Review of Simtek Ecostone Vinyl Fence from Home Depot

[@JohnWillman]

I can just imagine how much you spent on this installation,..great work! Thanks for the video

[@ChrisColter]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@YouUceireTube]

My gate came out looking perfect. Thanks for the video

[@GodsQ]

You did a great job man. And it looks like a whole new yard. That looks great! Just seemed like alooottt of work.

[@ChrisColter]

Thanks for the positive comments. It was a lot of work, but I got tired of replacing the old wood fencing that rotted here in South Florida. It's still looking great, like the day I installed it. If you ever go and do this, just take your time like I did. It will come out nice. It's definitely the talk of the neighborhood. It probably increased our property value, too.

[@TheAlpine49]

Thanks for the video! You made my job much easier!

[@ChrisColter]

David Brooke glad it was helpful! You’ll love your new fence.

[@bobolson7610]

Thanks Chris. Very helpful. I just put a 150' Simtek fence up in my backyard and this video was very helpful. Thank you!

[@ChrisColter]

Awesome! Glad I could help. Enjoy!

[@thomasmcintosh543]

You spent a bloody fortune on that fence! $10-12K when it was all done??

[@garikbabayan]

Chris, the best solution for your gate is to have the gate hinged of the other side, where the fence section comes from the house wall, and to even better support that, uninstall that section and attach that last post (end Post) to the house wall so the gate will have no room to pull in the closed position, overall nice looking job.
I am a fence contractor, for this same reason when it comes to SimTek fence, and gates, I recommend my customers to choose a vinyl gate, we have many similar colors that will match to simtek colors, good think about vinyl posts that they're hollow inside, so we add wet concrete about 70% of the post, so your entire gate post is an actual solid concrete post covered with vinyl.
Hope it helps.

[@ChrisColter]

Thank you, Garik! I appreciate your tips. I might end up doing that. 👍🏻

[@garikbabayan]

One more tip if you are going to do that, consider this hinges, (not the seller of this by the way) we just like this and only use this on all our gates even wood. It may result in some visible holes from the old original hinge, or you may be able to cover with this. good luck :) www.amazon.com/Stainless-Minimizes-Adjustable-Dragging-Business/dp/B00XK5SJ0U/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1533089006&sr=8-3&keywords=stainless+steel+adjustable+gate+hinges

[@RatedA4Aliens]

Garik skyhawk are these hinges galvanized so they don’t rust or get corroded?

[@mariawilliams-5p2q13]

Very nice job installing, I must say! Now it's time to upgrade your storage shed! : )

[@ChrisColter]

Maria Williams - 5P1QI know, right? Priorities. lol Shed is low on the list.

[@9724209789]

Would love to see another video as per how it's holding up or any update on fence color FADING ...

[@ChrisColter]

I was just thinking about that!! I’ll do one today or tomorrow. Subscribe to get the update.

[@rambo3458]

I'm starting my installation soon. Got everything delivered. Just gotta get motivated to install now. Very helpful video. Thank you.

[@ChrisColter]

You're welcome. I hope it came out good for you.

[@IBLEEDBLUEFORTML1]

We used to have a dealer who sold Simtek fence in my home town but he's since closed his business for retirement. I'm now having a hell of a time finding a dealer here in Southern Ontario Canada.. I know the dealer will beat Home Depot's prices but this is proving hard to find. Beautiful looking fence by the way, you did a hell of a good install job, I can't wait to pull the trigger on this next spring!. If you could update this video in the comment section with any issues that arise with the fence that would be excellent!.

[@ChrisColter]

DIGGINDEEP thanks for the comment! The only real issue I had and still have is a bent gate post. I contacted the rep, and he sent me a new gate post. I’m going to wait for a little cooler weather to dig up the post that has 150+ pounds of cement with it. The rep said it is not supposed to bend. We’ll see how the new post does.

[@consistentcooling3351]

Did you find a dealer? We will be ordering ours soon.

[@CountrifiedCanadian]

No dealer as of yet unfortunately...

[@brianshishnia3278]

Gate posts ARE plenty heavy and strong. It appears as though the gate post leaned over time rather than bent.
I used 5-6 bags (Minimum) for each gate post and even at the substrate or ground around the post matters equally.
When I did my gate posts I anticipated some change from the gates so instinctively set them 1/4 bubble "out of plumb" away from the gates. They are all plumb and I only adjusted each gate one time in over 10 years.
I also run a string line on the top line of each post when setting them. This assures that every panel is the exact same height.

[@crspcritter]

Hmmm 🤔 looks very nice much respect ✊ on your labor. I’m considering: yup age matters : my wood fence is 25 years old and fossilized. Thanks for your video sir . 🤠✊👍🏻👌🙏🏻

[@ChrisColter]

Glad it helped you. Let me know if you have any questions.👍🏻

[@CDxDave]

I was able to overcome the sagging by using 6inx6in post, 6 80 bags concrete. Put 4 pieces of 90 degree rebar in the bottom pointing out from each corner of the post (dig wide hole) and two pieces of rebar up the length of the post. Put 4.5 bags in the bottom, let harden a bit then put 1.5 bags down the inside of the post all the way to the top throwing leftover crete in the bottom. Attach hinges/hardware with tapcons. Installed 10 years ago, still going strong. Holds a 10 foot gate frame made from metal that I screwed two 6 foot vinyl panels to (trimmed a foot off each). There is no sign of sagging at all.

[@ChrisColter]

CDxDave wow, that sounds like it would hold a bridge up! Great job.

[@digiclectic807]

Regarding the gate, I had a similar problem with a gate I built for the landing to my stairs. I knew sagging would be a problem so, I put a roller on the bottom of the swing side of the gate which gives it support. You might have to put a level pad down so it has a smooth surface to roll on.

[@ChrisColter]

Thanks. In my update video on the fence I show the crossbar I used to keep it straight. It's worked like a charm. I appreciate your comment though.

[@davesnothere4042]

Double posts, bolted together, on the gate hinge post is the only way to solve the problem. Latch post is ok as a single post. You might also consider trying to angle the hinge post a few degrees away from the gate leaf. You can experiment by setting up the two posts and gate in an empty hole with the post footing supported by bricks, 2x4's or stone. Let the whole thing sit for a few days to get a representation of what the sag will be. Adjust the angle accordingly.

[@ChrisColter]

Daves Not Here thanks! I appreciate the suggestion. They are sending me a replacement post. Maybe I can double up now.

[@someonesaveus]

Nice looking fence! I’m curious, did you have any road noise or neighbor noise issues before? Any sense if the Simtek fencing helped reduce that? Thank you!

[@ChrisColter]

Keiran H no issues before, but I would imagine the texture of the faux stone would reduce noise by redirecting it in different directions, therefore having a diffusing effect.

[@KoiTimeUSA]

thanks for sharing i am thinking about building a front yard patio fence. will be using 3x6 or 4x8 simtek and the top will be out of fencing 6 feet high

[@ChrisColter]

Glad it helped!

[@RatedA4Aliens]

As far as I know, they advertise the gateposts as made of composite material of polyethylene and steel. I am not sure how can you make a composite of vinyl/polyethylene and steel but its supposed to be durable. I am thinking of purchasing this also and one thing I am not sure of is if you can cut the gate to be smaller (they have a 4 ft gate even that is not going to fit in the entryway of my house cause there is a retaining wall and the home wall and then each post is 5 inches and they recommend a total of 2.5 inch gap, so that makes my gate to be about 41.5 inches ) and then put the end panel on it so its all flush and nice and clean like a gate, is that do-able?

[@ChrisColter]

RatedA4Aliens the outside of the gate is vinyl, and the steel frame floats inside. It is heavy duty. You won’t be able to cut the gate without destroying it. I would call the manufacturer and see if they have any ideas.

[@adriandevos4105]

are the 6 x 6 panels dropped in from above, or do you slide the panel in and then install the next post? My neighbor wants this fence, but there are trees and shrubs on the property line that would interfere with dropping the panels into the slots..seems to me that 12' vertical clearance is needed, correct?

[@ChrisColter]

Adrian Devos yes, the panels are dropped in from above and about 12’ clearance is needed. I suppose you could do it the other way, but it would take longer because you’re setting each post one at a time. I think they have the full instructions on their (Simtek) website.

[@ibanez19741]

If you were to hinge the gate off the high side which has support from the panel beside it and latch the the end post on the sideline I think it may operate easier for you

[@ChrisColter]

Thanks. Since the posts aren’t directly connected to each other through the panels, the high side post would only be supporting itself leading back to the bending post. I put a crossbar at the top between the gate posts and it solved the issue. While not ideal, I can remove it to bring in something over 6ft tall through the gate. I also put it low enough that it does not show on the outside of the gate.

[@cob4lt803]

did you have to set one post and panel at a time or did you notch the panel to drop in to the brackets

[@ParentingAutismShow]

I did multiple posts at a time. Then, once the concrete is dry, the panel goes in from the top and slides down the channel to rest on the brackets. It would be more difficult to do one panel at a time with one person I think, because you'd have to balance the panel while setting the post.

[@eido1on]

How did you get the support brackets into the posts? There is a metal plate that's preventing the self tapping screw to fully go in

[@ChrisColter]

Sorry, just saw your comment. I used an impact gun like what they use to put car wheels on. It worked well. I could see it being difficult if you were using a manual tool.

[@owl1873]

Good informational video. Did you determine clearly if the gate post was bending or did the footing fail and leat under the weight of the gate

[@ChrisColter]

The post was actually bending! I ended up putting a bar across the top of the gate posts to prevent sagging. See the updated video.

[@notawinemom8540]

Your fence turned out amazing! Do the panels have designs on the front and back?

[@ChrisColter]

Thanks! Yes, they have the design on the front and back. After two years, they've held up great so far.

[@notawinemom8540]

@@ChrisColter thank you! I spent an hour last night going through several websites and I couldn't find the answer to that.

[@amylinkous4212]

Did you have help installing or did you do it yourself? How long did it take you to install? Thanks.

[@ChrisColter]

It took me weeks to do by myself. The thing that took the longest was to dig the holes and wait for cement to dry. I think we also had to wait for a couple of things to be replaced that were damaged. Because of my schedule, I think I was only doing 3-4 posts per day. I would recommend getting help dropping the panels into place. They are very heavy for one person and can be like a sail in the wind.

[@ShawwwHa]

I'm considering this fence for my home but I'm not sure if they would hold to the test of time. How is the fence holding up for you? Has it shown signs of fading?

[@ChrisColter]

ShawwwHa it has not faded at all. We just experienced tropical storm force winds with Hurricane Dorian, and it held up nicely.

[@ShawwwHa]

@@ChrisColter good to know. Thank you

[@theresastegemann5200]

I'm planning to install a 30' X 8' fence. Can I use line posts at the end of a run instead of end posts. I don't care if the channels shows at the end. The reason why I am considering doing this, is that I might want to add additional panels later on. .

[@ChrisColter]

Yes, you can use a line post. You will just have the channel on the other side like you said.

[@theresastegemann5200]

@@ChrisColter Thank you!

[@GameGeezer]

Maybe add a wheel to the bottom of the gate ?

[@carrieperez8600]

Is the door the 6 foot door? They also sell a 4 foot and a three foot. I am debating on getting this fence but have to put it in myself.

[@ChrisColter]

Carrie Perez 6ft door so that a large mower could fit through. You’ll need to brace it somehow, because in my experience, the post that they give you will not support it by itself. I ended up putting a closet rod from HD between the gate post and the latch post to keep it from leaning inward. It worked good.

[@carrieperez8600]

Chris Colter thanks! I also have really rocky soil. I’m not looking forward to doing it. It’s gonna take me forever

[@christinefontana8910]

Maybe you can return the heavy gate and turn one of the lighter panels into a Gate?

[@ChrisColter]

Unfortunately, no. The material is too thin to support a hinge for its weight even though it is lighter. There is no way to get any support material inside the panel. Good idea though.

[@groceosm70]

Hi Chris. How many panels total do you have. Thanks!

[@ChrisColter]

Probably at least 40.

[@hub5721]

how heavy are the simtek ecostone vinyl fence gates

[@ChrisColter]

Robert Rivara they are super heavy. They have a metal frame inside. They come with heavy duty hinges.

[@ralphmchenry6922]

Can you install this fence on a sloping yard?

[@ChrisColter]

Yes. Part of the instructions cover how to install on a slope. Shouldn’t be a problem. Go to their website and download the pdf instructions. You should see it in there.

[@cynthiapilalis4783]

Thank you. Thinking of buying it. Gate is a worry.

[@ChrisColter]

Glad it helped. The smaller 4ft gate probably won't sag, bit if you get the 6ft gate, the post will bend and you'll have to figure out how to support it. See my updated video on how well it has held up.

[@lisagarnier8059]

Nice job

[@ChrisColter]

Thank you!

[@semireckless]

Chris, The truth of the matter is that there isn't a gate post known to man that will not bend to some extent over time if the free end of the gate is not supported some how when it is closed. Just fix some sort of shim under the moving end of the gate under the location that end of the gate occupies when the gate is closed. You will have to 'help' the gate to close a little bit each time, but the gate post won't bend.

[@ChrisColter]

semireckless even though the rep told me it should not bend, I totally agree with you. I’m going to make some type of crossbar for the top to keep the two posts apart and straight.

[@semireckless]

@@ChrisColter That will only work if the post at the latch end of the gate is absolutely solid. A shim under the end of the gate is a cheaper, simpler and more reliable solution (In my opinion).

[@mlez7197]

how many pannels and about how much was the cost per pannel? looks awesome

[@ChrisColter]

The cost of the project was about 10k. Each panel is 6ft. So you’ll have to measure your yard in feet and divide by 6. You’ll have to check with Home Depot to see what the cost per panel is now. I used about 40 panels.

[@mlez7197]

@@ChrisColter thank you that will give me an idea

[@tomicacole-mitchell9456]

How much did the material cost?

[@ChrisColter]

Tomica Cole you can plan on spending about 3x the cost of a regular wood fence. You can measure your yard and Home Depot can give you an estimate.

[@ogama843]

What if you cut the gate panel in half and have a double door gate. That should lighten the load on the gate posts.

[@ChrisColter]

While it would lighten the load, you would probably compromise the interior steel frame when cutting through it, plus it probably would not look good with the open cuts on the ends of the doors. I like your thinking though.

[@ogama843]

@@ChrisColter I would imagine they might sell end caps for such an application, but I don’t know anything about this product. So maybe the way it is is the only option. I really appreciate your review, by the way, as I am interested in such a product for my yard.

[@fenceguy493]

I dont think they gave you the right post for your gate as the gate post is alot heavier then the end posts and has a different structural steel insert in the centre. I install simtek fences on a regular basis and dont have any problems with the gate posts sagging. make sure the hole is deep enough with concrete almost to the top of the hole, hole should be about 42" deep 10"-12" in diameter

[@ChrisColter]

Fence Guy thanks for the tips! I think the gate post is 102”, so if I have 42” in the ground, that means I have 60” above ground with a 6ft gate. I would need another foot above ground plus clearance. On that note, the rep said the post I got may be defective, so he sent me another post. We’ll try it again. I agree, lots of concrete! Unfortunately, I have to dig up 200+lbs of it to replace the post.

[@RatedA4Aliens]

Chris Colter thats not fair, they should bear the cost of reinstalling it since its their fault that the post was defective

[@felixcolon1568]

do they hold hurricane force winds?

[@ChrisColter]

I believe it is rated to 120 mph. As you know with hurricanes, you never know what you're going to get. Tornadoes have been known to spin off of hurricanes, and their winds are much higher. If it were to blow over, I don't think it would get damaged. The posts and panels are pretty stout. It is a chance I choose to take.

[@felixcolon1568]

Chris Colter thanks a lot “ I live in Puerto Rico and many hurricanes enter here 🥵

[@timb8772]

How much did it cost for a panel

[@ChrisColter]

The whole project cost about 10k. I can't remember how much per panel. I'm sure the cost has gone up with inflation. Check your local retailer for more info.

[@RockysJourney]

What was the cost of just the fences and how many bags concert did you use for each post hole

[@ChrisColter]

The panels were $150 each. You can check your local Home Depot for pricing. I used 120lbs (1-1/2 bags of 80lb concrete) per post and 240lbs for the gate post.

[@davidjonburke2729]

He probably spent at least 10 grand on the whole thing and he still has a saggy gate bummer

[@airmike1271]

I am looking at installing a double gate for a 12 foot opening. Can you install two more hinges per gate post? Have you been able to take the sag out of the post? This is too expensive to have sagging gates...disappointing. The rest of the fence is great...awesome job. Sagging gates will be deep sink my plans unless their is an engineering workaround. Thank you for your real-world review 👍

[@ChrisColter]

@@airmike1271 The gates are pre drilled for the hinges. I don't think you could use more hinges. My whole problem was the post bending. I finally put a crossbar at the top between the posts to keep the gate straight.

[@airmike1271]

@@ChrisColter I have pulled the trigger and purchased my gates. Currently I am waiting for my gates (back ordered) and gate posts.
In addition, I have gotten a hold of 2 SimTek hinges from eBay. Those hinges are very hard to find, unless you pay extra through a fence distributer. With a die and tap set, I am going to drill and add threads for the third hinge on each gate. Then, their is the sandy soil of NE Florida. This is where I am going to use sufficient concrete to build a slab collar to match the concrete slab of the driveway, around the gate posts for reinforcement. If the gate posts still flex and sag, then I will go ahead and install gate wheels that will take up more weight and be done with it hahaha. So this will certainly be a project that will be slightly over engineered, but I think it is going to look great.

[@feldridge88]

Do the panel just slide into the post

[@ChrisColter]

Yes, from the top.

[@danoleary2816]

1 bag of concrete per hole?

[@ChrisColter]

Yes, I think I did 2 on the corner posts. I followed the instructions in the manual for the fence to make sure I didn’t void the warranty.

[@mohinidave9589]

have you tried buying dedo post rail for fence-much cheaper and stronger specially for gate-art 408-218-8618

[@ChrisColter]

Mohini Dave I already hacked a heavy duty closet rod and put it between the gate posts. No more leaning guaranteed.

[@renthal2212]

How much concrete per hole?

[@ChrisColter]

One bag each hole. I think they were 80lb bags. I think I used 3 bags for the corner gate post.

[@bryanc2321]

Has this faded over the years?

[@ChrisColter]

No, still holding up great. Looks new.

[@HarryLopez82]

How much..for whole fence

[@ChrisColter]

About 9-10k if you do it yourself.

[@PapaPalma]

That’s not dark brown they sent you the wrong ones I use the work for them

[@ChrisColter]

Kevin Palma it is the color I picked from the sample at HD. They didn’t have any other browns to choose from. It matches the sample they showed me. I didn’t see any other brown colors on the website either. Maybe they discontinued the color you are thinking of.

[@matthewerskine2783]

Never put gate on free standing post

[@joelrodriguez4309]

Just change the hinges to the other post.

[@ChrisColter]

I didn't want the gate to open from the opposite direction.

[@torresdelpaine8888]

Heh bud, that’s not how you are supposed to install the gate post. It isn’t meant to be used at the inside of a corner like you have done there. You should have a solid panel there, and that would stiffen up the sideways pull you are experiencing. Even if you ran a 2 foot wide section in there, that would be enough to give you the strength you need to prevent the doormsag you are experiencing. Basically, you are mounting the gate door on the SIDE of the gate post, but it’s not made structurally for the bad design you have. The gate should be hung 90 degrees over on the gate post, but you have mounted it on the side. About the only way to deal with your issue is to flip your gate 180 degrees so the hinges are on the straight section, but then you need to reconfigure your posts again, and your other fence side has been pulled out of alignment already. The fence works perfectly when designed properly, but your door is not designed to be installed the way you have this set this up. You have forces in places they should never be, including a door that is mounted 90 degrees from where it should be, and that’s why your fence is pulling everything out of alignment. If I were you, I would reconfigure and reposition your gate post over towards the air conditioner, then replace the existing gate post with an appropriately selected corner post, then install a solid corner with a minimum 2 foot return before you reach your door latch post. That is a much stronger design, and the forces are then where they should be. You haven’t thought this design through, and have built it without consideration to design and weight forces, and that is why you have the problems you have, which will only get worse, with time. You can fix that if you reconfigure your design to load forces where they need to be, with respect to the gate. It’s like your door is hanging permanently off the side of the fence, where it should be hanging off the very end. So flip your door swing to the a/c side, or install a short/fixed corner panel with corner post, and not a gate post like you have done.

[@ChrisColter]

Thank you for your comment. Have you installed this Ecostone product before? You seem knowledgeable about fences. These panels are made of a synthetic blend of materials that are not as strong as wood or metal. If I were to change the design like you're suggesting, I would not be able to secure the gate post to the panel as a brace to keep it from sagging. The material just isn't strong enough to support a gate post up in any direction. The screws would pull out of the synthetic panel material because of the gate weight it would be trying to support. If I had a more secure way to connect a panel to a post, it would probably work like you are saying. Screws alone would not do it. When I sent pictures to the rep, he didn't mention that the gate position was incorrect, nor did it say anything in the instructions about how to position the gate relative to the rest of the fence. In the end I put a bar across the top of the gate, between the posts. This has worked so far for the past four years. No sagging :) Hopefully it will continue to do it's job. Thank you for taking the time to help. I appreciate it.

[@torresdelpaine8888]

@@ChrisColter Ya, the bar along the top is about the only way to shift the forces around and keep things where they need to be. I have installed this fence at my home, and I find it to be really good. Super strong and low maintenance, but I am a carpenter too so I am always looking at where forces are pulling. You can't hang a door 90 degrees to a fence and expect the door weight not to pull everything out of alignment if you don't have additional bracing (like the top bar you put in afterwards). You need some kind of a solid return around the corner, even 2' or 3' which is enough to give you strengthen up the side forces that are at play here. If you were to use the Simtek corner post and sink a few screws in, everything would be super strong to contain the forces. The other thing you mentioned in your response was that the screws weren't holding in the synthetic materials of the post. You are aware that there are two different versions of this post, heh? They both look the same but one is beefier than the other: there is an end post, which is for the end of a fence line, and the other is the gate post, which has formed metal inside that gives it the added strength for carrying a gate or door. Your screw hardware needs to make contact with the metal, so it sounds like this may not be the case and you may just be screwed into the plastic/synthetics which is why your screws aren't holding your door forces. Anyways, sounds like you have things figured out now with the top brace, but it's obvious to me that your problems all started when you made the design decision to hinge a heavy door 90 degrees to an existing fence line, and you can't do this without considerable thought given to the strength associated with your corner post. You either need to top brace (like you now have) or you need to replace that corner post with something else that is designed to carry the weight/forces that you have created. Gates and doors need a panel positioned right in behind them (on the hinge side) that is still in the straight section. Otherwise, you are left with no structural integrity. I find Simtek gate doors to be quite good, as they are steel reinforced inside. It's just going to be choosing the correct configuration for different yard layouts. Think of it this way ... it's kind of like building a custom shower and then hanging a heavy door 90 degrees to the glass. You can only do this if you have additional support at the top, or a design that has beefed everything up to take the forces that are playing out. A door that is mounted with panels that are in-line and directly behind the hinge are capable of accepting many more forces than one that does not. Anyways, good to talk. Have a great rest of your day.

[@ChrisColter]

@@torresdelpaine8888 thanks so much for the explanation.

[@jmflying]

Could you mumble a little louder

[@ChrisColter]

Sorry if the audio came across that way. I tried my best and am not an expert on doing videos. Do you have any other questions about the project? I’d be happy to answer in case you couldn’t hear it. Have a great weekend!

[@chocolatecaramel4447]

Wow, this isn't vinyl. This is composite as of 2024. It will hold up better than vinyl.

[@ChrisColter]

I think they told me it was a vinyl composite when I bought it. Still going strong all these years later. Looks like new.

[@Burseyfamilyracing3024]

I CANT HEAR A WORD YOUR SAYING.SPEAK UP SO WE KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN YOUR VIDEO HUH

[@ChrisColter]

I can hear it fine on my end, and no one else has reported a problem. Check your volume and speaker on your end. Sorry you can’t hear it.