Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- 72″ tall. Many towns treat a screen like this as a fence: about 6 ft in side and back yards, 3–4 ft in front yards.
- A slatted screen catches wind like a sail. Posts are set 36″ deep in concrete (36″ is a typical frost depth; enter yours). Wider gaps let more wind through.
- Site rules shown are typical, not your town’s. Confirm with the building department before you build.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4×4 pressure-treated post, 10′ (board) | $48.00 |
| 22 | 1×6 cedar board, 6′ (board) | $198.00 |
| 2 | 2×6 cedar, 8′ (board) | $38.40 |
| 7 | Concrete mix, 80 lb bag (0.6 cu ft) (bag) | $45.50 |
| 3 | Crushed gravel (0.5 cu ft bag) | $18.00 |
| 1 | 2 1/2″ deck screws (box of 350) | $35.00 |
| 1 | 3″ exterior screws (box of 75) | $12.00 |
About $395 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Post | 3 | 106 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 4×4 pressure-treated post |
| B | End slat | 22 | 72″ | 5 1/2″ | 1×6 cedar board |
| D | End cap | 2 | 72″ | 5 1/2″ | 2×6 cedar |
Cut list
3 × 4×4 pressure-treated post, 120″ → A 106 1/2″ each
22 × 1×6 cedar board, 72″ → B 72″ each
2 × 2×6 cedar, 96″ → D 72″ each
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw or miter saw
- Miter saw, or circular saw in two passes, for 4×4 posts
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Lay out the posts
Run a string line 144″ long. Mark 3 post centres 70 1/4″ apart, the end ones 1 3/4″ in from the string ends.
STOP. Call 811 before you dig. Check your town’s fence rules: height, setback, and which side faces out.4Set the posts in concrete
Dig 3 holes 10″ wide and 42″ deep. Tamp 6″ of gravel in each.
Stand a post (A) in each hole, 70 1/2″ above grade, faces on the string line. Brace plumb both ways and fill with concrete, sloped away from the post at the top.
✓ Every post is plumb and the tops are level along the string. Let the concrete cure 2 days.
5Hang the slats
Start at the top: screw the first row of slats tight under the post tops, ends meeting on post centres, the end slats (B) flush with the outside of the end posts.
Work down with 1/2″ spacers: 11 rows. The bottom slat ends 5″ above grade.
Two 2 1/2″ deck screws at each post. Good face out, toward your neighbour.
✓ Sight along the rows: gaps are even and the slats are straight.
6Cap the posts
Lay the cap (D) flat on the post tops, centred over posts and slats, joints on post centres. Two 3″ screws into each post.
7Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Outdoors, use an exterior finish: a penetrating deck oil or exterior stain, or primer and exterior paint. Leave cedar bare to weather silver if you like. If it holds soil for food plants, leave the inside unfinished.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.