Choosing
Compare Styles and Configurations
Four decisions cover most of it: which infill, how it opens, how private you want it and whether you are buying a gate, fencing or both. Here they are side by side.
Infill
Horizontal vs vertical vs louvre vs picket
The infill decides privacy, airflow, how the panel handles slope and how the frontage reads from the street.
Horizontal Slat
Flat slats running left to right. The modern default.
Vertical Slat
The same flat slat profile, turned on end.
Louvre
Angled blades: privacy from the street, airflow through.
Vertical Picket
Classic picket proportions, in powder-coated aluminium.
| Horizontal | Vertical | Louvre | Picket | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy potential | High — set by slat spacing | High — set by slat spacing | Highest at footpath height, without closing the panel | Low by design — pickets stay open |
| Airflow | Reduces as spacing tightens | Reduces as spacing tightens | Stays open even at maximum screening | Very open |
| Sloping ground | Usually stepped; slope shows in the horizontals | Rakes cleanly — slats stay plumb | Usually stepped | Rakes or steps cleanly |
| Visual effect | Reads wider and lower | Reads taller and more formal | Reads solid and architectural | Traditional and open |
| Wind load | Rises as spacing tightens | Rises as spacing tightens | Lower than a solid panel of the same size | Low |
| Typical use | Modern frontages, driveways, boundary runs | Sloping sites, narrow or tall frontages | Courtyards, overlooked boundaries, privacy screens | Period homes, open front fencing |
Opening
Single vs double vs sliding
This one is usually decided by the site rather than by preference — how much room there is to swing, and how much room there is beside the opening.
Single Gate
One leaf, hinged one side. Pedestrian and narrow openings.
Double Gate
Two leaves meeting in the middle. Driveways and wide openings.
Sliding Gate
Slides sideways. No swing arc needed.
| Single | Double | Sliding | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space needed | Clear swing arc the width of the leaf | Clear swing arc each side, half the width each | Run-back beside the opening, roughly the opening width |
| Typical opening | Pedestrian and narrow vehicle openings | Driveways and wide openings | Driveways with no swing room |
| Load on posts | Highest per leaf as width increases | Shared between two leaves | Carried by the track or cantilever arrangement |
| Automation | Possible | Possible — two motors or a linked pair | The most commonly automated configuration |
| Ground fall matters | Affects the gap under the leaf | Affects both leaves and the centre meeting point | Affects the track or guide arrangement |
Product type
Panels or a custom run
For fencing there is one more decision, and it comes down to whether your boundary is level and regular or not.
Fence panels
Repeating panels of a consistent width between posts. Efficient and visually regular, and the right answer when the boundary is straight and reasonably level.
See fence panelsCustom runs
Every bay made to its own dimension. Necessary when the ground falls, the boundary turns, bay widths vary, or the run has to close out against existing structures.
See custom fencingStill weighing it up?
Describe the problem you are solving rather than the product you think you need. We will tell you which option genuinely suits.