There is a quick answer to this question – yes.
But as a composite fencing supplier, we would say that, wouldn’t we.
Thing is, it’s true – and we’re not the only ones to think so. Composite products have soared in popularity over recent years and for good reason.
Want to understand more about what those reasons are?
Here we take a closer look at how composite fencing really compares to wooden fencing and share why, at Modern Garden, we believe there’s only one contender for your garden fence.
Composite fencing Vs wooden fencing
Looks
Place a composite fence board side-by-side with a wooden fencing board and you’d be forgiven for struggling to spot the difference. Which is one of the key reasons composite fencing is so popular.
Our composite panels are purposefully designed to mimic the natural grained appearance of wood. Meaning you get the sought after appearance of real timber – without any of the drawbacks!
Choice
You might think wood would be the winner here. Wooden panels require regular painting anyway, so they can be any colour that takes your fancy. Whereas composite fencing comes with more limited choice – typically traditional browns, shades of grey and black tones.
HOWEVER, whilst one of the key perks of composite is that you never need to lift a paintbrush, should you ever wish to change the colour – you can! Composite fencing can be painted…it’s just great to know you don’t have to!
An easier way to add design interest to your fencing is to use decorative boards.
These are a great way to gain privacy without fully restricting light or the view and are a brilliant way to add interest.
Security
On all levels, composite fencing makes the smarter choice here.
Composite fence panels pose less of a hazard than highly combustible wood.
They also provide more flexibility, allowing you to build your fence to the exact height needed.
A standard wooden fence panel is typically 6ft. Order your fencing and decide you want things a little lower and short of taking out your saw (and likely making a mess) you’ll have to stick with what you’ve got.
In comparison, composite fencing – which fits together as individual slats rather than being one fixed panel – allows you more flexibility to achieve the height you need. Ensuring you have a boundary that offers you the exact level of security and privacy you require.
Maintenance
Maintaining wooden fencing can be a real chore.
Panels require regular wood treatment to protect them from mould and insect damage and will require painting every 12 months to keep them in good condition.
Not only is this time consuming but it’s also often difficult, especially if the fencing is behind garden plants and shrubbery making access awkward.
What’s needed to look after composite fencing?
Nothing. Now you can’t get much more low maintenance than that, can you?
Fitting
You could argue that fitting wooden fencing is quicker. Panels slide into fence posts as a complete board rather than as individual slats. Faster, yes, but let’s not forget that this can make building your fence both heavy work and extremely awkward.
Composite boards are light, easy to lift into place, and slide effortlessly into position.
Durability
Fencing gets hammered by all weather conditions – rain, frost, baking heat. These extremes can cause all kinds of problems for traditional wooden boards, which without careful maintenance will rot, warp and degrade quickly.
No such worry with composite fencing. Fully sealed, it’s hard wearing and long lasting. It’s also extremely strong and far less likely to suffer damage or break in strong wings.
With proper care, you can expect a wooden fence to last around 10 years. Composite fencing has more than double the life expectancy, easily lasting upwards of 30 years.
Sustainability
If you’re keen to make more environmentally friendly decisions then buying a product that contains plastic may seem flawed. Not so with our composite fencing, which is made from recycled materials – wood fibres and polythene.
And thanks to the fact no treatments or stains are needed, no toxic substances or damaging chemicals are released into the environment either.
Price
The initial outlay for composite fencing is typically more expensive than buying wood.
Prices for composite start from the region of £100 (our 0.9m fence bundle is £112).
But cheaper isn’t always better – and certainly not in the case of composite fencing.
The initial outlay may be more but balance this out with the vastly reduced maintenance costs, and the fact composite decking is so durable and long lasting, and the costings soon start to even out.
And the winner?
Biased we may be but it’s easy to see the benefits of composite fencing.
If you’d like to find out more about this great product, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team.
Alternatively, if you’ve heard enough to convince you composite is the way to go, shop our composite fencing panels range now. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed!