Thread: Decking as a Privacy Screen.

Hi Guys,

(Having just re-read all of this below - please bear with me here..!!)

I'm new around here (but do your worst..!) - and have found this a great place to stumble around looking for info on the few woodworking projects I have played with in recent months. I suppose you could call me a sporadic lurker. More bricks and mortar for me I am afraid in the last year or so after having moved into a brand new home, with all the paving, gardening, brick walls and stuff.

I have just built a small brick feature (like a planter box - but will either be filled & pebbled for pots or a water feature) against the featureless colourbond fence - 2.7m long x 400mm high x 600mm deep. "Classique Limestone" masonary feature bricks with diamond cut limestone capping.

Now, to hide the cream fence behind I am planning to erect a screen wall with horizontal decking at the back of the planter. I have a pair of 50mm SHS pool fencing posts to concrete against the fence at around 400mm in from the ends to which I am looking at screwing the decking to. I chose SHS posts as they are on-hand and they match the fence colour, so in effect will not be overly visible behind any expansion gaps I allow between the railings.

The size of the screen is to be 2.7m long x 1.3m high - to the height of the boundary fence. (The option is to use a taller post, +400mm to give a higher screen).

I am also looking at using a 30x30mm hardwood capping as a frame all around.

I had chosen decking primarily for the reeded face as a feature, but did look at finished jarrah, but at double the cost over decking I discounted the idea. I am looking at Jarrah, Kapur and Mahogany..... but more on this later.

We will be placing a couple of tall trees either side of the screen and beside the planter to hide the 50mm gap (of the SHS posts) between the decking and the fence.

PLEASE feel free to offer opinions and suggestions at this point. This seems like a very friendly and helpful place to be, so some suggestions may be great ideas over and above what I have thought of.. I may even be missing something better from you guys that I may not have considred.

Seeing that it is a screen, we're looking at more than FORM over FUNCTION. We can have the flat (back) face or reeded face of the decking outwards or even an alternating flat/reeded/flat/reeded effect - will look at these options prior to fitting)

Now, having said all of this, what I am doing in here (other than further/better ideas) is guidance on choosing the wood available. Bunnings is the closest supplier of timbers to me in Wanneroo (WA) and they have the following on offer:

Batu/Balau @ 3.20/m for 90x19, but only in 4.2m length, so in effect I am looking at paying $13 for the final, 2.7m lengths..... I have discounted the use of these because in effect they work out to the same price as using jarrah decking. Around $190 for 14 rails @ 2.7m long

Finished Jarrah in 2.7m lengths - 80x19, 60x19 and 40x19 all work out to $350-380. Should look good though when finished.... But at double the cost..?

Jarrah Decking @ $13.50 for 3.0m lengths of 85x20 and needing 15 rails comes to $200

Kapur Decking @ $13.40 for 2.7m lengths of 90x19 and $8.63 for 3.0m lengths of 68x19. The cost of these is $190 and $155 for 14off 90x19 and 18off 68x19 rails respectively.

Mahogany Decking @ $13.45 for 2.7m lengths for 90x21 works out to around $190 for 14 rails.

From this, if pricing was the main issue, the 68x19 Kapur is a winner at $155. If I were to use the larger Kapur then surely I would just use the Jarrah or Mahogany at the same overall cost...?

OK..... we're almost there...!!

So is my reasoning on rejecting the Batu justified (and even 90x19 Kapur) when considering you would get JARRAH for the same cost. Is Jarrah THAT much better (oh, a rhetorical question)

More to the point, is saving a measley $30 by selecting the smaller Kapur (although it MAY look more aethetically pleasing due to its smaller size - that's to be seen) worth considering if Jarrah IS that much more betterer (as I have heard my kids say at times..!!!).OR would it be better to bite the bullet and go straight for finished Jarrah at double the cost.

What about the thought of the Mahogany....how would that go outdoors....?? Albeit not entirely in full direct sunlight - 2m from the side of the house with the exposed face facing south.

If, in the end this project turns up trumps, I think I may be (allowed) something down one side and one end of the pool, around 17m in total length.... hence the though of in saving $30 with the smaller project, I could end up saving a further couple of hundred $$.

Very much appreciate any input or feedback.. feel free to comment.

Cheers,
Gavern