Deciding on what type of material to use for a fence post depends greatly on what you desire the outcome to be. Many people wonder while building fences if there are options other than wood since wood is not always the best option depending on where they live.
Fence posts are not always hardwood. Fence posts can be made of wood, metal, aluminum, vinyl, rebar, fiberglass, brick, composite, stone, and granite. Each type of fence material is beneficial in its own way. Though wood is common, it is not the only type of fence-building material.
If you plan on using a different type of material for the fence posts, does the rest of the fence necessarily need to be that same material? This question occurs more often than one might suppose. Depending on the type of fence post material, the fence can either match or be different material entirely.
Different Types of Fence Post Material
Fences are not always hardwood due to the wide amount of different materials there are available. Each type of material that fence posts can be made of is used differently and will end in a different result.
Hardwood fence posts are generally the most common type of fence posts because they have been around for so long, but with the increased amount of materials that we can use, the diversity in regards to fence post types has grown greatly throughout the years.
Fence posts often are made of similar material to fences themselves, so it is difficult to speak of fence posts without the fence, itself.
Wood Fence Posts
Wood fence posts have been used from the very beginning because that was what was most readily available to everyone that wanted a fence. We can see this with the various kinds of wood that are available for fence posts. Options vary from redwood to cedar to pine. Each type of wood gives a different life expectancy, while also maintaining different looks and appearances.
When I think of wooden fence posts, I think of the standard white picket fence. These were common in the 1900s, especially, where they became very common and popular. Over time, the trend did not fade.
This may be the reason why most people may think there are only hardwood fence posts. They are truly the most common type of fence post because they have been around for so long.
I have wooden fence posts on the fence in my backyard. A few years ago we had to replace the wooden posts with new wood because wood lasts for at least ten years if it is cured. Depending on the type of wood, it may need to be replaced when it reaches the ten-year mark.
Metal Fence Posts
Metal fence posts are just another kind of fence posts. People began using metal fence posts because metal can be more durable than wood.
Many people will not just have metal fence posts with a wood fence, though. Often, to mimic the aesthetic of one or the other, a person will simply use a fence entirely out of either wood or metal. Combining both materials, however, can be very beneficial.
Metal fence posts have a longer lifespan than wooden fence posts, overall. The nice thing about metal fence posts is that if they are bent, they can be bent back into shape.
Having metal fence posts with a wooden fence is nowhere near as common as having a full wooden fence, but there may be more people with metal fence posts than you think. You can cover the metal appearance of the fence posts with 2×4 boards. If your neighbor appears to have a wooden fence, they may, in actuality, have metal posts with a wooden facade.
Vinyl Fence Posts
If a person is putting in vinyl fence posts, it means they are also putting the rest of their fence in using vinyl. Vinyl is a newer type of fencing than wood.
Since vinyl posts are often used with vinyl fencing, one will usually see a completely vinyl fence, opposed to part vinyl and part wood. Vinyl has a specific look about it because of the way the posts are made that requires vinyl fencing to be put with it.
Stone Fence Posts
Stone fence posts can be used with fencing of another material. It is not necessary to have a stone fence with stone fence posts. In reality, stone can be paired with wood or metal fencing.
The stone works as an anchor for the wood fencing. Stone fence posts are extremely durable. If a full fence was to be made of stone, it would be almost indestructible, or at least as indestructible as a fence can get. It would at least be about as strong a fence as you could get.
Composite Fence Posts
Composite fence posts, like stone fence posts, can also be used with other materials. It is most common for composite fence posts to be combined with wood, whether the wood lays horizontally or vertically to the ground. Using composite fence posts, like metal and stone, help the fence stay upright and prevents it from falling to the ground easily.
Brick Fence Posts
Brick fence posts have become more common over the years because of their durability. Brick fence posts use a combination of brick and wood. These fence posts are sturdy because they are made of brick which is a type of stone. People will commonly use brick posts and wooden fencing. The brick is used to reinforce the fence since brick is stronger than wood.
Brick fence posts can also be used alongside metal fencing. Brick is the most universal regarding what type of fencing it can be used with since it can be used with such various types of fencing.
There are various types of fence post types available all over the United States, so it is a matter of what your preference is concerning what you think looks best. Hardwood fence posts are the most common type of fencing, but that does not necessarily mean it is the best. It simply means it is the most well-known type of material used for fence posts.