Gone are days when people building fences should only depend on bricks, cement, and wood. If you want to avoid the maintenance costs of some walls like wood, Composite fencing is an option for you.
You may wonder what composite fencing is! It consists of wood chips, sawdust, and recycled plastic with a wood-like look. However, it is durable and has low maintenance of plastic. Its design forms an elegant, consistent appeal on both sides of the fence.
SimTek and Trek fencing are two leading composite fencing brands that offer a variety of styles, colors, and heights to assist you in matching your budget and aesthetic tastes. What then makes them stand out from each other? Let’s dive into the details.
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SimTek vs Trex Fencing: Overview
What about SimTek?
Founded in 2007, Brad Wilson and his father started SimTek fencing. The company has become renowned as one of the best manufacturers in the fence market with an exceptional product: fencing made of polyethylene plastic.
The brand’s composite fencing is made from polyethylene plastics-a very highly durable material with a natural granite wall-like look and feel. It is more robust than vinyl with a broad selection of colors, stone-like or wood-like.
It is a “Green” fencing product that is non-porous (nothing is absorbable) and maintenance-free. SimTek is also 98% direct soundproof.
The company has manufactured two composite fencing products:
EcoStone- is available as a gate and a fence with granite-like texture in various colors such as black, brown, dark brown, beige, and gray
Ashland: Is available as gate and fencing in wooden appearance colors in oak, walnut brown, gold cedar, red cedar, Nantucket gray, and black.
What is Trex?
When it comes to wood-alternative decking products Trek Company is an innovator. Founded in 1996, the brand continues to lead the fencing industry with the broadest array of top-performance composite products.
Trek is the most extensive composite decking company in North America, with a market in 29 countries. It also has several products. However, in this particular write-down, we will focus on its composite fencing system– “Trex Seclusions.”
Trek Seclusions is a full-fledged “green product” with 95% recycled board components being the first of its kind to contain much-recycled wood, which made Trek receive the first International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) SAVE verification.
SimTek vs Trex Comparison
Cost
SimTek fencing costs depend on where you’ll purchase, in bulk, or your choice (EcoStone or Ashland). However, the cost per linear is between $ 70 and $ 90
Trex’s price tag varies depending on whether you’re installing a gate together with a fence. Its fence costs between $60 and $100
Appearance
SimTek’s Ashland is a private grade fence system produced with 25% recycled wood and recycled polyethylene plastic with a steel reinforced panel. It is available in heights of 4 feet and 6 feet and in five colors. Despite its natural wood-like look, Ashland contains no trees in its panels and posts.
SimTek’s EcoStone is found in lengths of 3, 4, and 6 feet with a granite-like appearance, although they’re of similar components as their wood-alternative Ashland.
Trex Seclusions fencing looks like traditional wooden fences as they come with complete accessories and are available in 3 colors only.
Trex Seclusions’ panel design has an interlock, making them simple to DIY and install without nailing each panel to the top and bottom rails. The reinforced steel rail offers strength and durability that no other composite fence.
Trek ensures that fencing doesn’t succumb to warping
Durability
SimTek fences can withstand winds of up to 110-130 mph gusts. It can as well withstand extreme temperatures (surviving from -40 degrees to 140 degrees F)
SimTek uses UV12 inhibitors within its fences to keep lifetime vibrant colors, a technique which has been Xeon-Arch Chamber tested and proved to be zero fading.
Upon the fence staining or painting, it can be pressure washed.
On The other hand, Trek has unbeatable strength because of interlocking panels and reinforced steel rails. It can handle strong winds of 130 mph and 147 mph gusts and is insect damage resistant.
The company guarantees that the fences won’t warp or splinter.
With Trek, they have countered the color fading issue by over-pigmenting the fences; thus, it doesn’t require re-staining or re-painting. By this method, despite the sun having breached the wall to the extreme, the fence color remaining is still the intended one by Trex.
Similarities
- Both companies have a 25-year warranty
- Both have similar wind ratings over 110 mph
- The fencing of both brands has a shallow maintenance product.
Benefits of SimTek and Trex Composite Fencing
The advantage of Installing a SimTek Fence
This type of fencing provides home and business owners with elegant and durable fencing that offers security and privacy. It is a suitable alternative to wood or vinyl for low-maintenance perimeter fencing. Some of the benefits it provides are:
- Customizable
You can choose from various colors (Gray Granite, Dark, Brown Granite, Black Granite, Beige Granite, and Desert Granite). The panels are also available in sizes of 3ft x 6ft, 6ft x6ft, and 4ft x 8ft sheets, allowing stacking to form 8ft and 12ft walls for absolute privacy.
- Comprehensive Warranty
It offers a lifetime manufacturer warranty, backed by a 10-year fade protection warranty.
- Eco-friendly
For those concerned about the environment, SimTek is your perfect choice as its fencing components are recycled and thus eco-friendly.
- Low-maintenance
It comprises solid sheets of polyethylene which is exceptionally durable, plus the reinforcement by steel rails. Additionally, it doesn’t warp or fade when exposed to harsh elements.
It has an impact-resistance material that enables it to withstand strong wind, everyday wear, and tear.
Trek Fencing Benefits
- Increased Durability
It is an excellent alternative to wood fencing because of its high durability and lasting power that withstands different weather from solid wind to torrential rains.
- Versatility
Trex fencing offers some versatility in style types with varying heights, slopes, and dimensions. Thanks to its composition, it is adaptable to any weather as the material expands or contracts as the temperature changes.
- Eco-Friendly
Its components are 95% recycled, which include wood fragments and recycled plastic, thus environmentally friendly.
- Privacy
It is a perfect choice for it has pieces that ensure privacy and strength to keep your areas like pool, backyard, or playground safe.
- Low Maintenance
Trek fencing needs little or zero maintenance other than cleaning with a hose.
SimTek and Trex are “Green” products that are durable, non-porous, and have a low maintenance cost. The one to choose trickles down to your design and color option for your composite perimeter fencing. Otherwise, both are great with tremendous benefits as comprehensively covered above.
