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| I posted last year about our deteriorating wooden fence and asked if invisible fence was a good idea. After reading all the posts we went with cleaning and repainting it.
Unfortunately, the guy didn't do as good as a job as we'd expected, so we've finally decided to replace it. Since the wood has deteriorated so badly, we have decided to go with Vinyl after much research on the merits of wood versus vinyl. We're getting estimates from fencing companies as to the cost to replace the wood fence. One of the people we interviewed for yard work also installs fences as an ancillary service. We'd need to buy the vinyl and he'd install it. Two of the fencing companies we've talked to have said NOT to buy vinyl fencing from either Lowe's or Home Depot as the quality isn't as good as what the two claim. I've done some on line checking, but have found very little to support this statement. Has anyone used either HD or Lowe's Vinyl fencing and had any problem? Thanks. |
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| We bought some in 1998 from Home Depot. I hope what they sell these days is better. It wasn't very sturdy and it cracked in places. It would have been better if not so hollow. We ended up replacing it about 10 years later with fencing that looks like wrought iron, but isn't. (I think it's aluminum?) I especially like the look...it just sorta blends into the scenery better. |
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| Did you put wood inside the posts? |
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- Posted by marie-ndcal (My Page) on Wed, Nov 2, 11 at 16:34
| Vinyl does not hold up in weather, rain-sun-snow etc. I would go with a chain link fence, and you can put somthing like slats so it is harder to see thru. Make sure it USA or Canadia made, because much of the material is coming from outside and is just not holding up. |
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- Posted by LoveInTheHouse (My Page) on Wed, Nov 2, 11 at 20:48
| I don't know about fencing, but I'll tell you what the story is about flooring and these big box stores. I bet it's the same. They buy poor quality products from China and other countries and they market it and display it in a way that it APPEARS to be the same quality as something you'd get from a regular store. It might look the same but it might be a tiny bit thinner or have less of a finish on it, etc. People buy it because it's cheaper. And truthfully, sometimes folks have no choice. Sometimes crappy flooring is better than no flooring. But that's the thing. None of these big box stores sell products that can compare quality wise. As far as warranties, they count on people losing their paperwork or moving to another home by the time it fails. If you go with them, keep all warranties. Better yet, go to a little guy and tell him the truth. Tell him Lowe's has a product you're considering--can he compete? We sometimes sell our flooring for wholesale just to get the installation. It's the way it is today. Good luck. |
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| Yes, we put wood inside the POSTS, but not, of course, the individual pickets. The CAPS on the posts also broke easily. If you hit the pickets with a weed whacker, they're gonna break! It's unfortunate, because it looked nice at first. If you have young children, I'd say choose something else. (We didn't...ours were all grown.) |
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- Posted by hollysprings (My Page) on Thu, Nov 3, 11 at 10:26
| If the product has the same identifying product number and name as that sold elsewhere, then it's the same product. Companies do not make XYZ product on two different production lines. If you choose a Kohler Cimmaron toilet, and it has the same product number at the plumbing supply house, but the plumbing house is selling it for $300 and HD is selling it for $200, then the reason they can sell it at a lower price is the volume purchasing. If it's a Bruce Flooring Woodlands Series 54398 and that's sold elsewhere, then it is the SAME product. A Progress Lighting Alannah pendant #30097 is the same whether you buy it at a box store or a lighting store. Now, if the product name and identifying number is NOT the same, then it's likely that it is a line that is produced soley for them. Most manufacturers will have a couple of products that they create soley for the box stores--and that control the spec for---that you cannot find at any other stores. Those are the name brand products that can be of lesser quality. Or manufacturer's produce "name brands" just for the box stores, like Kenmore for Sears, or Hampton Bay for HD. A lot of box store flooring is produced especially for them. A lot of their lighting is produced especially for them. It will be the same with the vinyl fencing. I don't know enough about the manufacturers of vinyl fencing to say if their products are manufactured specifically for them and are of lesser quality than available to professionals, but I do know enough to take that statement with a grain of salt and do the investigating direct at the source with the manufacturer. Ask about the thickness of the vinyl. It's UV resistance. Any internal ribbing for stiffness. Etc. The specs may be the same. Or they may not. But anyone who would tell you this story needs to be able to back it up with actual facts, not hearsay. It's a sales pressure tactic and not necessarily a factual statement. |
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- Posted by LoveInTheHouse (My Page) on Thu, Nov 3, 11 at 22:34
| Hollysprings, if the numbers are exactly the same, that's true. But always remember to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. The big box stores will often nickle and dime the customer to death, adding on charges for things like measuring the job, glue, etc. You also have to be really stringent about making sure the flooring really is the same flooring. They sell a lot of products that are deceptively similar and you might not notice a different number. Sometimes it's the same product but the grade is lower. And of course, if you need it installed, you will get better service from the little guy who has his heart and soul in his shop. |
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