in the system still need a ground-contact rating (see Wood Privacy Fences).Cost against wood
Composite costs more up front. The trade is skipping years of sealing and board replacement, which is worth pricing over the fence's life.
Have buried lines marked before any post goes in; Chain Link Fences walks through the free Sunshine 811 call.