Increasing Sunlight With Fencing

A common misconception is that a fence is there only for privacy or to define your land from your neighbours. With more of us opting to live in urban areas, urban households are ever growing, with this outdoor space is becoming more of a luxury than a commodity. One common debate that most of us will face is ‘how do I maximise the sunlight within my garden without compromising my privacy?’

Garden fencing ideas

Light is crucial in any garden to allow plants to grow, brighten up a house, and to create an inviting outdoor environment to enjoy.  A fence is often mistaken to only be there for privacy, and can block light from entering  the garden, when really it should be used as a tool to allow light in. If you are considering redesigning your garden or installing a new fence, it’s important to consider light and how to get the most out of it within your garden. This is especially the case if your garden is on the small side, or your fence walls are within close proximity to your home. Read our blog covering the topic in detail: 7 Stylish Garden Fence Ideas.

Increasing light within your garden with fencing

There are many popular styles of fence that can both provide privacy and allow light in. Here is our break down of our most common fence panels and some inspirational images to show you what you can do with your space. We’ve selected a range of panels from our Semi-Solid Fence Panel range, which as the same suggests are not completely solid therefore allowing light to pass through in some capacity.

Venetian fence panels are a great way to help create a lighter garden. They are one of our semi-solid panels that offer the most privacy. The horizontal pales allow light through and can produce bands of light and shade to dramatic effect. The contemporary design really does offer both privacy and light.  

Another use for the Venetian fence panel could be to add a shorter variation of the panel on top of current borders to add extra height. With this technique you need to make sure you have all the legal information about fence heights and planning permission. Take a read of our advice page on planning permission for fencing. This technique is popular because you can extend existing borders in an inexpensive way, while still maximising on light due to the gaps in the slatted fence panel.

Trellis toppers allow light 

Trellis is another good way to extend the height of an existing boundary fence to give you that extra bit privacy without blocking light. If you find privacy is still an issue, climbing plants are the perfect answer. There are no restrictions on the height of plants and they can add a decorative feature whilst still allowing light through.

Let light through with slatted fencing

Louvre panels offer even more privacy than a Venetian panel. The slats are thicker than those on Venetian panels and are specially shaped then secured at a downward angle -offering more privacy yet still letting light through. Due to the downward pales, the view is obscured; stopping a direct line of view into your garden or home.

Woven panels create  beautiful dappled light and shade effects. They are a modern high quality panel designed with a traditional interwoven style of fencing in mind. Substantial timber slates are woven together to make up this panel, leaving gaps for light to pass through.  They are one of the less ‘see-through’ options of all our semi-sold panels so they offer the most privacy.

‘How do I maximise the sunlight within my garden without taking away my privacy?’ – The answer is: easily, with slatted fence panels.

Additional resources 

Garden Trends

Garden Screen Ideas

Trellis topper ideas