Effective and Stylish Privacy Solutions for Your Deck
You have a beautiful backyard, and you’d love to spend time soaking in the hot tub or relaxing with friends around your fire pit. But how can you fully enjoy your outdoor living space with your neighbors’ prying eyes constantly peering over onto your property?
There’s truth in the saying; “Good fences make good neighbors.” You could build a fence around your entire property, but that could get expensive. Instead, consider building smaller privacy screens in the areas where you need the most privacy. These deck privacy ideas will help you enjoy your backyard deck in peace.
1. Creating Privacy in Your Backyard
You have a right to enjoy backyard privacy while on your property. Use your green thumb to grow lush greenery. You could have a lovely English garden, tropical oasis, or desert scape. If caring for plants doesn’t sound like you, but you like the idea of greenery, then try building a living wall on an outdoor privacy screen.
Buy privacy screens that have a planter box for the base and a lattice-style screen for the wall. You can then plant flowers in the planter and hang potted plants on the lattice. Vining plants are also a good option; they’ll grow upward from the planter and make their way throughout the lattice.
2. Incorporating Benches for Privacy and Comfort
Small decks and patios have limited space for full-sized outdoor furniture. This can make it difficult to create a welcoming and comfortable space. Build a privacy screen and then build a bench directly into the screen’s structure. This is an easy DIY project when you use pre-made lattice screens. It could be a vinyl lattice for a low-maintenance option or use wood lattice for a more affordable installation option.
A wood bench and privacy wall won’t be comfortable on their own. Make the bench seat slightly deeper to give people space to lounge back. Then pile outdoor throw pillows and lay a seat bench cushion down and you’re good to go.
3. Stylish Fence Deck Privacy Ideas
The traditional method for creating privacy is to build a privacy fence. These are more intense than a standard chain link fence. Chain link fences may keep people off your property, but they do nothing for blocking their line of sight.
Build your backyard fence around the perimeter of your property for the most privacy. Use solid wooden posts to support your new fence. Then you can build an all-wood fence or one made from PVC. A simple plank board will serve the purpose. However, you can make your fence decorative with a lattice or other decorative tops to the fence.
4. Exploring the Use of Metal
Create a modern and decorative look with your deck makeover by using decorative panels. For durability, wrought iron will last for years. You’ll find a wide variety of designs created on the screens. The panels also come in a range of sizes so it doesn’t matter how large or small your deck area is.
To install your metal screens, you’ll either choose an independent screen that comes with a base or mount them in a wooden frame. Smaller panels look beautiful as a decorative top to a wooden fence. You can also alternate wood and metal panels throughout the fence wall.
5. Cozy and Inviting Patio Solutions
Similar to a deck privacy screen, you can use lattice panels or trellis to create a patio privacy wall. Instead of trying to enclose your entire patio, get inspired by backyard privacy ideas that only use a small wall where privacy is needed most. These walls are not a fence. Instead, they’re similar to your interior room’s wall height.
You can use this exterior “wall” to frame your outdoor space and create a focal point. Place your outdoor dining table, sofa, or hot tub in front of it. Then hang string lights or planters from the wall.
6. Enchanting Pergola Designs
Adding a pergola to your back patio or deck can create privacy and sun protection. The side and the overhead structure help to make your backyard deck feel more like another room in your home. When choosing the material and style of your pergola, consider your deck design. You’ll want your deck ideas to blend together for a complementary look.
Once your pergola is up, you can use hanging baskets to create a natural wall. Choose plants that flower for a colorful display. You could also have planter stands around the outside of your patio. These two working together will create a visual wall while also allowing for airflow.
7. Poolside Privacy Options
Add a privacy screen around your pool to help aid with the atmosphere you want to create. Start by building your wood pool deck to your desired size. You could even replace the wood with composite decking for a lower maintenance upgrade. Then use plants to create a natural wall around your pool.
For a tropical feel, you could use a bamboo screen or actual bamboo. It grows fast and tall, making for a quick solution to your privacy issues. Boxwood bushes are dense and perfect for a more formal pool area. You can trim them into a perfect wall shape as well.
8. Creating a Private Retreat
If you have a small porch attached to your home, it’s still nice to have privacy while using this outdoor space. If you have a railing, you can use this to your advantage by hanging planter boxes on it with either vining plants that fill in the railing or tall flowering blooms that act as privacy plants.
Another option is to use potted plants. Place them on the porch in the corners or along the outer edge just inside of the railing. Then let the plant grow tall and leaf to block people from viewing you.
9. Utilizing Screens
Living in an apartment or condo presents a unique challenge. You have limited access and enjoyment of the sun. An outdoor fabric deck privacy screen lets you move it around. This is useful when you want to adjust your level of privacy or use it to block harsh sun rays.
Look for a stand-alone screen with slats. Then you could have it do double duty. Plan to leave it in place and hook small planters from it. This enables you to create your own living wall where you harvest fresh herbs. This proves you don’t need a yard to have a garden.
Deck Privacy FAQ
You can build a privacy screen onto your existing deck by constructing a frame first. You can build the frame out of wood or PVC. Then choose a material to fill the frame in. This could be a sheet of trellis material, wood slats, or a curtain.
A cheap privacy screen could be constructed of PVC and then hang a curtain from it. Another affordable option could be to plant trees along the edge of your property. Let the trees grow to fill in the space and create as much or as little privacy as you want.
Look for plants that are quick growing or already the size you need. Clematis grows like a vine and can fill in a screen frame quickly. Climbing roses can cover a wall or fence with beautiful flowers. Cherry laurel, ivy, boxwood, and Japanese holly are all fast-growing and can create dense foliage that will dampen sound and block your deck from view.
