A standalone privacy screen is such a cost-effective way to cool a patio while screening a seating area from neighbors’ gazes. Light enough to move around on a whim but heavy enough to stay put in a breeze, garden privacy screens add style, too, and you can choose a laser-cut pattern to suit the vibe of your backyard. Bolting together for a near-instant garden upgrade, no cursing or Quikrete required, screens are a quick fix, too.
But the best thing about privacy screens? Their versatility. Once you’re the lucky owner of a standalone screen, you’ll find all sorts of ways to put it to good use in your garden besides improving privacy. From screening a pool to zoning a patio, creating a novel trellis for a clematis, cleverly disguising an ugly aircon unit, or simply carving out a quiet nook of dappled shade to relax in, a privacy screen has endless uses. Most standalone metal designs also come with a selection of fixers for hard and soft ground, so you can also anchor them in place, and use the screen as a more permanent fixture.
No wonder, then, that a simple, stylish screen is the number one item we all want in our yards this year. Ikea’s wooden outdoor privacy screen became an overnight bestseller earlier this summer, and now Target has just dropped a ton of laser-cut metal designs and – even better! – most are currently marked down. So, how are you going to use your new outdoor privacy screen this summer?
1. Create a Cool Pool of Dappled Shade
Leafy Branch Privacy Screen
The number one way to use a privacy screen this heatwave summer is to create cool, dappled patio shade. A screen is such an easy way to add shade to a garden and a dense, detailed pattern takes the heat out of the sun’s rays but still allows light through for comfortable lounging while casting enough shade that you can see what you’re scrolling. Because these screens are easy to move, you can adjust their placement according to the sun's position to get just the right level of shade you fancy, too.
2. Divide a Patio Into Zones
Olive Gray Galvanized Steel Screen
Used midway on a patio, standalone screens will instantly zone different areas for particular uses such as seating and outdoor dining, making more of your outdoor space. Zoning your garden is one of those easy tricks landscape designers use to make a small garden feel bigger, and screens make it super-simple to achieve yourself. Need to clear the decks for a family gathering? Just move the screens to one side.
3. Disguise an Ugly AirCon Unit
Poly Screen With Wood-Grain Texture
Is there an easier way to hide an aircon unit? I don't think so! A slatted screen allows good airflow and it can be easily removed when maintenance is required. Match the color of the screen to the tone of the house wall and the disguise would work even better. This screen is the only non-metal screen in this round-up, but I couldn't let this great idea go by.
4. Create a Garden Sanctuary
2 Freestanding Metal Privacy Screens
Ever get the feeling you want to run away from the world? You're not the only one. We all use our gardens as tranquil escapes, but enclosing a seating area adds another layer of shelter, creating a welcoming nook shielded from external chaos. The beauty of using screens to create a garden sanctuary is that the enclosure isn't permanent, so you can open the area back up whenever you want to.
5. Screen an Unsightly Storage Area
Freestanding Steel Privacy Panel
We all have a garden dumping ground, some bigger than others! Creating a pupose-made area using a standalone screen is one of the easiest DIY projects to upgrade your garden storage. Using a privacy screen to disguise your garbage bins will keep your garden looking tidy, too.
6. Erect a Stylish Standalone Trellis
Diamond Arched Steel Screen
Add some planters and you can use a privacy screen as a trellis, creating an attractive standalone garden feature. So, you not only add privacy to a garden but more growing space. It’s best to choose a design with ground fixings, as filling the gaps with greenery mean the screen will catch the wind, so will need securing. Most screens come with ground fixings for both lawn and hard paving, but do check before buying.
7. Enclose a Balcony End
2 Galvanized Steel Privacy Screens
Because they’re designed to be easily repositioned, most screens are light enough to use on a balcony to create shelter, shade and privacy without compromising weight restrictions. Be sure to choose a self-assembly design so you can build your privacy screen in situ, though.
8. Add a See-Through Windbreak
Laser Cut Metal Privacy Screen
Choose a design that can be anchored securely to the ground and a privacy screen will effectively shelter a seating area from the wind without fully obstructing the view. The advantage of using an open-design privacy screen such as this is that you'll still enjoy a slight breeze.
9. Link Indoors and Outdoors
Arch Urban Maze Privacy Screen
Siting a screen in line with a house corner will immediately make a patio or deck feel more connected to the house, creating those much-coveted indoor-outdoor vibes. An arched design adds an extra layer of interior style.
10. Create a Pergola Wall
White Galvanised Steel Privacy Screen
11. Train Climbing Vines Up a Planter Screen
Metal Raised Planter Box With Screen
12. Upgrade Poolside Privacy
Bamboo Leaf Silhouette Privacy Screen
A strategically placed screen provides just the right amount of pool privacy without making the space feel enclosed. Matching the screen design to your planting style will bring a plush, put-together look to your pool area, too. The bamboo leaf design of this screen matches the foliage-first planting perfectly.
13. Block Nosy Neighbors
Decorative Metal Privacy Screen
Let’s not forget the number one use for a privacy screen, shall we, of keeping neighbors' noses out of our backyard business! A laser-cut screen lets you see through the gaps at close proximity but creates an effective barrier from afar, so while you block neighbors' views into your garden, you don't obscure your view out. Along with using layers of airy planting to hide your garden goings-on from prying neighbors, a standalone screen is a must to add privacy to a backyard.
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