It is normal for people to drill into other types of fencing, but is it normal to drill into vinyl fencing? Will drilling into vinyl fencing ruin the fence? Many people will approach drilling into vinyl fencing with these questions and many more, but there is no need to worry.
You can drill into a vinyl fence easily by placing a piece of masking tape over the desired area and drilling into that. However, most often people will just use white vinyl hooks to prevent accidentally ruining the fence during the drilling process.
Drilling into a vinyl fence is possible and can even be simple if you use the right tools. Using the wrong tools can result in disaster, so it is essential to use a drill small enough that it will not compromise the integrity of the vinyl post you are drilling into.
Can You Drill Into A Vinyl Fence?
You can drill into a vinyl fence, but it is a little more complicated than that. Just taking a drill straight to a vinyl fence can result in serious damage. The drill can rip apart the vinyl fence and leave scratches if you are not careful.
Drilling into vinyl can seem like a scary subject with the fact that vinyl can scratch easily and that a vinyl fence is on the more expensive side of fences.
Causing serious scratches to the delicately beautiful texture of the vinyl fence can lead to frustration and anger, so most people decide not to drill into their vinyl fencing. There are some, however, that know how to avoid scratches and drilling mishaps.
Why Most People Don’t Drill Into Vinyl Fencing
The majority of people who have vinyl fencing decide not to drill into their fence because they either enjoy the simplistic nature of the fence or they are too afraid to scratch up the fencing, make a mistake, and completely ruin the fence itself.
After a vinyl fence has been scratched, you cannot cover it up with paint or anything like that. You would need to put something there to cover the scratch. Because vinyl can be ruined so easily, people avoid thinking about drilling into the fence, itself.
How To Work Around Drilling Into A Vinyl Fence
One way people avoid drilling into the fence, itself, is by using hooks that can just hook over the top of the fence. This presents an easy way for people who do not want to scar the face of their vinyl fencing. Most people will use hooks that are made to span across the back of a door without cutting into it.
People ensure to get white vinyl over-the-door hooks to match their white vinyl fence. If the hook and the fence were not the same color, the hook could look out of place and draw one’s attention to the hook rather than what is hanging from the hook.
Other ways to decorate a vinyl fence include adding plants, adding lights, or adding fence post caps. Adding plants or lights in front of the vinyl fencing can add a nice touch of color and contrast against a white vinyl fence. Adding fence post caps can give a more finished look to the fence, itself.
After reading all of these ideas, there may be even more ways you want to decorate that are more permanent. What is key to remember is that there are ways to work around drilling into a vinyl fence if the desire to decorate the fence still resonates within you.
For those that are a little more adventurous, you can use masking tape to help you drill into the vinyl fence. This may sound a little odd at first, but it is quite a useful tip. I call this more adventurous because drilling into the vinyl will be permanent.
What Are The Right Tools To Use?
The best way to prevent injury of yourself or the accidental demolition of the vinyl fence is to use the correct tools. Going into the project with something like a nail gun might ruin your fence forever.
You will want to use something like a brad point drill bit. Using a bigger drill bit can be catastrophic. A brad point drill bit is small enough that it will not completely rip apart the fence.
The other tool to remember is masking tape. This plays a key role in keeping your fence safe.
Masking Tape’s Role In Drilling Into Vinyl Fencing
Masking tape can be used in many diverse places, but its main uses are for protecting things from overspray and creating clean lines when painting. These are not the only ways to use masking tape, though. By placing a piece of masking tape over the area you want to drill into on a vinyl fence, you prevent the drill from slipping on the shiny vinyl.
Masking tape provides a sort of grip for the drill because the tape itself is textured. It also prevents scratches on the vinyl because the area around the drill mark is covered by tape.
When you are ready to drill the hole, place the masking tape over the area you want to drill into. Using a brad point bit, drill slowly into the vinyl fence. After drilling into the fence as deep as you need, remove the drill and the masking tape. Because masking tape is meant to only protect surfaces and is not an extremely intense adhesive, it will not be hard to remove it from the vinyl fencing.
It is possible to drill into vinyl fencing. Doing so does not even require a ton of skill. All you need is masking tape and a small drill bit. Be sure that you do want to put the hole where you are planning on putting it because it will be there as long as you have the vinyl fencing.
Vinyl fencing does not need to be left plain in your backyard. There are very nice ways to decorate, and if the idea of drilling into a vinyl fence does not sound like your cup of tea, there are other ways to decorate without leaving permanent marks on the fence.