Outdoor privacy screens

As I have blogged about before here, my backyard is a huge work in progress. Originally there were a ton of trees planted randomly, which let in little light and was a breeding ground for mosquitoes. We have since cut down a few trees and fixed the irrigation system. Another issue we have, our patio looks out into the neighbor's bathroom and bedroom windows. The plan is to add some privacy by building a large fireplace wall. But before we can do that, we have to regrade the backyard, cut down a mammoth of a tree that is starting to lean towards the house, and re-lay the patio.

Recently, the neighbors behind us put up cafe curtains in their bathroom. They keep the curtains parted open and I have disturbingly seen the mister standing at his toilet more times than I care too. This brings us to our topic of the day, Outdoor Privacy Screens. We need to put one up ASAP. Something that won't be too expensive to put up since eventually it will be replaced with a fireplace wall.

After combing the web for some ideas, here are a few of my favorites.

I really like the look of these laser cut panels. It would be a cool way to add some design interest to the backyard.

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OUTDECO is a company that specializes in outdoor screens and many of their designs can be purchased online at Home Depot here. Home Depot also has these privacy screens.

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I also like the idea of using plants/hedges as a privacy screen. In our case, it may take too long for the plants to get tall enough.

All images via

All images via

Have you built an outdoor privacy screen? If so, please share with us.