subject: Comparing Wood Vs Vinyl Fencing For Agricultural Uses [print this page] Both wood and vinyl are popular choices for agricultural fencing, and are both used in a number of other applications. While both are very versatile materials and can be used in a variety of areas, each has a specific set of advantages and disadvantages, making each more appropriate for specific types of jobs.
In this article we will make a brief comparison between the two materials, and take a look at some of the unique properties of each. We will also compare the maintenance of the two materials, and the jobs for which each is better suited.
Wood fencing is a common choice not only for agricultural fencing, because of its ready availability and sturdy nature, but also in residential fencing. This is because it provides a higher degree of privacy in that the wooden panels can be set close together to reduce visibility.
Vinyl is also sometimes used in residential areas, but not so much for privacy as it is for boundary marking, landscaping, and creating enclosures for gardens or pets. This is because vinyl fencing tends to be more flimsy than wooden fencing, making it less appropriate for privacy or security.
This also holds true in terms of agricultural fencing. Vinyl is not frequently used to contain large animals and livestock, because it can be bypassed relatively easily. It is generally made from upright stakes with strips of vinyl running between them, although it can be reinforced with steel cable in order to contain small to medium sized animals. Wood is a better choice for containing animals, and can be made into moveable sections of fencing that make it easier to move enclosures around.
Vinyl is used primarily in agriculture to create boundaries between parcels of land or two different properties, because it is very resistant to weathering and corrosion, will not lose its color after extended outdoor use, and is relatively cheap and lightweight, making it easy to install in large sections. Wooden fencing has, for many years, been used for the same purpose, but it is heavier and more expensive, thus costlier and more difficult to set up.
If you are using the fence around animals or need to contain larger livestock in a set area, then wood is a good choice because of its durability. Vinyl is better for boundaries and small livestock because it is easier to maintain, and cheaper and easier to install.
