Close Board Fencing: What It Is and Why It Outlasts Panels
Updated: 3 days ago
Close board fencing is a solid timber fence built in place: vertical featheredge boards overlap each other and are nailed to two or three horizontal rails that run between posts. Because every board is fixed individually rather than framed into a panel, it is stronger, stands up to wind better and can follow a slope, which is why it is the default choice for boundaries that need to last.
How close board fencing is built
A close board fence has four parts, and each one does a specific job.
Posts. Usually 100mm square concrete posts or 75mm to 100mm pressure-treated timber posts, set roughly every 3m.
Rails. Triangular arris rails or rectangular cant rails that span between the posts. A fence up to about 1.2m high needs two rails; a 1.8m fence needs three.
Featheredge boards. Tapered boards, typically 100mm to 150mm wide, nailed vertically to the rails. Each board overlaps the one before it by around 25mm, so there are no gaps to see through.
Gravel board. A 150mm concrete or timber board along the bottom that keeps the featheredge off the soil.
Some suppliers sell "close board panels", which are the same boards pre-nailed to rails in a 1.83m wide frame. They go up faster, but you lose the main advantages of building the fence in place.
Close board vs panel fencing
The difference is how the fence handles load. A lap or waney-edge panel is a thin frame of overlapping slats held in a slot between two posts. When the wind catches it, the whole panel works against its fixings, and that is why panels blow out after a storm.
A close board fence has no weak frame. The rails are fixed into or onto the posts, the boards are nailed to the rails, and the whole run behaves as one structure. If a board splits, you replace that board for a few pounds rather than a whole panel.
It is the usual choice for fencing and gates in Kettering where a boundary faces the prevailing wind. It also copes with ground that isn't flat. Panels have to be stepped down a slope in 1.83m jumps, leaving triangular gaps underneath. Close board rails can follow the fall of the ground, with the boards cut to keep the top line level or raked.
The trade-off is time. Building in place takes longer than dropping panels into slotted posts, so labour is a bigger share of the price.
Standard fence panel and close board sizes
Most UK fencing is built around a 6ft (1.83m) bay width. Heights come in roughly 300mm steps:
0.9m (3ft), for front gardens and low dividers
1.2m (4ft)
1.5m (5ft)
1.8m (6ft), the most common back garden height
2.0m, the tallest you can normally build without planning permission away from a road
When you add a 150mm gravel board under a 1.8m fence, the overall height becomes about 1.95m, so it stays inside the 2m limit. Next to a road or footpath used by vehicles the limit drops to 1m, so check before you order.
Why the gravel board matters
Timber rots where it stays wet, and the wettest part of any fence is the bottom 100mm, sitting in soil, leaves and splashback. A gravel board takes that punishment instead of the featheredge.
Concrete gravel boards are the longer-lasting option and slot into concrete posts. Timber gravel boards are cheaper and suit timber posts, but they are designed to be replaced in time. Either way, when the bottom board wears out, the fence above it is untouched. If you want gaps for light and airflow instead of a solid face, a slatted fence is the modern alternative.
Concrete or timber posts?
This is the decision that most affects how long the fence lasts. Pressure-treated timber posts look right with a timber fence and are easier to fix rails to, but they eventually rot at ground level. Concrete posts don't rot, and with slotted or mortised concrete posts the rails and gravel boards fit straight in.
On an exposed boundary, or where you never want to dig out a post again, concrete is the sensible choice. Where the fence is a visible feature, timber posts with the tops capped and the bases set in well-drained concrete still give a long life. Post depth matters as much as material: a post for a 1.8m fence needs around 600mm in the ground.
How long does close board fencing last?
A well-built close board fence in pressure-treated timber will usually give 15 years or more, comfortably longer than budget lap panels. The things that shorten its life are predictable: boards in contact with soil, posts set too shallow, and no treatment after the first few years.
Keeping it going is simple. Clear soil and leaves off the gravel board, re-treat the timber every few years with a spirit- or water-based preserver, and replace split boards as they appear.
Close board fencing questions, answered
Which side of a close board fence faces the neighbour?
By convention the flat, finished face goes outwards and the rails and posts face the owner, but that is a courtesy rather than a rule. Who owns the fence depends on your deeds, not which way it faces.
Can you build close board fencing on a slope?
Yes, and it copes better than panels. The rails follow the ground and the boards are cut to keep the top line tidy, so there are no stepped gaps underneath.
Can close board fencing be painted?
Yes. Use an exterior timber paint or stain once the pressure treatment has dried out, usually after a few months, and keep the bottom edge clear of the soil.
We build close board fences with concrete or timber posts across Kettering and Northamptonshire, from single runs to full boundary replacements, and the same crew often lays decking behind them. If your fence is due for replacement, get in touch for a site visit and itemised quote.
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