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Shadowbox fences

Boards on both sides of the rails, so the fence looks finished from your yard and from your neighbor's. A good fence between two yards.

Shadowbox wood fence along the edge of the woods, with pine straw on the ground

Seen from above, it's a zipper.

Boards alternate: one on your side of the rail, the next on the other side, each overlapping the gap left by the last. Look straight at it and you can't see through. Look at an angle and you catch the woods behind.

Top-down drawing of a shadowbox fence: boards alternate on both sides of a center rail with gaps between them Your yard Neighbor's yard post rail, with boards on both faces
Drawing: a shadowbox run seen from above.
  • Both sidesFinished from your yard and the neighbor's, so there's no "back" of the fence.
  • GapsSmall gaps between boards let a little air through and keep a long run from looking like a wall.
  • HeightUsually six feet, the same as a privacy fence. Ask about other heights.
  • GatesWalk gates and wide double drive gates in the same pattern. About gates
Long shadowbox wood fence along the back of a lawn, with pines and hardwoods behind it
A long run along the back of a lawn.
Shadowbox wood fence seen down the line, with boards on both sides of the rails and small gaps between them
Down the line: boards on both sides.
Shadowbox wood fence with a wide double gate across the end of a concrete driveway beside a brick house
A wide double gate across the driveway.
Close view along a shadowbox fence showing boards on both sides of the rail with gaps between them
Close up, where the boards overlap.

Shadowbox questions

What is a shadowbox fence?
A wood fence with boards on both sides of the rails, alternating, with small gaps between them. Because the boards overlap, it still blocks most of the view straight on, and it looks finished from both sides.
Shadowbox or privacy: which should I pick?
If the fence sits between you and a neighbor, or both sides will be seen, shadowbox looks finished either way. If you want a solid surface with no gaps at all, privacy is the one. We can show you both on the walk.
Does a shadowbox fence use more wood?
Usually a little more than a privacy fence of the same length, because the boards overlap from both sides. The fence planner shows a rough board count for each style.

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