What is capping rail?

Pressure treated capping rail is designed to help protect the top side of the fence panel from high levels of water retention, further reducing its chance of rot whilst adding a tidy finishing touch. Capping rail is traditionally most often associated with Feather Edge fencing as it adds a framed finish to the panel, however it can be used on any fence panel with the exception of palisade.

The most popular type of capping rail is a standard flat style capping for panels using standard and slotted posts. This is planed timber with two rounded edges to allow rain to slowly drain away from the top of the panel, and is often used in residential settings such as gardens or light commercial premises. There are two versions of this capping rail, one for intermediate posts, and one for corner and end posts.

What fence capping sizes are there?


1. standard capping

The specifications for our standard capping rails are:

  • 1.88m (length) x 120mm (wide) x 20mm (depth)

Fence Capping Rail

Standard Capping Rail

The second capping rail is heavy duty, for use with heavy duty slotted posts. This is also known as 'wide fence capping'. Made from the same pressure treated timber these capping rails are exactly as the name suggests. There are two versions of this capping rail, one for intermediate posts, and one for corner and end posts.

Timber fence capping

2. heavy duty capping rail

The specifications for our heavy duty capping rails are:

  • 1.90m (length) x 145mm (wide) x 35mm (depth)

horizontal fence panels uk

Heavy Duty Capping

3. Two-way Chamfered Capping Rail 


 

The final style of capping for fence panels is the two-way capping rail. This is planed timber with a chamfered shaped top to allow the drainage of rain. This capping is used between posts on top of the fence panel; it is designed to sit nicely on top of the fence panel itself. Therefore, there is only one version of this capping rail, as the type of post used will not affect the length needed or the dimensions of the product. This capping rail is ideal when posts are higher than the fence panel to allow for the use of decorative post caps.

Two Way Chamfered Capping Rail

Chamfered Timber Capping Rail 

Please note: our capping rail is not designed or manufactured to be flexible so will not to bend slightly to fit arch shaped panels, for example.

Additional resources

Timber or Concrete Fence Posts?

Fence Calculator Application