Best Privacy Screens For Decks
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Just because your deck is in the open does not mean every neighbor is entitled to watching your leisure time like it were a reality show. This is only true in theory; in practice, few if any will care about your privacy. This is not impossible to resolve—all you need is an appropriate screen. Find the best privacy screens for decks with these popular and effective pieces!
Take Your Pick
We said screen, and such a thing exists. Basically a large piece of strong fabric, you run zip ties through the eyelets and anchor the whole thing so it will stay in position and break your nosy neighbor’s line of sight. They come in different colors and sizes, and are made specifically to endure sunlight, rain and even wind.
Some screens are not fabric to spread over an area; some come in the form of dividers, similar to the types used to provide a secluded location within a room for changing clothes. Not all of them are capable of staying upright on their own: certain models come with spikes that you drive into softer ground, although they might still be susceptible to being toppled over by a sufficiently strong gust of wind.
Depending on your deck’s location relative to the yard, it’s always possible to plant a few suitable shrubberies that will keep your space out of sight, though not all plants will be equally adequate for this. Aside from height (which will largely depend on how tall you want your screen to be), you should seek plants with deep roots and flexible branches, so the wind won’t affect them, and if your area is known for harsh winters you should select species that can endure such conditions. Some popular choices include rosa rugosa, tamarisk and sea buckthorn.
But what if you don’t have the know-how, toolkit or time to perform the necessary maintenance? No problem! You can always opt for artificial greenery, which looks just like the real thing but without the complex care regimes. Versions of this include lattices, rolls, and also trees of varying species and heights, conveniently potted so you can move them around easily. The selection we are providing just further down covers a variety of choices across several categories, so you may find the alternative that better suits your particular taste and the layout of your deck.
No More Prying Eyes
Verdant, straightforward, eye-catching: one of these options might just be the right fit.
1. Yardistry YM11703
As mentioned before, this sort of multi-paneled screen usually comes with spikes that are for driving into the ground so the whole thing will remain upright; this one, however, does away with that necessity by incorporating planters that work as stabilizers, providing a wide enough footprint to even allow for the screen to be placed completely straight (as opposed to pretty much every other similar item, which has to be placed with each panel at different angles), without any worry about the whole thing toppling over. Built entirely in cedar lumber, the one accessory you will have to procure separately is the plant, unless you would rather use that space for a different purpose.
Pros:
- Wonderfully stable while retaining mobility, in that its position and location can be changed with little to no effort.
- One of the very few screens of this type that is made in actual wood; a great many others are plastic.
Cons:
- Somewhat expensive, especially for the actual area it covers—even when placed fully straight.
2. SUNNY GUARD 3’x10’Balcony Deck Privacy Screen
This type of screen can be a simple an elegant solution, as long as there is a guardrail you can use to anchor it. Made entirely in 180GSM high density polyethylene (or HDPE), it is specially treated for wind resistance, and the perforations for anchoring are all aluminum so they will not succumb to corrosion. Available in two sizes, both come with a height of 3′, the length varying between 10 and 16′. It offers 5 colors to pick from—although some are simply light hue variations—, and it comes with cable ties so you can install it wherever you want right out of the box.
Pros:
- Fairly inexpensive for its category, even factoring in the variation between smaller and larger size.
- Some of the color options come with a striped pattern, which is a little more variety than several other similar items.
Cons:
- Known to present tears if too much tension is applied.
3. Windscreen4less Expandable Faux Privacy Fence
If you like lush greenery but do not feel qualified to implement it and then take care of it, then this could be a good fit for you: the flexible mesh on the back comes with small holes for you to pass cable ties through (or lock multiple rolls together if your area is particularly wide), and the opposite side is flush with with leaves of fairly vibrant coloring. As thick as its cover may be, it is still optimal for the wind to pass without causing pressure. The roll offers two different choices both in height and width, something not exactly common for this sort of product.
Pros:
- Offers two height options, which makes it optimal for those that would like their cover to be taller than the average.
- Leaves can be individually rotated, providing unparalleled flexibility on how the greenery looks to guests and passersby.
Cons:
- One of the sides—the mesh side—won’t look as realistic as the one with the leaves.
4. DearHouse Balcony Privacy Screen Cover
Made in high-density polyethylene, this one comes with the necessary resilience against the elements and, aside from including 35 cable ties for anchoring, it comes with a total of 3 grommets on the corners as opposed to the single one featured by many other similar screens, which provides a more secure grip that should be welcomed in windier locales.
Although it offers only one size (3.5 x 16.5′), it does come in four different colors: black, grey, beige and brown. No patterns are included—plain colors only—, but the variety might just be enough to match most decoration themes.
Pros:
- Half a foot taller than other screens; this may be an advantage for those requiring more height.
- Although it offers few colors, they are not too similar to one another.
Cons:
- Only one size available, which might force customers whose measurement needs don’t match to simply pass on this one.
5. NatraHedge Artificial English Laurel Leaf Expandable Lattice Privacy Fence Screen
With nearly every choice we’ve covered so far, we’ve been requiring some form of structure—such as a guardrail—for your screen to have a position and maintain it. The present option is one exception, as its frame is rigid enough to make do with fewer anchor points. What’s more, it comes with a certain extent of flexibility, as it can cover a wider area (or less so), depending on how distant the anchors are.
The farther you extend it, the shorter its height will be: when contracted, it will measure 124 x 12″, and it can extend to a maximum of 20 x 50″. Potential area coverage is between 10 and 22 sq ft.
Pros:
- Does not require a guardrail to latch onto; even a couple pillars in sufficient proximity will be good enough for installation.
- Certified across all 50 states for UV resistance, which is a good testament to its resilience.
Cons:
- Not the best for covering larger areas; one could definitely buy more than one to expand it, but the price is such that it could soon become pretty expensive.
We Believe You Will Like: Yardistry YM11703
Although very few among us dislike saving money, we believe that, in certain circumstances, a bigger investment is justified. This particular screen is one of such cases: not only is it perfectly fine without any anchors, it is also taller, looks good in just about any location, and presents the additional benefit of accommodating plants that are near certain to further spruce up your space. It doesn’t want for durability either, which means that the additional expenditure will be made up for in due time.
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