Installing a privacy fence in your backyard lets you enjoy relaxing outside without having to worry about nosy neighbors. It's also great if you have pets or need to keep the local wildlife out of your garden — it's much harder for dogs, cats, and deer to jump over a tall privacy fence compared to an average-sized one.

If you're thinking about installing a privacy fence in your backyard, there are two popular options that are low maintenance. You can either install a vinyl privacy fence or install a chain-link fence with privacy add-ons. Privacy mesh or vinyl privacy slats can be attached to a chain-link fence in order to block the view through it. Both types of fencing can be washed down easily with a hose, and there's no need to worry about painting or staining them like with a wooden fence. However, vinyl privacy fences are normally the better option. Read on to learn three reasons why vinyl fencing makes a better privacy fence than chain link.

1. Vinyl Fencing Looks Better Than Chain-Link Fencing 

One of the biggest downsides of chain-link fencing is that it can look out of place in your backyard. Chain-link fencing has a very commercial or industrial aesthetic, and adding privacy slats or mesh to the fence won't change this. You'll still be able to see the aluminum posts and the very top of the chain-link mesh after you add slats or mesh, making it unmistakably a chain-link fence.

Vinyl privacy fencing blends in much better with your backyard since you're able to customize its color and its design. For example, you can choose to have your vinyl privacy fence look like a cedar fence, which looks much less industrial than a chain-link fence.

2. Vinyl Fencing Is More Durable Than Privacy Slats or Mesh

Another benefit of vinyl fencing is that it will withstand high winds better. Chain-link fencing is very durable, but the privacy slats or mesh you fasten to it are not. High winds can tear privacy mesh apart, and they can pull slats off of the fence. While your chain-link fence will remain standing, you may have to replace your privacy add-ons if a severe storm rolls through your area.

3. Chain-Link Fencing With Privacy Slats Can't Be Built as Tall as Vinyl

Another issue with adding privacy features to a chain-link fence is that they're manufactured to fit average-sized fences. If you need to install a tall privacy fence in order to block a neighbor's view from a second-story window, for example, a vinyl privacy fence is a much better choice.

You can install a chain-link fence that's as big as you desire, but you'll need to overlap the mesh or the slats if it's bigger than average in order to fully cover the fence. Overlapping the privacy mesh or the privacy slats will look very disjointed. A tall vinyl privacy fence is much more aesthetically pleasing.

While chain-link fencing is less expensive than vinyl, the better aesthetics of vinyl privacy fencing almost always make it worth the extra cost, especially if you need a tall fence. Vinyl fencing will also withstand storms better. If you're looking for a privacy fence for your backyard, it's a good idea to skip the chain link and have a vinyl fencing system installed.

Speak to a contractor to learn more about vinyl privacy fencing.