Technical FAQ's
For every vinyl fence, a lot of ingredients go into making (also called extruding) the fence. We are going to cover some of the ingredients and processes here.
- TiO2: Well, TiO2 stands for Titanium Dioxide. Basically it is the most expensive part of your fence. It functions as a suntan lotion on your fence protecting it from UV rays. Everyone pretty much uses the industry standard which is 10 parts TiO2. Refer to the extrusion processes below for an explanation about some marketing that is currently being told to you the consumer that can be misleading.
- Resin: Resin is the largest part of the "cake mix". It kind of functions like the flour in a cake. There are two common types of resin out there: pipe grade and siding grade. Pipe grade is used for that PVC pipe under your kitchen sink and siding grade is what is used on the outside of your homes. Most vinyl fence that you get from your fence contractors use siding grade resin in their materials. However, never hesitate to ask. This is why you will mainly see the word "vinyl" used in this web site rather than "pvc." In the industry the terms are interchangeable, but in my opinion, vinyl fence is what we supply.
- Impact Modifiers: This ingredient helps give vinyl flexibility. Basically it prevents the product from becoming brittle and cracking. When vinyl fence first came out it was commonly referred to as plastic fence. WHO ON EARTH WOULD WANT A PLASTIC FENCE? I know I wouldn't. Vinyl is very different from plastic and this ingredient explains that reason. Plastic is brittle; vinyl is flexible. We've spoken to customers who have had a car hit their fence and only had to replace a minimum part of the fence due to the flexible nature of the product. If it didn't have these impact modifiers, it would have cracked and caused more damage both to the fence, the car, and passengers. The same is true for horses. If they lean against your vinyl fence, the fence will flex and break out of the post before it will crack. Insure your product carries the industries minimum on impact modifiers.
- ASTM Standards: American Society for Testing and Materials sets the minimum standards for any of your building materials. No company can be approved by ASTM; they can only meet or exceed these basic standards.
- Extrusion Processes: There are two extrusion processes out there: monoextrusion and co-extrusion. Basically, these are two different ways of making your fence. Monoextrusion was the original way fence and even siding was made. Now most siding companies use co-extrusion and the same applies for fence. Some companies that still use the old way (monoextrusion) try to sell their process as superior because it is a solid extrusion. Extrusion is a chemical bond and not a veneer or laminate. It is a molecular bond where the two parts (capstock and substrate) are formed together as one solid from two liquids. Contrary to some competitors, it is not like the veneered particle board that we buy to make a desk now that scratches if you breathe on it!
- Plastic Fence: Plastic fence is not pvc or vinyl fence. Plastic fence is like what a child's toy is made out of. It is brittle and can break easily. You can also feel the difference. However, it is a commonly misused term when talking about vinyl fence. Make sure you see samples if someone uses that word when selling you your vinyl fence before you purchase.
- PVC vs. Vinyl Fence: Currently there are both plastic and vinyl fence being sold in the market.
