Fence Slats

The locking channel position. Bottom Lock slats drop into a channel that snaps in at the base of the fence, which anchors them at the bottom and deters tampering. Top Lock slats use a flexible channel that threads through holes near the top of each slat, giving a clean, straight edge along the top of the fence. Both block approximately 75% of the view, both come in the same nine colors, both fit the same mesh and gauge range, and both carry the same 25-year pro-rata warranty. The practical differences are the finished top edge, the install sequence, and slat length — Top Lock slats are cut 2″ shorter than the fence height, Bottom Lock 3½″ shorter.

Neither term is quite right, though both are widely used. PDS tubular fence slats — Top Lock, Bottom Lock, Feather Lock®, LiteLink®, FinLink®, Fin2000® and Industrial Pre-Woven — are extruded from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with color pigments and ultraviolet (UV) inhibitors, specifically designed to retard the harmful effects of the sun and lengthen the life of the product. Winged Slat® is HDPE with Ethyl Vinyl Acetate (EVA) added, a softer plastic that keeps the wings flexible and resilient. Fence Weave® is low-density polyethylene (LDPE). HedgeLink® is different again — a 16-gauge braided galvanized wire core with 3-mil PVC needles. So when people say “vinyl fence slats” or “plastic fence slats,” they almost always mean the HDPE tubular slats above.

Check two things: your mesh size and your wire gauge. Most PDS slats are made for 2″ mesh. Top Lock and Bottom Lock also come in versions for 1¾″, 2¼″ and 2⅜″ mesh; LiteLink® and HedgeLink® fit 2″, 2¼″ and 2⅜″. Gauge ranges differ by product — Winged Slat® is 9 gauge only, FinLink® is 11, 11½ or 12, Feather Lock®, LiteLink® and HedgeLink® are 9, 11 or 11½, and Top Lock and Bottom Lock cover 8 through 12½ depending on mesh. The fit table above gives the full range. HedgeLink is not intended for mini-mesh or 3½″ × 5″ chain link.

Nine standard colors across the tubular slat range — Top Lock, Bottom Lock, Feather Lock®, Winged Slat®, FinLink®, LiteLink®, Fin2000® and Industrial Pre-Woven: black, white, gray, beige, brown, redwood, green, royal blue and light blue. HedgeLink® is the exception — it comes in a single Blue Spruce green, because it’s designed to look like foliage. Special colors are available on request with minimum order quantities. Because printed color is difficult to reproduce accurately, ask for actual color samples before matching to an existing fence.

It depends on the product, because each style is cut a different amount shorter than the fence. For a 6-foot fence: Feather Lock® is 70½″, Top Lock and Winged Slat® are 70″, and Bottom Lock, LiteLink® and FinLink® are 68½″. HedgeLink® is the exception — it’s cut the same as the overall fence height, so 72″.

It varies by product, and every one is pro-rata against breakage under normal conditions. Top Lock, Bottom Lock, Feather Lock®, Winged Slat®, FinLink®, Fin2000® and Industrial Pre-Woven carry 25 years. HedgeLink® carries 10 years. LiteLink® carries 7 years. Fence Weave® carries 5 years. Write to Pexco for full warranty information.

PVT® retail fence slats are available through Lowe’s and other retail home center stores throughout the U.S. PDS® commercial slats are sold through fence distributors and wholesalers — use the distributor search on this page to find one near you.

HedgeLink® and Fin2000® give the most, at approximately 95%. Winged Slat® and FinLink® give approximately 90%. Top Lock, Bottom Lock, Feather Lock®, LiteLink® and Industrial Pre-Woven give approximately 75%.