New: Now serving California —check availability

Reference

Composite fencing glossary

Plain-English definitions for the material science, code, install, and pricing language you will run into.

Last updated

Composite fencing

Also: composite fence, composite privacy fence

A fence built from a polymer matrix bonded to mineral filler. The polymer makes it weatherproof; the minerals make it dimensionally stable and fire-resistant.
Mineral-reinforced polymer composite

Also: MRPC

A composite class that combines a thermoplastic polymer with a high percentage of mineral filler. Used by Compoxen for all fence panels and posts.
Polymer matrix
The thermoplastic resin in a composite that surrounds the reinforcing material. Provides moisture resistance and color depth.
Mineral filler
Inorganic particulate (often talc, calcium carbonate, or silica) added to a polymer to increase rigidity, fire resistance, and dimensional stability.
Co-extrusion
A manufacturing process where two materials are extruded together so one forms a permanent shell over the other. Used to apply the fade-resistant outer shell on Compoxen panels.
Fade-resistant shell
A pigmented outer layer co-extruded over a composite board to lock in color and resist UV degradation.
Class A fire rating

Also: ASTM E84 Class A

The highest classification under ASTM E84 surface burning characteristics testing, indicating low flame spread and smoke development. Required by code in many wildland-urban interface zones.
WUI zone

Also: wildland-urban interface

An area where developed land meets wildland vegetation. WUI zones in California and other states often require Class A fire-rated exterior materials including fencing.
Hidden fastener system
A panel attachment method where fasteners are concealed inside the post-and-rail assembly so they are not visible from either face of the fence. Standard on Compoxen.
Linear foot

Also: lin. ft.

The standard unit of measure for fencing pricing — one foot of fence run regardless of height.
Post spacing
The center-to-center distance between adjacent fence posts. Compoxen uses an engineered post spacing matched to the panel system and the local wind load.
Footing
The concrete base in which a fence post is set. Depth is determined by the local frost line and wind load — typically 24–36 inches for Compoxen.
Frost line
The maximum depth at which the ground freezes in winter in a given region. Footings must extend below the frost line to prevent post heave.
Racking
Tilting a fence panel parallelogram-style to follow a slope while keeping the top rail straight relative to the posts.
Stepping
Installing fence panels at fixed heights with vertical steps between bays to follow steep grade. The alternative to racking.
Privacy fence
A solid-panel fence (typically 6 feet tall) designed to block sight lines between properties. Compoxen 6' panels are the standard privacy product.
Pool code
Local jurisdictional requirements for residential pool barrier height, picket spacing, and gate self-closing hardware. Compoxen ships in pool-code-compliant heights where applicable.
Wind rating
The maximum sustained wind load a fence is engineered to withstand without failure when installed per spec. Compoxen is rated to 130 mph.
Thermal expansion
The amount a material grows or shrinks per degree of temperature change. Mineral reinforcement reduces thermal expansion in composite, which is why Compoxen does not warp like all-polymer vinyl.
UV stability
A material's ability to resist degradation and color change from ultraviolet light. Compoxen uses UV-stable pigments inside a fade-resistant shell.
Sound dampening
A material's ability to absorb rather than transmit sound. Denser composite panels dampen more sound than hollow vinyl or open metal pickets.
Architect-led color
A color developed in collaboration with practicing architects to complement contemporary residential and commercial design. Compoxen ships in five.
Total cost of ownership

Also: TCO

The full lifecycle cost of a fence including installation, maintenance, repairs, and eventual replacement. Composite's higher upfront cost is offset by zero maintenance over a 20-year window.
Certified installer
A contractor trained and authorized by Compoxen to bid, install, and warrant Compoxen products in a defined geographic area.
Dealer kit
The onboarding package for new Compoxen certified dealers, covering training, marketing assets, and the tiered pricing structure.
Service area
A state or metro where Compoxen has an active certified installer network. Currently: California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah.
Waitlist
The signup mechanism for homeowners and contractors in geographies where Compoxen has not yet launched. Used to prioritize expansion order.
Lead time
The elapsed time between an approved quote and the start of installation. Compoxen residential lead time is typically 2–4 weeks.
AggregateOffer
A schema.org type representing a price range across multiple offers for the same product. Used by Compoxen for installed-price ranges.
Schema.org
A shared vocabulary used by search engines and AI answer engines to interpret structured data on web pages. Compoxen ships JSON-LD schema on every page.