Comparisons
Lap, Closeboard, Slatted or Hit and Miss?
Four styles, four different jobs. Privacy, wind, appearance and budget rarely point at the same panel, so it is worth knowing what each one is actually good at.
Panel choice often gets made at a builders' merchant in about four minutes, which is why so many gardens end up with a style that does not match the boundary it is on. Each of the four main styles has a situation where it is clearly the best answer.
Read the summaries and one of them will describe your boundary.
The four styles at a glance
This is the comparison to have in mind before anyone quotes, because it changes the specification rather than just the price.
| Style | Privacy | Wind | Look | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waney edge lap | Good | Poor on exposed sites | Traditional, budget | Lowest |
| Closeboard | Excellent | Good with strong posts | Solid, classic | Mid to high |
| Slatted | Partial | Very good | Contemporary | Mid to high |
| Hit and miss | Good from most angles | Very good | Neat both sides | Mid to high |
Waney edge lap
Thin overlapping boards in a light frame, and by far the most common fence in the country. It gives privacy cheaply and copes poorly with wind, because a solid face in a light frame takes the whole load. Fine on a sheltered boundary where budget leads.
Closeboard
Thicker feather edge boards over multiple rails, the strongest of the timber options and the most private. It suits boundaries that matter: the run along a garden you sit in, anywhere exposed, and anywhere you want the fence to still be square in a decade.
Slatted
Planed boards with an even gap between them. The gaps let wind through, which is why slatted survives exposure well, and they let light through too, which matters in a narrow London garden where a solid 1.8m boundary can make the whole space feel like a corridor. Privacy is partial by design.
Hit and miss
Boards fixed alternately to the front and back of the rails. From most viewing angles it reads as solid, air still passes through the offsets, and it looks finished from both sides, which makes it a diplomatic choice on a shared boundary where next door will be looking at it too.
Matching the style to the boundary
Sheltered and budget led, lap. Exposed or long term, closeboard. Narrow garden needing light, slatted. Shared boundary where both sides matter, hit and miss. We will bring samples and talk it through on site if that helps, just ask when you get in touch.
Frequently asked
Which fence panel is best for privacy?
Closeboard, because thicker overlapping boards leave no gaps. Hit and miss is close behind from most angles while still letting air through.
Which fence style copes best with wind?
Slatted and hit and miss, because the gaps let wind pass through rather than loading a solid face. Solid panels take the full force.
Is hit and miss fencing private?
From most viewing angles, yes. It is not absolute, because the design relies on offset boards with air moving between them.
Why is slatted fencing popular in small gardens?
The gaps let light through, so a tall boundary feels much less enclosing in a narrow garden than a solid panel of the same height.
Does lap fencing have a place at all?
Yes, on sheltered boundaries where cost leads. It is honest budget fencing, provided nobody expects it to perform on an exposed run.
Which style looks the same from both sides?
Hit and miss, which is why it is often chosen for shared boundaries where the neighbour's view matters as much as yours.
Still torn between styles?
We will bring options to look at and match the style to what your boundary actually has to cope with, then price it.