Slatted Garden Screen

A slatted screen does something solid fence panels cannot — it gives privacy and shelter without killing light, airflow or the feel of the garden. The construction is honest: posts, rails, battens, screws. The only real skill is patient setting-out. Get the posts plumb and the rest is dry-fit, mark, fix.

Flat or gently sloping gardens where posts can be set plumb to a string line. Excellent along boundaries, beside patios, around a hot tub or seating area, as a backdrop to planting, or as a freestanding divider. Works under a tree canopy — battens shed leaves better than a flat fence.

Check boundary ownership and whether anything over 2m (or over 1m next to a road) needs planning permission. Mark utilities before digging. Draw a simple elevation before ordering. Cut a spacer block for the gap and stick to it — eyeballing each batten wanders. Aim for the run to end on a full batten; adjust the gap by 1–2mm across the run rather than leaving a sliver at one end.

Default: 1800mm tall × 3600mm long, two 1800mm bays, three posts.

Posts 100×100mm for a 1.8m screen and for exposed sites. 75×75mm is only for screens up to 1.5m on a sheltered site.

Rails 47×47 or 47×75mm. Three rails on anything over 1.5m, or anywhere windy.

A close-spaced 38×19mm privacy face at 12mm gaps uses 68–72 battens on this run, cut about 1650mm so the lowest batten sits 100mm off the ground.

Default run: 1800mm tall × 3600mm long (two 1800mm bays).

Posts: 100×100mm at 1800mm centres.

Rails: 47×75mm, three per bay. Bottom rail about 200mm above ground.

Battens: 38×19mm at 10–15mm gaps for privacy.

Lowest batten: at least 100mm clear of soil or paving.

Close-spaced privacy — 38×19 or 44×19mm battens at 10–15mm gaps, posts at 1.8m centres. Maximum privacy, still lets air through. This is the cut list above.

Wide-spaced rhythm — 50×25mm battens at 30–50mm gaps, posts at 2.0–2.4m centres. Lighter, more architectural, good behind planting.

Capped framed panel — 44×19mm battens housed in a 70×45mm frame with a mitred cap. Panels 1.2–1.8m wide. The most finished look; about 30% more material.

Cedar (Western Red) — the forgiving default. Light, stable, naturally rot-resistant, weathers silver beautifully. Easy to cut and screw. Most expensive of the common softwoods but the lowest-effort over a 15+ year life.

Siberian or European Larch — strong, harder than cedar, takes oil well, looks rich golden when fresh. Slightly more movement than cedar; budget 10mm extra gap rather than 8mm.

Thermowood (heat-modified pine or spruce) — superb dimensional stability, the right call when you want tight, even gaps that stay that way. Slightly darker brown, weathers to a soft grey. Brittle near edges — pre-drill always.

Treated Redwood (Scandinavian pine) — the budget choice. Moves more, needs a finish to look its best, but very cost-effective for long runs. Insist on UC3 minimum, UC4 for any post going in the ground.

Oak — beautiful and dense but heavy. Better for shorter, framed-panel designs than long batten runs. Will bleed tannin onto pale paving for the first year — protect surrounding stone.

Stagger battens on both sides of the rails if you want depth and extra rigidity. Always pre-drill hardwood. Keep fixings at least 25mm from batten ends. One stainless or coated screw per batten per rail, through the centre line — two screws across the width will split the board as it dries. Two rails minimum; three for screens over 1.5m. Cap the top rail so end grain does not soak.

Two rails minimum (top and bottom, about 200mm in from each end of the batten). Three rails for screens over 1.5m or anywhere wind loading is significant. Cap the top rail with a chamfered or sloped strip to shed water away from end grain — without it the rail soaks and rots first.

Keep the lowest batten at least 100mm clear of soil or paving. A pea-gravel strip below the screen helps water drain rather than splash up. If the screen sits on a concrete plinth, slope the top of the plinth slightly away from the timber.

For framed-panel styles, route or chisel a stopped housing in the frame rather than face-fixing the battens — it doubles the apparent quality. For face-fixed designs, a single dab of clear silicone behind each batten end resists water creeping up between batten and rail.

Brush down with a stiff brush each autumn to clear leaf litter from the gaps. If oiled, recoat every 2–4 years before the surface looks chalky. Check the post bases each spring — that is where 90% of failures start. Replace individual battens as needed rather than rebuilding the screen.

Twice-yearly visual check: walk the run, look for any batten that has split, twisted out of plane, or worked loose. Replace one batten in an hour. Re-tighten fixings after the first winter — the timber settles and stainless screws can need a quarter-turn.

If you went with oil, recoat the season before it looks tired — usually 2–4 years. Once it goes chalky and grey-streaked, you are looking at a sand and full recoat rather than a freshen-up.