Green Building Qualities of Vinyl Fencing
Vinyl fencing products do an excellent job meeting the challenges of today’s “green” building requirements.
Green building refers to the importance of meeting sustainability requirements in construction materials and practices while limiting the impact on natural resources in both the construction and long-term maintenance and life cycle of the building trades.
High quality vinyl fences and patio covers offer a number of green building qualities.
- No Chemicals: Because vinyl does not rot, no toxic chemicals are required for wood to withstand ground contact, fungal decay, and wood destroying pests. Many of these “treated wood” chemicals have been banned because of their toxicity and continue to be frowned upon. The currently accepted chemical used for wood treatment, ACQ, actually destroys most metal fasteners used with the treated wood, and thus requires special metals or treatments be used. This is indicative of the corrosive nature of many chemicals used.
- No Painting, Stain or Sealer: No painting or staining is required with vinyl building products. Paints, stains and thinners, which are solvent-based, contribute to the introduction of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), which may have short and long term adverse health effects.
- Life Cycle: The life cycle of vinyl fencing building products is excellent, meaning fewer cycles of manufacturing, production, shipping, storage, installation, and refinishing, leading to a reduced carbon footprint and smaller impact on the environment.
- Recycling: We recycle nearly all of our vinyl scraps and cut-offs using an industrial shredder. We ship the shredded material back to the manufacturer on the west coast to be used in other types of building products like sea-walls and skirting for manufactured housing.
- Environment: There are some people who are concerned with vinyl’s safety or environmentally friendliness. Please watch this video about sustainability.