If you have a vinyl fence, you already know many of its benefits. Fences made from vinyl are sturdy, attractive, and affordable, and that’s why they are one of the most popular types of fences in the United States.
But even the best-made products can break once in a while. Whether from an accident, neglect, or just general wear and tear, vinyl fences are no exception to this rule.
Luckily, repairing your vinyl fence is often relatively straightforward and intuitive. At Fencing Direct, we carry the highest-quality materials and affordable versions of many of the parts you may need to repair your vinyl fence.
Check out our tips and tricks below for addressing various types of damage that your vinyl fence may sustain.
Picket Replacement
If you have a vinyl privacy fence made up of pickets that tongue and groove together to create a vinyl panel, an issue you could face is a badly damaged picket. Whether it is just one picket on your fence, or several of them, this can degrade the fence and allow water in over time.
Suppose the damage is minor, hardly noticeable, and does not compromise the overall structural integrity of your fence. In that case, you can often just repair the individual hole or chip on the picket, as described later in this article. However, when it comes to vinyl, you should err on the side of caution and replace a whole picket. Damage that may seem minor at first can worsen over time and damage more of your fence than the single picket that was originally impacted. For example, water can get into those small cracks in the spring and summer and freeze in the winter, causing even more damage to the whole panel. Luckily, replacing vinyl fence pickets is pretty straightforward, and Fencing Direct has the products you will need to do so.
When it comes to you removing and reinstalling the picket (or pickets) in question, you might find that you will need to use power tools. This will depend a bit on the type of fence you are replacing. Some vinyl fence pickets are removable just by sliding out of the rails on the panel, while others are screwed and need a screwdriver to remove.
Whatever the type of vinyl fence you are repairing, you should first research the fence to make sure you’re getting the right picket(s). Wait to remove the damaged picket until your new one has arrived. Once the new picket has arrived, and you have inspected it, simply remove the damaged picket in reverse of the way it was installed and replace it with the new one. You might find that with a picket replacement you will also need to replace the whole panel or the posts as well.
Post Replacement
If the damage to your vinyl fence is not to the posts but is instead to the rails between them (the parts that hold the tongue and groove pickets in place), please see the section below. However, if your posts are damaged, you will need to undertake the slightly more intensive project of replacing them. This project will be a bit harder than just replacing pickets because you need to make sure that your vinyl fence is still stable. Posts are usually grounded in some sort of mixed cement to make the fence stable and strong. This foundation will have to be broken up or dug around to get your old post out.
To replace a post in your vinyl fence, you will first want to find the right type of post. Check out the options on our website, fencingdirect.com, and order one with the closest specs to the one you’re replacing. We also have blanket posts that you can screw vinyl brackets into to fit your fence panel rails. Next, you'll want to make sure you unscrew or disconnect the broken post from any other parts of the fence to which it is attached. Then, dig up the cement foundation and the post. Finally, when you have your new post ready, make sure the old hole, or a new one, is dug down to the correct depth. Then put in your new post and dry pack with mixed cement.
Rail Replacement
If it isn’t the pickets or the posts of your fence that have experienced damage, then it is probably the rails.
Replacing the rails of your vinyl fence is a similar process to replacing the other parts of your vinyl fence that may have taken some damage, but rails are often sold as a larger piece than what you may need just to replace a small section of railing.
Because many manufacturers create many different sizes of rails for vinyl fences, and often only replace rails on panels they have a record of being sold to you, you may find that replacing the whole panel will be easier. You should plan to buy the correct type of panel first and then use a circular saw to cut the railing of the panel to the size you need. Ensure you know how to operate a circular saw safely and always use proper protective gear when working with power tools. Note that cutting into pieces will often void the material warranty of many manufacturers.
Chips and Holes in the Fence
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, you should err on the side of caution when deciding whether to try to mend a damaged part of your fence or just to replace the part altogether – you should usually just get a new part.
But sometimes, small holes and chips develop in vinyl fence parts that you can patch up without replacement parts. To deal with these, you will want to use expandable foam and plastic filler that you can find at your local hardware store. Simply clean and dry the damaged area, fill the crack or hole with expanding foam, cover the damaged part with plastic filler, sand, and paint the area as you see fit!
