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Not all Agility
Equipment is Created Equal!
Agility equipment can be made of all sort of different materials. Aluminum
is a popular material used. It is lightweight, sturdy, lasts forever, but
is very expensive and does rust over time. Some people use wood to make
different obstacles but wood is heavy, and will weather if left outside
needing a lot of maintenance. By far, probably the most used material in
building agility equipment is PVC. PVC is lightweight, reasonably
affordable, and depending on what type of PVC you get (plumbers grade vs.
furniture grade) will be sturdy and last indefinitely, needing little, if
any maintenance.
All
PVC Equipment is NOT Created Equal!
Plumbers
(traditional) grade PVC is made to be used by Plumbers. It was designed to
be buried underground or be used within walls. It was never designed to be
used outdoors! The moment plumbers grade PVC is exposed to sunlight it
starts to degrade. It fades and/or yellows and chalks. It starts to become
brittles and can shatter or splinter when exposed to the elements over time.
This is true for the thin wall and thick wall (Schedule 40) PVC. You may
hear the argument that plumbers grade PVC is tested to 600 psi, and how very
strong it is! This rating is referring specifically for water (or fluids)
flowing thru it! It also is only true for PVC that is not left outdoors!
Please don’t be fooled by these statements that are taken out of context.
Again, as soon as the plumbers grade PVC hits sunlight it starts to
weaken and degrade! This type PVC just wasn’t meant to stand up to the
sun and to be left outdoors.
Specially formulated, Furniture-Grade PVC fittings
and piping are worth investing in for long-lasting equipment. It is sleeker,
colorfast (bright glossy white), impact resistant and UV resistant, and they
have no unsightly printing or stampings. Don’t make the mistake so many do
– buy Furniture Grade to begin with and you will not be replacing items in
the future!
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