Why We Don’t Use Steel in Our Posts
This isn’t about saving money by leaving something out.
Quite the opposite.
Fence-All has invested in state-of-the-art, in-house routing facilities that allow us to manufacture our vinyl fences ourselves. Routing every post so that the rails can pass directly through it requires specialized equipment and precision manufacturing.
It’s a significant investment—and one that gives us the ability to build our fences in a fundamentally different way.
Rather than relying on a steel insert to reinforce an otherwise conventional post-and-panel system, we engineer the post, rails, and connections as one integrated structure.
Steel vs. Structural Design
Many vinyl fences use pre-built panels that attach to posts with channels, brackets, or fasteners. Some manufacturers add steel inside the posts to reinforce them.
Our Alexandria-style fence takes a fundamentally different approach.
The rails actually pass into the posts. There are no brackets connecting the rails to the posts and no rail-to-post screws. The components are mechanically integrated rather than simply fastened together.
That distinction matters.
Wind and other forces acting on a privacy fence have to travel through the rails, posts, and ultimately into the ground. Every connection along that path becomes part of the structure.
Adding steel to a post can make that individual post more rigid, but it doesn’t automatically address how the rails are connected to it—or how the entire fence responds as a system.
We believe structural integration is more important than simply adding steel to a component.
Why It Matters in Ottawa
Ottawa isn’t an easy environment for a fence. Freeze-thaw cycles, frost heaving, temperature swings, and the natural expansion and contraction of PVC all put stress on a fence over time.
That’s why we don’t think a fence should be designed simply to be strong when it’s brand new. It should be designed to remain strong and stable year after year.
Our routered system allows the rails and posts to form a more integrated structure, rather than relying on a series of brackets and fasteners to connect separate panels.
The result is a fence designed around how the entire structure works together, not simply around the presence or absence of steel.
Ottawa winters can be tough on a fence. Our precision routed systems are designed to roll with the punches. It’s why we’re confident offering a lifetime warranty on our vinyl fences.
It’s Not About Having More. It’s About Building Better.
Steel is an excellent material. We have nothing against steel—and we use it where it makes sense.
But putting steel inside a vinyl post isn’t automatically the same thing as building a stronger fence.
At Fence-All, we’ve chosen to invest in the manufacturing technology needed to build our Alexandria system differently. We don’t need to put steel inside the post because we’ve engineered the fence around a more integrated structural design.
It’s a fundamentally different approach to building a vinyl fence—and one we’re confident enough to back with a lifetime warranty.
More Questions?
If you’ve got more questions about the way our fences are built, give us a call at 613 736-1122. We’d love to hear from you!
