Slatted fencing is the modern look most people ask for: horizontal slats with small, even gaps between them, fixed to posts so the lines run straight across the garden. It lets some light and air through while still screening the view, and it suits newer houses, garden rooms and redesigned patios.
Venetian fencing is the same idea with very narrow gaps, like a venetian blind, so it gives more privacy. Both are built rather than bought as a stock panel, which is why the details below matter.
Slatted or venetian: gaps and privacy
The gap between slats decides how private the fence feels. Wider gaps give a lighter, more open screen that you can partly see through. Venetian style, with tight gaps, looks almost solid from most angles but still lets wind pass. If privacy is the main aim, tell us where you sit and where you are overlooked from, and we set the gap to suit.
Slat width matters too. Wider slats look bolder and need fewer fixings; narrower slats look finer and suit smaller spaces.
Posts, spacing and wind
Horizontal slats need to be supported often enough that they do not sag or twist, so post spacing is usually closer than on a standard panel fence. The gaps let wind through, which is why slatted fencing copes with exposure better than a solid closeboard fence of the same height. Posts are set in concrete and the slats are fixed with exterior-grade screws, kept in neat vertical lines.
On a long run or a tall screen, a top capping rail and cover strips over the posts give a cleaner finish and help hold everything true.
Timber or composite slats
Timber slats are the classic choice. They can be left to weather or treated and stained, and they need re-treating from time to time to keep their colour. Composite is an option where you want the look without the upkeep, and our composite fencing page explains how those systems are put together.
- Full boundary runs of horizontal slatted fencing
- Shorter feature screens around a patio or seating area
- Venetian screens for privacy with a modern look
- Matching slatted gates in the same run
How it differs from hit and miss
Hit and miss fencing uses vertical boards fixed alternately on each side of the rails, so it looks the same from both gardens. Slatted fencing is usually horizontal and built to face one way. If you share the boundary and want both sides to look finished, hit and miss may suit better; our fence design ideas guide compares the main styles side by side.
How a slatted fence job runs
Send us photos and rough measurements, we send a written estimate, then we visit to confirm before work starts. We cover London and Hertfordshire. The written estimate sets out the slat size, the gap, the post type and spacing, and the finish, so you know exactly what is being built.