We will discuss here the advantages of vinyl railings over wood railings and how you can use them in your home.

If you are looking for a good substitute for wood railings, you do not have to look any further than vinyl railings. Vinyl railings are so durable that manufacturers can now routinely guarantee the product for a lifetime. This confidence comes from the fact that vinyl railings maintain their new look and easy care for at least twenty years. Even redwood or cedar, some of the longest lasting woods for outdoor use, only last about ten to twelve years.

There are so many different advantages of vinyl railings over wood railings. Here are just a few of them:

a. Long life-sometimes twice as much as wood railings.

b. Low maintenance-vinyl railings need only to be washed off from time to time, not waxed and polished or varnished as wood railings need.

c. They do not degrade-wood products rot and degrade over time, and the look of the wood consequently changes. Vinly will not do this and they remain looking the same over time.

d. Resistant to UV rays-Vinyl railings can be protected to be UV resistant and therefore not suffer the deterioration from sunlight that wood railings are subject to.

e. Resistant to water damage-vinyl will not rot when exposed to excess rain and moisture, as wood will.

f. Scratch resistant- small scratches are imperceptable on vinly railings. Wood, on the other hand shows scratches easily and will need to be sanded down and revarnished if there is a scratch.

g. It comes in a variety of shapes and forms. Wood has to be sawed and custom cut to suit a purpose. Vinyl is available in screw together pieces that can be easily manipulated by almost anyone.

Vinyl is the most cost saving solution for railings because, even though they may cost about the same as wooden railings initially, the are cheaper to maintain over time. There is no annual cost for sanding, scraping, varnishing and replacing rotted pieces. When you add in the cost of this extra maintenance, you can see that vinyl works out to be cheaper than wood in the long run. Add to that the fact that vinyl railings will usually come with a lifetime warranty, and since you cannot put a price on the peace of mind that offers, you can really see that vinyl is the lower cost alternative.