The 6FT x 5FT 6 Inch Closeboard Fence Panel - Pressure Treated Brown is a 1650mm-high, 1830mm-wide closeboard panel for near-full-height rear and side boundaries where strong screening is wanted but you deliberately want to remain below the 1.8m panel height. Its overlapping feather edge face gives a substantially more closed boundary than open-board styles, while the 5ft 6in height determines how much screening the finished fence provides. At 1650mm high, this panel sits very close to full privacy height. It is particularly useful when 1.5m leaves too much overlooking but a 1.8m panel is unnecessary for the intended boundary.
At 1650mm high, this panel is close enough to full height that it should be planned as a substantial boundary component, not simply a taller version of a low garden divider. The standard build steps up to four backing rails at this size. That is an important specification change from the 1.5m standard panel, and it gives a useful reference point when deciding whether the five-rail Ultra version is necessary for the site.
East Coast Fencing manufactures this panel in-house rather than buying it in as a finished fence panel. The standard construction uses 18 feather edge boards, each 125mm wide, fixed to 4 75 x 32mm backing rails. The panel is unframed and has an overall listed depth of 45mm, with weather capping along the top edge to cover the exposed board ends and help shed rain. Those details are part of the construction, not decorative extras: the rails support the overlapping boards while the capping protects a particularly exposed edge of the panel.
All of the timber is pressure treated and this version has the brown treatment colour. The colour is mainly an appearance choice, so choose it where a darker treated finish suits the rest of the boundary. If you are comparing specifications rather than colour, the important distinction is between this standard panel and the Ultra Heavy Duty version at the same height. The standard 5ft 6in panel uses 4 backing rails; the Ultra version adds more rail support. You can compare the full range of closeboard fence panels before deciding which construction is appropriate for the site.
The extra height means careful post setting and support at the base become increasingly important. Plan the complete bay, including any gravel board, before choosing post length so the finished visible height and below-ground fixing are considered together. A gravel board beneath the panel is useful where the bottom of the fence would otherwise be close to soil, lawn or wet planting. It creates a replaceable or non-panel barrier at ground level and reduces prolonged moisture and splashback around the lower edge of the feather edge boards. Timber and concrete options are available, so the base can be chosen around the appearance and ground conditions of the project.
Use the panel with suitable fence posts and measure an existing bay before ordering, as older posts may have moved. If the width must be trimmed, re-treat freshly exposed timber after cutting. For a new run, the fence materials calculator can help estimate the main components required.
