Hurricane-Resistant Vinyl Fencing in Miami-Dade County

The strongest engineered fence system available in North America, if not the world, is the Miami-Dade approved PVC fence. This vinyl fence system was created in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1982, which was the strongest hurricane to ever hit South Florida. There has never been another hurricane that devastated the Florida peninsula to such an extent in modern history.

Since then, Florida’s building codes have altered drastically, requiring large makers of building supplies to design wind-resistant goods. Following up-to-code engineering and prototype testing, manufacturers test their goods for wind load resistance by simulating the impact of a hurricane. A notification of a product approval, or NOA, is the formal term for an approval. This certification includes comprehensive engineering requirements, computations, installation techniques, and test results obtained in weather circumstances akin to a hurricane wind impact.

These new manufacturing and technical requirements, created in response to new construction legislation, had a complete effect on the window, glazing, roofing, siding, and, in this case, fence industries. The first state in the US to enact these new construction requirements was Florida, and other states, including Louisiana, New Jersey, and New York, eventually followed suit.

Miami-Dade County approved vinyl fencing systems are designed to withstand and survive the annual brutal hurricane season, requiring standard PVC fence panels to be redesigned to meet higher specifications.

The engineering of Miami-Dade vinyl fencing includes larger and thicker fence profiles, as well as aluminum reinforcing inside the posts and rails. PVC fence panels certified by Miami-Dade are not the only ones available for purchase in South Florida, where installation is required. They are highly recommended for all coastal places where exposure to the open wind occurs daily. It is advised that vinyl fence panels be built in Caribbean Island regions that experience summertime hurricane gusts, tornadoes, and tropical storms.

The main difference between a vinyl fence panel that is ordinary and one that has been approved by Miami-Dade is the wall thickness of the vinyl fence profiles. Included within the post is an option for aluminum reinforcement, depending on the thickness of the post to be used. The post has a diameter of 5″ and a maximum length of 9 feet. Since a typical post is only 1/8 inch thick (.125), the Miami-Dade County-approved vinyl post is 1/4 inch thicker (.250″). The most important aspect of these structures, in my opinion, is the integrity of a PVC fence post.

When hurricane winds strike, the post bears the brunt of the wind pressure. An aluminum I-beam with a wall thickness of .100″ can be used in place of a conventional wall-thick post. Both choices are authorized for usage, based on the NOA. The post needs to be cemented in a hole that is at least 18 inches in diameter and 24 inches deep in compacted earth. The vinyl packet rail’s dimension is another significant distinction. The approved PVC rail measures 2″ by 7″, while the ordinary PVC pocket rail measures 1 inch by 1/2 by 5.5″. The overall thickness of the 2 x 7″ vinyl rail is .90.

We provide these specific vinyl rails in two distinct forms. The first is in the deco style and has a beveled edge, while the second is a regular vinyl rail with a square edge and a more modern appearance. By itself, certain product approvals required aluminum rail stiffeners to be used inside vinyl PVC rails. Regardless of whether the PVC fencing is allowed by Miami-Dade, it is always advised since the engineering that supports this innovation will provide the vinyl pickets greater strength, enabling the installation of a compact fence. Without any reinforcements, the PVC tongue and groove pickets are to be installed. Their normal dimensions are 7/8″ x 6″ x .45″ wall thickness.

For an even stronger PVC fencing installation, we do have metal inserts for them that surpass Florida building codes, Engineering. Picket reinforcements made of aluminum are also used in unique applications to withstand impacts from objects and wind loads in this specific section of the fence panel. The vinyl fencing that Miami-Dade has approved typically measures six feet in width and six feet in height.

By Francisco Morales