Winged Slat vs. FinLink: Which High-Privacy Fence Slat Is Right for Your Project?
Pexco’s High Privacy Fence Slat Options for Fence Applications
When a chain link fence needs additional screening, Pexco’s high-privacy slats can provide an effective solution. Pexco offers two extra-privacy options designed to deliver approximately 90% privacy: Winged Slat® and FinLink®. Both products offer increased screening and durable HDPE construction. However, their profiles, locking methods, and compatible fence configurations make each one better suited to different project requirements.
Comparing the Winged Slat® and FinLink®
Both Winged Slat and FinLink use flexible extensions along the slat body to help close the visual gaps typically found between conventional slats. Each is available in standard heights of 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 feet and provides an approximate 90% wind load and privacy factor.
The primary difference between them is how the products create that additional screening and how they remain positioned within the chain-link fabric.
Winged Slat features flexible, resilient wings on each side of a rigid tubular body. Serrations along the wings help the slat engage with the chain link knuckles, creating a friction fit that makes the product self-locking without a separate channel.
FinLink features three flexible privacy fins, with two positioned on one side of the slat and one on the other. The fins are non-serrated, giving the installed slats a smooth finished appearance. FinLink uses Pexco’s bottom locking channel to keep the slats aligned and prevent them from slipping toward the ground.
When Should You Choose Winged Slat?
Winged Slat is a strong option when a project requires approximately 90% privacy and self-locking installation. Because the flexible wings interlock with the chain link knuckles, installers do not need to add a horizontal locking channel. Installation involves inserting each vertical slat with the angled end facing downward and allowing the winged portions to engage with the chain link mesh. The friction-fitting design does require installers to allow additional installation time.
Winged Slat is designed for 2-inch mesh with 9-gauge wire. Each slat is two inches shorter than the overall fence height.
This configuration makes Winged Slat particularly useful when the fence specifications match its wire requirements, and the project benefits from eliminating a separate locking channel.
When Should You Choose FinLink?
FinLink is a good fit when approximately 90% privacy is needed with a smooth fin profile and the ability to perform bottom-channel installation.
FinLink’s three-fin configuration adds screening while its non-serrated profile creates a different finished appearance from Winged Slat. During installation, the locking rail is inserted horizontally into the first full diamond at the bottom of the fence. Installers then insert the vertical slats and push them into the channel to secure their position.
FinLink is designed for 2-inch mesh and can accommodate 11, 11½, or 12-gauge wire. FinLink is not compatible with 2″ x 9-gauge wire. This gives contractors another high-privacy option for fence systems outside Winged Slat’s 9-gauge configuration. FinLink slats are 3½ inches shorter than the overall fence height, and a 10-foot bottom locking channel is provided in each bag.
Are Winged Slat and FinLink Made for Long-Term Outdoor Use?
Winged Slat and FinLink both use HDPE with UV inhibitors designed for outdoor fence applications. Winged Slat and FinLink incorporate high-density polyethylene, color pigments, and UV inhibitors intended to help reduce the harmful effects of sun exposure and extend product life. Pexco’s HDPE fence products also resist severe weather, salt water, sand, road dirt, and common environmental pollutants. Surface contaminants can typically be pressure cleaned using plain water.
Both products carry a 25-year pro-rata warranty against breakage under normal conditions.
Which High-Privacy Slat Is Right for Your Fence Project?
Winged Slat® and FinLink® both provide high levels of privacy, but each offers a different approach to installation and appearance.
Both products provide approximately 90% privacy and are designed to add screening and security to chain link fence systems. For contractors, specifiers, and property owners, the best choice comes down to the fence configuration, installation preferences, and the desired finished look.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which Pexco slat provides more privacy, Winged Slat or FinLink?
Both Winged Slat and FinLink provide approximately 90% privacy, although actual privacy can be influenced by the fence wire, mesh, and stretch tension.
Does Winged Slat require a locking channel?
Winged Slats do not require a locking channel. Winged Slats use serrated flexible wings that engage the chain link fabric, creating a self-locking friction fit.
Does FinLink require a locking channel?
FinLink does require a bottom locking channel. The channel helps keep the slats even and prevents them from slipping downward.
Can Winged Slat be double-stacked on fences taller than eight feet?
Pexco strongly advises against double-stacking Winged Slats above eight feet because doing so may create an inconsistent appearance or privacy between the upper and lower portions of the fence.
How do I choose between Winged Slat and FinLink?
When choosing between Winged Slat and FinLink, start with the existing or specified chain link fabric. Winged Slat is designed for 2-inch mesh with 9-gauge wire, while FinLink accommodates 2-inch mesh with 11, 11½, or 12-gauge wire. From there, consider whether the project calls for Winged Slat’s self-locking design or FinLink’s bottom-channel system and smooth three-fin profile.
Proper fence design and structural support remain important, especially in areas with higher wind loads. Adding privacy slats increases the amount of wind captured by a chain link fence, so local conditions should be considered during project planning.