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A 40-foot section of vinyl fence I put up last fall just buckled in the heat
It was a big job for a new build in the suburbs, about 150 feet total. I used the standard posts and panels from the usual supplier. Went out for a warranty check yesterday and the middle section on the south side is bowed out like a sail. The homeowner said it started about two weeks ago when we hit those 95-degree days. I think the expansion gaps weren't big enough, or maybe the posts weren't set deep enough in that spot. Has anyone else had vinyl fail like this in a sudden heat wave, and what was your fix?
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river_scott6mo ago
Vinyl expands a crazy amount in the heat, and it needs room to move. My first fence job looked like a roller coaster by August because I didn't leave enough gap. You probably nailed it with the expansion issue. Check if the panels are butting tight against the posts now. The fix is usually to pull the caps, loosen the screws on that section, and slide everything over to make a bigger gap before you tighten it back down.
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johnthompson6mo ago
Yeah, river_scott knows what's up. That's the exact fix.
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the_riley4mo ago
@johnthompson nailed it with the gap advice, but there's another thing nobody's talking about. The ground settling underneath can cause those waves too, especially if you didn't tamp the post holes good enough. I've seen panels sag in weird spots just from the posts shifting a quarter inch over a wet spring. Worth checking if the posts themselves are still plumb before you mess with the panels.
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