There are many options when it comes to fencing, and it can all get a bit confusing. To help you understand your options, let’s go over the differences between a precast concrete fence and another popular option: composite and vinyl fencing.
What is Vinyl and Composite Fencing?
Composite fencing is made of a combination of recycled plastic, wood pieces, and resin. Vinyl is made of PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, resin mixed with different additives, such as UV inhibitors. Both are popular options for fencing. Both come with their unique pros and cons.
Precast Concrete is More Durable
Composite and Vinyl are susceptible to warping and damage from extreme weather. Composite contains wood pieces that can expand and contract with changing humidity. Even with UV inhibitors, vinyl has issues with the color fading and can also get moldy and mildewy.
Vinyl, in particular, is easily damaged. Even just bumping the fence with a mower or weed wacker or having your kids/pets run into the wall could do substantial damage to the fence.
Precast concrete has none of these issues. It will not warp or fade. In fact, during production, colorant or aggregate can be added to the concrete to create long-lasting, beautiful color or texture. Things like mold and mildew aren’t a problem for concrete. It would take significantly more than your kid or lawnmower to do damage to concrete.
A Precast Concrete Fence is Multi-Purpose
With a vinyl or composite fence, you just have a fence. It really only marks the property line and provides a small amount of privacy. It provides almost no security or sound barrier. Precast concrete is the top option for all of those needs. With precast concrete, you get a beautiful concrete fence and privacy fence that provides real security and is the best option to block noise and nosy neighbors.
Maintenance of Precast Concrete Walls is Easier
Both composite and vinyl fencing requires a lot of effort to keep it looking nice. Both options are susceptible to staining from vegetation or mold and mildew. If the staining is really bad, you will even need to hand scrub the fencing with reliable cleaners.
Precast concrete just needs a quick wash with a pressure washer – an option unavailable to composite or vinyl because the high-pressure water could damage the material.
Fence Cost: Composite and Vinyl Might be Cheaper – Sort Of
The actual wall costs are a bit hard to compare because costs can vary so much from place to place. One thing we do know for sure is vinyl and composite are cheaper than an actual brick or stone fence. However, precast concrete fence cost is cheaper in the long run because the cost of maintenance is significantly less. Plus, precast concrete lasts a lot longer.
Precast Concrete Wall or Fence Just Looks Better
Vinyl has an incredibly cheap and flimsy look that brings down the look of the whole property. If either vinyl or composite is damaged in any way, this cheapens the look of the fencing even more. Once the fencing starts to go south, the only way to recover it is to replace it.
Composite and vinyl are extremely limited in colors and designs. At American Precast, our wall contractors have designed precast concrete fences that mimic the look of rustic brick, slick chiseled rock, wood, and more. Contact us today for more information.