Do slatted fences give privacy? Can you see through the gaps?

Slatted and Venetian fencing is chosen as much for how it looks as for what it blocks. One of the most common questions we are asked is:

“Can you see through the gaps, and does your Venetian fencing offer enough privacy?”

The honest answer is yes – you can see through slatted fencing to some extent because the gaps are part of the design. However, how much you can see depends on several factors including the gap size, viewing angle, distance from the fence and even the lighting conditions.

For example, even with our popular 7mm gap Venetian fence panels, it is possible to see through the fence if you press your face right up against the gaps. Stand back a few metres, however, and the gaps become much less noticeable and only the outlines of objects behind the fence can typically be seen.

If complete privacy is your priority, don’t give up on slatted fencing just yet. Double-sided slatted fence panels use battens arranged in a hit-and-miss pattern so that the gaps are covered from both sides. This creates the same contemporary slatted appearance while providing a much higher level of privacy.

In this guide we’ll explain how much privacy slatted fencing provides. We are discussing 7mm gaps in this blog, as this is the most popular gap size when people want seclusion. Hopefully this will help you decide which type of slatted fencing is right for your garden.

To give you some better context the image below shows a close up view and a view from the distance of a slatted fence with 7mm gaps. What can you see?

Can you have privacy with slatted fencing?

The answer is yes. It is possible to have slatted fencing with gaps and still have privacy. One of the most popular ways to install slatted fencing is to clad it over the top of your existing fence. If you have a standard type fence with solid posts you can clad venetian fence panels over the top so the old fence is hidden. Then the old fence provides the perfect privacy and the slatted fence adds style! 

Below is a photo showing a venetian fence panels attached to a shed and wall. This before and after photo shows that the structures behind are not visible through  the gaps. You can see above the wall light passes through the venetian panel as the wall is lower than the fence. These images will give you a good idea of the way Venetian fencing can still be used to enhance your garden. 

Most of our customers are happy with the level of privacy that Venetian panels offer.

What is slatted fencing and why does it have gaps?

Slatted fencing is made from horizontal timber battens with gaps between them. The clean horizontal lines give it a more contemporary appearance than traditional fence panels and have made it a popular choice with homeowners, landscapers and garden designers.

The gaps are not just there for appearance. They allow air to pass through the fence, which can be particularly useful in exposed or windy gardens. They also allow light through, helping gardens feel less enclosed than they would with a solid fence.

These gaps between the battens create attractive shadow lines that add depth and emphasise the flowing horizontal design of the fencing. This is one of the reasons Venetian fencing works so well as a backdrop to planting and modern garden designs.

Of course, the trade-off is that gaps mean some level of visibility. The aim of Venetian fencing is not complete privacy, but to create an attractive screen that offers a good balance between privacy, light and airflow.

Slatted fencing with no gaps

There are some fencing options available that have the slatted style but do not have gaps. These are genrally made from shiplap or tongue and groove boards.
The boards fit together and often have a groove or rebate instead of a gap. So essentially the fence panel is solid and has no gaps at all. The grooves between each board provide the horizontal lines like shadow gaps on slatted fence panels. The picture below shows a Cedar privacy fence with no gaps. These panels are harder to find but do offer a alternative if privacy is a must.

Note from our Director Dom

In my many years manufacturing and supplying slatted fencing to customers, one of the of the most asked questions is can you see through the fence panels.
I hope that this blog post has helped you understand how much is visible through a slatted fence panel. I would like to say though that although venetian fencing does not offer perfect privacy it does offer adequate privacy. Most of our customers are so thrilled with the new look of the fencing the slight shadows that are sometimes visible behind become an afterthought. 

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