An aluminium slat fence can be almost completely private or light and airy: and the one thing that decides which you get is the gap between the slats. Get the spacing right and you block the neighbours’ view while still letting a breeze through; get it wrong and you either feel boxed in or overlooked. Here is how slat spacing works, how tall a privacy fence can be in Queensland, and which aluminium panels suit privacy best.
The quick answer
For full privacy, slats sit tight together with little to no visible gap: a near-solid screen.
A small gap (about 5 to 10 mm) keeps most of your privacy while still letting light and breeze through.
Wider gaps ( about 20 mm and up ) give a lighter, semi-open “screening” look with more airflow.
A privacy fence up to 2 m high generally needs no building approval in Queensland (front fences and corner blocks aside).
What actually makes a fence “private”?
It is not the material: it is the spacing. Two aluminium fences in exactly the same colour and height can feel completely different depending on how closely the slats are set. Privacy comes from limiting the line of sight through the panel: the smaller and more overlapped the gaps, the less anyone can see through.
One thing worth knowing is that viewing angle changes everything. Looking straight at a slat fence, you see the full width of each gap. Looking along it at an angle (the way a neighbour sees your yard from their window next door) the slats overlap and the gaps almost disappear. That is why even a slat fence with a modest gap screens side-on views very effectively, while still feeling open when you are standing square to it.
Slat gap sizes and what they mean
There is no single “correct” gap: it is a trade-off between privacy on one side and light and airflow on the other. On an exposed, windy block that balance usually shifts a little wider, because a gap lets gusts pass through the panel instead of pushing against it: our guide to slat spacing and posts for windy sites goes into that. As a general guide:
| Gap between slats | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Touching / no gap | Full privacy, near-solid panel, blocks direct views | Sitting areas overlooked by neighbours; screening bins or air-con units |
| About 5 to 10 mm | Mostly private, with a little light and airflow | Rear and side boundaries where you still want a breeze |
| About 15 to 25 mm | Semi-private, brighter, more open feel | Front yards, garden zones, decorative screening |
| Wider than about 25 mm | Screening / decorative look; sightlines partly open | Defining a space for style and airflow over privacy |
A general guide only: the exact look also depends on slat width, how far away you stand and the viewing angle.
Horizontal slats or vertical blades: which is more private?
Both can be made fully private, so this is mostly a design decision. Horizontal slats give a wide, modern look that suits contemporary homes and can make a yard feel broader. Vertical blades have a sleek, slim profile that draws the eye upward and sheds leaves and water easily. For privacy specifically, what matters is the gap: not the direction the slats run.
If you are weighing up the look, our guide to horizontal vs vertical aluminium slat fencing walks through both, and our overview of slat, picket and blade styles shows how each one reads on a real home.
How tall can a privacy fence be in Queensland?
Privacy usually means height as well as spacing. The good news is that a domestic fence up to 2 metres high generally needs no building approval in Queensland, and the tallest “sufficient” dividing (boundary) fence under state law is 1.8 metres. That makes a 1.8 m aluminium privacy fence the sweet spot for most rear and side boundaries: tall enough for real privacy, and still under the approval threshold. If your existing fence is simply too low, you do not always have to start again: adding height to an existing fence with slats can lift it to that mark and give you the spacing you want at eye level.
Front and street-facing fences are the exception. Some councils limit how “solid” a front fence can be (a visual-permeability rule), so a near-solid privacy screen right across the front of the block may need a wider slat gap or a lower height in certain areas. Corner blocks and heritage or character overlays have their own controls too. Our guide to Queensland fence height and council approval rules covers all of this in detail: always confirm your own address with your local council.
Why aluminium makes a great privacy screen
Aluminium is particularly well suited to privacy fencing in South East Queensland:
It stays put. Being 100% aluminium, it will not rust, rot or warp. Timber slats twist and shrink as they age, which opens up gaps and undoes the privacy you paid for: aluminium keeps its spacing for the life of the fence.
You can tune the airflow. Unlike a solid Colorbond sheet that blocks the breeze completely, a slat screen lets you keep some airflow: a real advantage in the Queensland heat, and gentler on the fence in strong wind. See our comparison of the best fence for the Queensland climate and aluminium versus Colorbond.
It looks the part. Powder-coated finishes in Black, Monument and White hold their colour in the sun. Our guide to aluminium fence and gate colours shows how each finish reads.
Low maintenance: an occasional hose-down is all a powder-coated aluminium screen needs.
FY Fencing’s privacy fence options
Two panels in our range are built for privacy, both made to order and available up to a full 1.8 m boundary height:
Horizontal Slats Fence. A modern horizontal-slat panel in 2400 × 1200 or 2400 × 1800, in Black, Monument or White. Made to order and able to suit sloping ground.
Welded Vertical Blade Fence. A welded slim-blade panel with a clean vertical look, in the same sizes and colours.
Because both are made to order, we can set the spacing tighter for maximum privacy or more open for airflow, and build to the height your boundary needs. The same panels also work as a standalone screen rather than a boundary run (hiding an air-conditioning unit, a bin bay or one side of a patio, and fixed to an existing structure instead of new in-ground posts) and our guide to smaller slat screens around the home covers where they suit and what they cost. If you would prefer a more open, decorative look instead of a privacy screen, the Vertical Picket Fence is the classic evenly-spaced option (it is a decorative style rather than a full privacy panel).
You can browse the full aluminium fencing range, or see what a project typically costs in our guide to aluminium fencing prices in Brisbane.
Frequently asked questions
How much gap between slats do I need for privacy?
For full privacy, set the slats tight together with little to no gap for a near-solid screen. A gap of around 5 to 10 mm keeps most of your privacy while letting some light and breeze through, and about 20 mm or more gives a lighter, semi-open screening look. The right choice depends on how much you value airflow versus a completely blocked view.
Do aluminium slat fences give complete privacy?
Yes. When the slats are set tightly with little or no visible gap, an aluminium slat or blade panel forms a near-solid screen that blocks direct views. Because the slats overlap when seen from an angle, side-on views (such as a neighbour looking from next door) are screened even more effectively than the straight-on view.
Are horizontal or vertical slats more private?
Neither is inherently more private: privacy depends on the gap between the slats, not the direction they run. Horizontal slats give a wide, modern look and vertical blades a slim, sleek one, so the choice is mainly about the style you prefer.
How tall can a privacy fence be in Brisbane without council approval?
As a general rule a domestic fence up to 2 metres high needs no building approval, and 1.8 metres is the tallest “sufficient” dividing fence under Queensland law: so a 1.8 m aluminium privacy fence suits most boundaries. Front fences, corner blocks and heritage or character areas can have extra controls, so always check your address with your local council.
Does a slat privacy fence still let the breeze through?
Yes: that is one of the main advantages over a solid panel. A small gap between the slats lets air move through the fence while still screening the view, which is a real benefit in the Queensland heat and eases wind load on the fence.
Can I get a privacy fence in a colour to match my house?
Our slat and blade privacy panels come powder-coated in Black, Monument and White: the three finishes that suit most Australian homes. Powder coating holds its colour in the sun and needs only an occasional hose-down to keep it looking sharp.
A quick note on front fences. Slat-spacing figures here are a general design guide. Some South East Queensland councils apply a visual-permeability rule to street-facing front fences, which can limit how solid a front privacy screen may be. Before you build a near-solid fence across the front of your block, confirm the requirements for your address with your local council.
Working out what your fence line needs? Tell us the run and the height and we will quote it, supply-only or installed.
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