The Truth About Vinyl Fences In Extreme Wind

[@kubotajordan9502]

Great video !!! When I worked in site work 2016 -2017 we did a 55 & older Community on valley ridge road in Nocatee Fl. A lot of fill went in that swamp land they built on. A fence contractor put up vinyl privacy fence around the perimeter storm came through blew a lot of it over. They should have went deeper on their line post to get below the back filled grade. A lot of the neighborhoods down there blitz all the trees and back fill it 2,3,4, feet of fill dirt. That goes on every where. Sweet idea with the air boat thanks for the video !!!!!!

[@HAXMAN]

Cool video. I can’t wait to see the driven posts. People commented my fence wouldn’t last. It’s been through a couple brushes with hurricanes. Well over 50 miles an hour. No issues.

[@jonahhex9620]

I’ve been to Wyoming a couple times, beautiful country but wow you guys are adapting to Florida quicker than I did. I was living in Saint Augustine last year.

[@NoahDevine91]

Keep up the great work SWI team and John, love it breaking the negative stereotype of driving posts. You have to use these methods in the right conditions and you guys always do a great job 💪🏻

[@darrenhouse5233]

Cool video! As a Florida fence contractor I was all smiles watching this one.

[@emsroks]

This is a very cool test! I will say that in terms of engineering there’s something called a 3 sec wind gust and that’s what those manufacturer ratings are based on. Not a direct impact for however long you blasted that fence with that sweet looking airboat I might add. There are labs set up to do this exact same test but under very strict ASTM standards and ASCE standards. Also when you have separate sections like this you are creating an end of wall/fence wind load which is 4x greater on the fence than in the middle of a longer stretch of fence.

[@GoldenState408]

LOL i think you guys are a natural to be on TV , what a trip!

[@chargermopar]

I have lived in Miami-Dade county for decades. I was here for hurricane Andrew. Had put in a chain link fence with schedule 40 pipe and industrial fabric in 1990. It was the only fence that survived the hurricane. Down here we have coral rock so you don't need much concrete. Prefab concrete fences are very popular here, I bet they will fail as well. Your teasing method is something I used years ago to test a shed. We connected my friend's airboat on a trailer with my Bobcat and hit it from four sides and all corners. The Bull Shed was bull something else and flew apart so they had to replace it. Since you are in Florida I would think it would be interesting to visit your work sometime, I enjoy work as well and love drilling post holes with a skid steer.

[@tedshaw5023]

After seeing your vinyl fence presentation I probably won’t put one up I live in Florida I was going to DIY but you make it look like you have to know what are you doing to get it right and my whole yard is sanI guess I to put up shrubbery to avoid the neighbors

[@akstylez6978]

I'm a fenceman in Minnesota and I'd like to see this same exact test during the winter. Not sure if Wyoming winters are as brutal as MN but we definitely don't get hurricanes here.

[@S0larW1nd]

this is a great test, lots of effort went into prepping, thanks for sharing! do you have something similar for WPC fences? obviously the panels themselves are much sturdier than vynil, but the aluminuim posts are questionable. Wonder if they are succeptable to breakage or bending under heavy wind? Any insight would be appreciated.

[@franciscolinera7618]

Other than watching Johnny Carson re runs, I get the biggest kick out of your videos! Well done Pilgrims!

[@NoahDevine91]

Awesome tests from the Olsen brothers, great fence content as always. I have wanted to do these tests, so glad to finally see it. You guys Should do some tests with the cemented posts with heavy wall posts. We will do our jobs when in high wind area and make all the posts heavy wall. Would be interested to see that done. Have a great dang day and keep up the great work 💪🏻👍👍

[@ronj5714]

Let me ask you. Last hurricane Ian hit up here in central Florida. Tore my fence apart. Also had someone’s trampoline him my house & destroy screened enclosure. My insurance covered both because I just reached the limit. If I have to pay out of pocket this time for Milton, wouldn’t it be better to take the panels out of fence & leave posts & bottom pvc that connects both posts together, that’s on ground. Your thoughts, quickly. Hurricane coming over our heads soon. Thanks. Is t hard to take those panels running vertical out?

[@jessesmith2428]

How long did you give the concrete to set before testing?

[@Gfysimpletons]

Apparently not long enough. And who would just put a hollow post in the ground? I ain’t no fence guy but even I know to bury a 4x4 wood post first then cover it with the toy plastic.

[@reubenrosofsky4791]

Sounds great information getting ready to do a vinyl fence myself so according to your test doesn't matter if you go deeper this is only a four foot fence and may not fold the post So what would you do for that purpose it's empty post that's causing the problem.

[@newenglandman2413]

That was wonderful work, gentlemen! Very revealing and informative for any fence buyer, builder or observer. It explains why the self-installed white vinyl fence of my neighbor across the street, installed in November, was in my front yard last night. I can't even find anything to be offended about! AND I want to buy one of those enema-meters just for fun. AND we discover ... Dan has hair! Thanks for a great video. Waiting (im)patiently for the next installment.

[@Gfysimpletons]

Voted “most incoherent paragraph!”

[@newenglandman2413]

@@Gfysimpletons Voted most uniformed viewer and reader of comments.

[@Gfysimpletons]

@@newenglandman2413 fair enough. I’ll just agree you’re a dolt!

[@rusosure7]

8:42 "I wasn't really listening to you. I was just staring at that." HAHAHAHAHAHA

[@SWiFence]

*sigh* right?!

[@Kamereone]

Hurricane, smuricane, how do those puppies stand up to snow banks? New England wants to know!

[@dannywalker1635]

I have a small vinyl fence and it got blew out during the hurricane. One of my top rails blew into a drainage canal and I only found it a week later when the water level went down. Anyway I put it all back together and am waiting on the next big blow.

[@TrollGoals]

just finished watching both videos, so pounding is strong then cementing?

[@PrincipalDBA]

Great video., Why is wood not used to reinforce the fence? I understand the aluminum option. I thought the vinyl fence would cover a wood frame.

[@SWiFence]

Because it's simply not needed. Quality vinyl is plenty strong enough by itself. It's stronger if you build it around driven steel posts, but you don't have to. We hate putting wood in the ground--it always rots and has trouble eventually.

[@curtisroberts503]

I'm in South Carolina 3 miles from the coast (near N. Myrlte Beach area). I have a 6 ft vinyl panel fence In preparation for a hurricane would it be a good idea to take the fence panels off and leave just the posts in the ground during the hurricane? Also, my fence panels keep blowing out during these winter Nor-easters with gusts of 50-55 mph. I've just today put screws in the top rails (there were none). Is that a good idea or is best to let the top rail blowout? Just want to make sure I'm not creating a situation where the panels will break instead of blowing out as the top rail comes lose (as it did in the past without the screws in the top rails).

[@LorinAgustin-gc5xh]

Dam Good Video! Exactly what you said in the beginning. Everybody says it. But you SHOW IT!!! Awesome! Coming from Guam, USA.

[@donaldclark2182]

IM A FENCE CONTRACTOR IN NORTH CAROLINA...AND IVE PUT UP VINYL FENCES...BUT WHEN I INSTALLED THEM I PUT THE VINYL COVERS OVER THE 4X4 WOOD POSTS...I CAN GARAUNTEE THEY WILL WITHSATND THE WINDS....THESE GUYS ARE DOING THIS WITH NO WOOD POSTS INSIDE THE VINYL

[@johnnnyboo7105]

Why are you screaming

[@dr.frecks2307]

Must be pretty shit if your using a 4x4 vinyl Post lol

[@ChainBreakerMinistries]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@jonathanjordan6371]

If you are sliding vinyl over wood post you are doing it wrong.

[@donaldclark2182]

NO YOU ARE NOT THATS WHY THEY ARE MADE THAT WAY...THEYRE MADE TO FIT 4 INCH BY 4 INCH POSTS@@jonathanjordan6371

[@thebambi5817]

Well I know one thing plastic fencing is definitely not the way to go, I live in the UK in a real flat windy part of the country NORFOLK, I've got one section of fencing I put up five or so years ago, I need to put up more as the hedging is dying due to a bacterial intrusion into the soil killing the Privet hedge, I had considered plastic just but it gets brittle in sunlight and that would be most of my fencing facing south, Concrete posts 8 Foot two in the ground with bags of post crete wood leafed overlapping with 3 wood cross members it's not moved and still has Zero wobble and its seen some pretty high winds. Think I'm going to be sticking with my homemade solution buy the wood and self-assemble it with concrete posts.

[@gabbor2904]

Check out their other video where they put poles into the plastic post. That holds up just fine. I just started to look into composite fencing here in the UK and as far as I understood all systems have some sort of pole in the middle. I am giving it a go as I hate painting the wood every other year :)

[@chuckstrong]

Question for SWI. What if I used iron pipe, with cement 3 foot deep of the same diameter as those galvanized post? How do you feel the iron pipe would hold up? Thanks in advance.

[@SWiFence]

It may rust out faster without the galvanized coating.

[@rogerbettencourt9654]

Very nicely did guys! Can’t wait to see the driven post and doughnut, not that kind of doughnut Dan, method.

[@jasonsgroovemachine]

40 mph is what I'd consider a breeze myself, and I'm just next door in Idaho.

[@mertz313]

I had the idea of doing this a year ago. Cool to see it done lmao. We don't get winds like that here in Michigan, but it's something that I've always been curious about. Great vid!

[@fauxque5057]

My manufacturer says to use 2 bags of concrete per post. Installer used 1 dry bag and tamped it. I've considered filling the posts with concrete. It wouldn't be able to bend over and add some weight to the fence

[@SWiFence]

We don't ever recommend concrete inside the posts. We tried that years ago when we were new. It creates settling issues and is a headache. If you're going to concrete posts you should be looking closer to 3-4 bags per hole.

[@2bhyman]

You should do wind load test on cedar privacy set 2 ft vs driven 3-4 ft

[@SWiFence]

Stay tuned.

[@2bhyman]

@@SWiFence thank you sir. Out here in Colorado and want to start pounding posts. I think we can do it, I just want to see if the fence stays level under load

[@grantgarcia8717]

Please make the cedar vid. I’m gonna extrapolate from y’all’s proof that driven is more effective and stronger than concrete (atleast with vinyl) and hope that holds true on my 8 ft overlapping cedar privacy fence w/ 12’ postmasters driven 4’ in!! + a 60” gate in back, and a 96” double swing gate in the front. In Dallas, TX but with some pretty loose soil conditions. I’ve been absolutely roasted by everyone I know And everyone who’s sold me materials and hardware for even considering a non concrete install.

[@2bhyman]

@@grantgarcia8717 your ground should be fine. Drive them 3-4 foot down and you will have zero issues. Were in Colorado and have all kinds of ground conditions- it is by far better than a concrete install

[@jennyhong6746]

😂 What we saw here in Cape Coral, Fl after hurricane Ian Cat 5. Nothing but those white vinyl fences scattered EVERYWHERE. People were smart and took every other panel out when Helene and Milton came through. Guess what held up the most? CHAIN LINKS!

[@jennyhong6746]

No one installs those vinyl fences here anymore. We also use metal roofs.

[@garyw6234]

The fence is brand new. How about after a couple of years in strong sunlight? Does it become brittle?

[@SWiFence]

That depends entirely on what brand/quality you buy. There is a huge spread of quality in the vinyl fence market.

[@trackmader]

Before it starts the concrete fence failure is at the bottom rail. 73 moh The driven fence failure is in the ground but 82mph.

[@sandral5342]

What an awesome video! Want to come and do my fence lol

[@ZacharyTodosijevic]

You should try this test with .250" wall hurricane posts. We install with these and find they don't kink nearly as much as the regular .135" wall.

[@z.stammer3396]

Who has that kind of thickness?

[@mattnichols431]

All fence suppliers should carry heavy wall or gorilla posts around 1/4” thick

[@matthewwhittle5064]

Was thinking maybe drill a few holes in the bottom of the vinyl post, so the concrete can can set in those holes.

[@walterfredrickson3887]

I tell our clients you need that middle horizontal support also.

[@dawnsstar5918]

lmao at you guys with that anemometer.

[@ac.1265]

So is there a solution for this ?

[@SWiFence]

We think so. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpu6lIdnbLV5g6c

[@ac.1265]

@SWiFence I watched the video to install an SS40 in each post that would bring the cost up too much.. here, we charge $22/FT. With the pipe, it'll be another $8/FT at least..

[@RichardKinch]

Interesting setup, but were there no posts inside the vinyl? The weakest link is always going to fail. The setting should be engineered instead of guessing from experience. The central buried part adds no resistance to tipping, only the top and bottom. You should have concrete at the bottom and top, not in the middle, as in a barbell shape. Your "properly set" method appears to be opposite of this engineering principle. It seems like temporary bracing with staked wire guys would be more effective in a windstorm than beefier fencing. In my Florida fence, this is how I've gotten 6ft wood fencing to survive 8 hurricanes over the last few decades. Like putting shutters over your plain windows instead of bulletproof glass.

[@SWiFence]

Nope--no posts inside the vinyl. Stay tuned for future videos to see that.

[@robertbdesmond]

Good info. Thanks.

[@thomasmistretta3309]

Why not try this test with super saturated ground with water ? Such as what normally happens during a hurricane vs these dry installed post.

[@MAGAMAN]

I want to see this done with wood and metal posts and wood fencing. Wood fences would allow more air through, so that might make a difference.

[@SWiFence]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/laO9o2Suqc-sZrM kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZTVaGaCotRshZo

[@z.stammer3396]

Love this video

[@schawn4925]

I wonder how the fence with poles in the middle of the post would do

[@SWiFence]

Funny you should ask. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpu6lIdnbLV5g6c

[@rwg727]

you guys are Awesome! Have a good dang day!

[@SWiFence]

No, no. YOU have a good dang day. 😁

[@rwg727]

@@SWiFence 😂

[@bmkproducts]

Great video, we’d love to have you test it with our foam for a video, Postloc. Let us know if you’d be interested!

[@SWiFence]

Hey BMK--we've got a few thoughts for you. Email our Video Marketing director and we can chat: [e-mail]

[@2chipped]

Interesting test. Virgin vs recycled is a big difference in strength. You can get thicker post extrusions,and or use H-stiffiners. Had a job with aluminum gate stiffners and aluminum p-channel in the bottom rails. Lightning hit a gate and ran down to the rails... it blew out about 6 posts in each direction. Aluminum post and rail stiffiners,and snap lock panels make a huge difference, but a true hurricane wind will blast anything. Am proud to have built an 20 ft tall fence in the beach dunes that survived 3 hurricanes,although not an absolute direct hit on the Ga coast. 6 5/8 steel posts,6ft OC with 800lbs of concrete per post. One other point to notice,your EP held longer than the LP did.

[@rusosure7]

AAAAAAAHHHHHH You did a 'TO BE CONTINUED'.... AAAAAAAAHHHHHH 😂 In all seriousness, a timeline recording of the windspeed would be good. So you could see the exact speed of what buckled the fence, and not be mislead by a sudden burst of speed afterward.

[@sterlgirlceline]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🏆This is SO helpful; thank you!

[@SWiFence]

You're welcome!

[@walterfredrickson3887]

We just had 100 mpg straight line winds last night in Omaha. That’s not continuous for 24 hours. But it will still knock over a fence in nothing flat.

[@sm32586]

You built your fence like we do up north. Everything is overkill or nothing

[@Sunshinesky722]

A category five hurricane will not hold up my fence . And Ian destroyed all of them. They are all cheap plastic . And I’m seeing 3 holes in mine too! Too expensive for cheap plastic !!

[@danthevisionary5633]

Good shit

[@siestakeygirl1000]

I have wood in mine also. Been thru 15 hurricanes fence still stands Sarasota. Why aren't you using concrete and wood inside your fence? Also anyone who takes on headwind like wind running down the street with nothing blocking it or corners their homes get hit the hardest in a hurricane because there's nothing diverting the wind. PS I like that you did the video though. Perhaps it will hold people accountable.

[@Mr_brut3]

Thats how my fence is looking like with these strong winds

[@elkskiutah8204]

Wow lots of work. I guess KZbin pays well.

[@scottmichaels12]

What I learned is, don't put a vinyl fence in a pasture...especially in a hurricane zone.😆

[@SWiFence]

Although we did find a way to make them stronger: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpu6lIdnbLV5g6c

[@raphv158]

these whole time I thought it was the same person just videos from diff states... WTH 🤣🤣🤣

[@trackmader]

Their is 4 of them

[@combedintuition]

4:50 the f is going on here lol.

[@SWiFence]

We don't even know. 🤣

[@007bird]

I like you test. Your test proves rock or concrete panels are more expensive but more durable. I did not like your eye protection. I would have mounted the meters on a T post before I would chance tearing my eyeballs with debris that gets past your safety glasses. goggles and a face shield preferred. stay safe I have been hurt many times skipping the safety or thinking this is good enough.

[@SWiFence]

We all calculate our own risks. Your opinion is legitimate. 👍🏻

[@Reephio]

I prefer concret fence

[@SWiFence]

Concrete fences aren't very common in the US.

[@Joe-em3iw]

Are you guys twin brothers?

[@SWiFence]

Brothers, yes. Twins, no.

[@tworkstuffs]

😂 👍

[@dnp1776]

I'm convinced to NOT get vinyl. Thanks.

[@SWiFence]

There are certain installation methods which will make it *much* stronger. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpu6lIdnbLV5g6c