Lets face it… there are times when we don’t want certain parts of our gardens seen. Quite often these eyesores are the necessary and unavoidable things over which we have no control, such as the drying yard in the photograph below. Compost heaps – a must in every garden – are particularly unsightly, whether they belong to us or our neighbors. And there are other unsightly views with which we are all too familiar.
A fence is in order. Fences, though, in addition to cutting out the view also cut out air and light. Not so a louvered fence which you can build yourself.
A louvered fence is comparable to a partially opened venetian blind – it allows air and some light through yet you can’t see through it. By letting in air and light, a louvered fence can be put up in a corner and there is little fear that the area will become dank and dark. Free movement of air, too, makes sitting on a terrace or patio much more enjoyable during the summer. Of course, the big benefit for the real garden-minded is that by allowing air to move freely, plants are kept in a much healthier condition.
No special lumber is used in our louvered fence – everything can be ob tained from a local lumber supplier. A good height for a louvered fence is 7 feet – that’s what ours is. This is high enough to serve its purpose of obscuring a view but is not so high that it can be looked on as a “spite fence.” It is made in sections 3 feet wide – you can build as many sections as you need.
There are actually three ways of constructing our fence. These are shown on the opposite page. Each one will make a good sturdy fence that will last for years.
if the posts are to be set on an existing walk or patio, they can be attached with “L” brackets or angle irons and screwed into the concrete with lag and shield screws – these are available at your hardware store. Posts set in concrete should be treated with a wood preservative.
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