Horizontal Slat Wood Fence — Bonner Springs, KS

We built a horizontal slat wood fence around a sloped backyard in Bonner Springs, KS, in February 2026. Horizontal boards give a clean, modern line that a standard picket fence can't, and we set every post 36 inches deep in concrete, below the frost line, so those lines stay straight.

Why choose a horizontal slat fence

A horizontal slat fence is the style people pick when they want the fence to look like part of the house instead of a barrier around it. Running the boards sideways with a narrow gap between them gives a clean, architectural line that suits modern and updated homes. The gaps are a real tradeoff, though. You get strong screening rather than total privacy, since you can catch glimpses through the spaces up close. In return, the fence lets air move through it, which takes some of the wind load off the posts, and it reads lighter across a big yard than a solid wall of pickets.

How we build a horizontal fence to stay straight

Horizontal boards are less forgiving than vertical pickets. Each board runs from post to post, so any post that drifts out of plumb shows up right away as a gap that opens or a board that bows, and a long board left unsupported will sag in the middle over time. That puts all the pressure on the posts. We set every post on a wood fence installation 36 inches deep in concrete, below the frost line, and on a horizontal design that depth is what keeps the gaps even for years instead of a season. Slopes add another consideration. Horizontal boards have to stay level to look right, so on falling ground the fence steps down in sections rather than tilting to follow the grade.

Horizontal wood in Kansas City weather

Bonner Springs sits in Wyandotte County along the Kansas River, and like the rest of the metro it goes through repeated freeze-thaw cycles every winter. Wet ground freezes, expands, and pushes up on anything set shallow, and on a hillside, rainwater running downhill past the posts keeps the ground wetter than it would be on a flat yard. Horizontal boards also have a weak spot vertical pickets don't: their top edges are flat, so water sits on them after every rain instead of running off. That's why a horizontal wood fence benefits more than most from being sealed.

Keeping a horizontal fence looking new

Left bare, fresh boards weather to gray within the first year or so. Once the wood has had time to dry out, a stain and seal holds the color and slows the water and sun that wear it down. We handle fence staining and sealing in Bonner Springs in-house, so the same company that built your fence can protect it. If you're weighing a horizontal design for your own yard, we're glad to talk through the look, the board spacing, and the slope at a free estimate.