I have a vinyl pergola and it has vines on it all summer. When I take down the vines, I simply spray it down with 409. I let the 409 sit for a few minutes, then run a very soft brissel brush all over it. Then I hose it down. It is rare that I have to pay any special attention to a given area. I clean the outside vinyl on all of my windows the same way, about twice a year. I've been in my house for 32 years and that vinyl is looks new.

Yeah John, I definitely see needing a couple blocks for support. My problem is 4 of my post pairs span 9ft, which rules out a number of composite railing systems on the market. I know, bad planning on my part :-(. What are my options if any? I want to stick with maintenance free material for my railings.

In many areas Sweet Autumn clematis (C. terniflora) is invasive and seeds around. I don't think it has a long enough time to ripen seeds well in my area, but I've read numerous times of it causing problems where it's warmer, so you might want to consider other plants or at least research if it creates problems in your area. If you aren't familiar with Clematis on the Web here is their search engine so you can put in the height you want, and/or pruning type, month with bloom (though take months of bloom with a grain of salt since weather has a lot to do with this) and see what pops up. (Anything you don't care or don't know leave blank.) Not all those plants will be available commercially in the US, but many will be by mail order from reputable nurseries such as Hummingbird Farm, Joy Creek, Brushwood, to name my three favorites. Sweet Autumn is vigorous enough that I don't think there are any other clematis that won't have issues trying to not be overwhelmed by it. I'd suggest planting a few more plants that all have similar size, and look for plants that have longer bloom time. For instance, Mikelite blooms fairly fully for at least 4 weeks and perhaps longer for me even though it's only been in the ground 2 seasons. Ville de Lyon is another plant with a long bloom period in my garden. Confetti blooms later than any other type 3 plant in my garden, but you can also look at Mrs. Robert Brydon which blooms in August for me. Hopefully, others will have suggestions for longer-blooming or later-blooming plants.

Kristin, I would go with the vertical slats and stay away from any grid — hogwire, cattle panels, horse panels or any of the similar products. They are all far too easy to climb. FYI, the grid that you frequently see is not hogwire — that is a misnomer, perpetuated by lazy copy editors. Hog wire panels and cattle panels have openings 6 inches wide and graduated in height from top to bottom, none of which are symmetrical. The more often used utility panels have 4x4 inch square openings and are quite easy to climb. Even 2x4 mesh panels or fencing (known as no-climb, haha) can be climbed — just ask my small pony. Actually, in a pinch I've climbed over such a fence by wedging my toes in. While it is true that a climber will find a way to climb, there is no need to make it easy or inviting. Stick with the vertical.