Feather-edge or slatted: choosing a garden fence style for a London garden

Fencing 19 July 2026 6 minutes read

Two fence styles come up again and again in south London gardens: traditional feather-edge close-board, and the contemporary horizontal slatted screens that have become popular on newer garden designs. They look different, they behave differently in wind, and they suit different boundaries. This guide walks through how to choose between them before you spend anything, whichever way you lean.

What feather-edge close-board does well

Feather-edge, also called close-board, is built in place rather than dropped in as a panel. Tapered vertical boards are overlapped and fixed to horizontal rails between the posts, which makes a solid, private wall of timber with no gaps to see through.

That solidity is the point. It gives complete privacy, blocks wind and noise, and takes knocks without a whole panel failing. Because it is built board by board, a single damaged board can be swapped years later without touching the rest of the run. It is the workhorse of London back gardens for good reason.

The trade-off is that a solid fence casts more shade and takes the full force of the wind, so the posts and footings have to be up to the job. Get those right and a feather-edge fence stands for a very long time.

What contemporary slatted fencing does well

Slatted screens use planed horizontal boards with a deliberate gap between them. The look is clean and modern, and the gaps let a little light and air through, which suits planting and stops the garden feeling boxed in.

Slatted fencing sits well against rendered walls, bi-fold doors and modern paving, which is why it turns up so often in newer garden schemes. It can be run as a full boundary or used as a feature screen around a seating area or to hide bins and storage.

The gaps do mean less privacy and less wind block than close-board, and a well-made slatted screen in good timber is not the cheapest option per metre. Where the modern look matters more than a solid barrier, it earns its place.

Privacy, wind and which side faces where

Start with what the fence is for. If it is screening you from a neighbour's window or a busy path, close-board gives you a proper barrier. If it is defining a boundary in a garden that is already fairly private, a slatted screen can look far better while still doing the job.

Wind matters more than people expect. A solid fence on an exposed boundary is effectively a sail, so it needs strong posts set deep in concrete. On a very windy plot, a slatted fence or a close-board run with a trellis top can actually survive better, because some wind passes through rather than pushing the whole fence over.

There is also the question of which way the fence faces. The smarter side, with the boards showing rather than the rails, traditionally faces the neighbour. If the boundary is shared, it is worth a quick word with them before the work starts.

Upkeep, lifespan and cost in short

Both styles last longest on concrete posts with a concrete gravel board at the base, so no timber sits in wet ground. That single detail does more for lifespan than the choice of style.

For upkeep, both benefit from a coat of treatment every few years to hold their colour, though many people happily let timber weather to a natural silver-grey. Slatted screens in a harder wood or a factory finish can need less frequent attention.

On cost, feather-edge close-board usually gives the most fence for the money and the most privacy. Slatted screens cost more per metre for the modern look and the machined finish. The honest answer for your garden depends on the boundary, and it is exactly the sort of thing worth talking through on a site visit before anything is ordered.

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