External privacy screen solutions?
Hi all,
We have a large rear alfresco area which is wonderful, but we also have a double storey block of apartments as our rear neighbour. The upstairs apartments both have balconies and the occupants in both apartments are smokers which means that they spend a lot of time on their balconies looking directly into our backyard.
It's difficult to be certain, but from their vantage point, I think they can easily view our entire rear alfresco area and approximately 2m into our kitchen/dining area (through the large sliding doors that open onto the alfresco area).
This isn't our rear alfresco area, but it is very similar:
We intend to grow privacy plants, possibly Lilly Pillies, along the rear fence, but they will obviously take years to grow to a sufficient height to block the neighbours' view.
The span between the two posts of the rear alfresco area is 6,820mm.
The only external blind solution which I have been able to find which is suitable for such a wide span is the Zipscreen Extreme, but the quotes I've obtained too date have been very expensive (i.e. $6,000 or more).
We have also investigated a folding arm/retractable awning, but they're also quite expensive (i.e. around $5,000) and the suppliers have noted that it would be a "guessing game" to determine how far our and at what angle the awning would need to extend to block the neighbours' view.
We can obviously keep our internal blinds closed, but we'd much prefer to have them open to let in the light and breeze.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Comments (15)
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Comments (4)Thanks!!! It was a cloudy day and I pulled the shade down then went down to our very nice neighbours 2 doors doors down and it does provide privacy (it is very deceiving and you need to see from a distant). But in saying that I will have to do the test when we have the sun from our side of the screen???? I will also do the test at night (we have a water feature with led strip light in front of the screen so we have no light behind the screen. Thanks for your comments, I will post my results (and a image). The external blind was installed just so we could sit on our back deck in the sun and have a cup of tea and read the newspaper in privacy...See MoreExternal wall mounted doors
Comments (18)Hi Dr Retro, Thank you. I really appreciate the input and the time you've taken to explanation your point of view. I really do want to get an understanding of where the issues lie in this design. So I hope you'll forgive me digging a little deeper. I don't quite follow why you think the design would require a 6m lintel. Yes, it does require a 6m track, but the track can simply be attached to the wall. The weight of the door need not be supported by the top track. It could be supported from below. The whole point of putting the configuration on the outside of the wall is to minimize the need to make structural changes to the building. There currently is no capacity to install a 6m wide external sliding door/window unit. Likewise I don't follow why the door should be any draftier than any other external sliding doors. The cavity is on the outside of the wall, so draft is not going to get in via the cavity. Other sliding doors of the unit type have the same draft problems this configuration would and solve it by using an overlapping flange at the front end of the fixed door and the back end of the slider. The same could be applied here, where we treat the wall as the fixed door.The point at which the doors engage each other has also be solved for other door configurations. It is just a matter of having a loose tongue and groove configuration. Again this is exactly the same as a unit providing center opening sliding doors. Finally the same sliding mechanisms are used in other sliding door configurations, so I don't see why that should be any draftier here either....See Moreideas for privacy screening in back garden
Comments (2)tall shrubs would be great ..check with local nursery for suitable pittosporums or similar but a simple pergola made out of treated pine built across the yard with taller rear posts sloping down to lower front posts and with roof and back wall covered with black sarlon cloth would be the quickest and neatest until some climbers could grow..the black sarlon is see through close up but is a great block out screen from a distance and makes a great shade house for plants and people but you would need to check with your local Council to make sure that any structure is legal..you can work out the best height by standing back and have someone hold a broom up next to the corner post to see how high you need to go to block out the view up to the neighbours' gutters ..but, is that a back verandah on your house? as that height looks like it might be ok and the size of the pergola depends on how you would use the space underneath...See Morefree standing privacy screen
Comments (7)Years ago we built a free standing screen around 3 sides of our pool, It was flush up to the existing timber fence, with 200 x 200 treated pine posts that had framed trellis that was approx 600 taller then the fence. we did it this way so that we had control over the trellis. This was in Sydney, you would need to check with council re boundary fence height and building code. This won't stop noise just visuals, can you get your neighbours approval to build it and let them know that you are prepared to cover the costs this would make it much easier to do. Good Luck...See More
User
8 years agohaephestus
8 years agoThank you to everyone for all of your ideas.
I've been trying to brainstorm possible solutions. I don't mind the look of the laser cut privacy screens, but I don't really want to block access from the alfresco area directly into the backyard.
Has anyone installed pivoting privacy screens? Something like this, but obviously on a smaller, residential scale:
Alternatively, has anyone installed a fence height extension within their own boundary? Possibly something like this:
Once again, thanks in advance for any assistance.
Gioenne Rapisarda
8 years agohaephestus
8 years ago
chubbychicky