Plastic fence is easy to handle, not near as bulky as wood fence. A two-person crew can handle the installation. It is critical to have a good installation, solid end posts, and midway supports such as lath. If end posts loosen, the fence will sag and become ineffective. There is considerable variation in the quality of the fence, with some types tearing more easily and some that are more difficult to handle.
More maintenance is required with plastic fences than with wood fences.
The effectiveness of plastic fence in holding back snow appears to be as good as wood fence. Costs of plastic fence vary considerably. However, a high-quality plastic fence should have a useful life considerably longer than a wood fence, since wood slats and wire tend to break. An evaluation of this research project will be furnished to SHRP, who in turn will evaluate this along with other test sites in the region for a more detailed analysis.