The hot tub that feels like a stage
Who can see me, and what would stop them?
Privacy is a geometry problem with a view cost. The useful answer is the smallest thing that interrupts the specific line that bothers you.
The line
Right neighbour's bedroom has a clear line from 38 feet away, 15 degrees above the seat. Halfway along that line a barrier would have to reach about 10 feet 4 inches. An 11 ft 10 in screen 25 ft out is the smallest thing that closes every line that matters. It leaves the view essentially intact.
| Who | Line | Distance | Above the seat | Bearing | Barrier halfway | Interrupted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right neighbour's bedroom | Wide open | 38 ft | 15° | 133° | 10 ft 4 in | nothing |
| Left neighbour's landing window | Blocked | 42 ft | 13° | 225° | 10 ft | The spruce |
From left neighbour's landing window, from the side
The line, from the side
Eye to eye, at true scale. A screen near the seat can be short because the line is still low there; near the window it has to be tall.
The section, in a table
From in the tub, the line to left neighbour's landing window is cut by the spruce.
| What | From in the tub | Height | The line |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the tub (eye) | 0 in | 4 ft 11 in | Starts here |
| The spruce | 15 ft 5 in | 30 ft | Cuts it |
| Screen A | 10 ft 5 in | 7 ft 7 in | Just closes it |
| Screen B | 21 ft | 9 ft 11 in | Just closes it |
| Screen C | 31 ft | 12 ft 4 in | Just closes it |
| Left neighbour's landing window (eye) | 42 ft | 14 ft 5 in | Ends here |
From right neighbour's bedroom, from the side
The line, from the side
Eye to eye, at true scale. A screen near the seat can be short because the line is still low there; near the window it has to be tall.
The section, in a table
From in the tub, nothing on the plan cuts the line to right neighbour's bedroom: it rises from 4 ft 11 in to 15 ft 1 in over 38 ft.
| What | From in the tub | Height | The line |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the tub (eye) | 0 in | 4 ft 11 in | Starts here |
| Screen A | 9 ft 7 in | 7 ft 9 in | Just closes it |
| Screen B | 19 ft 2 in | 10 ft 3 in | Just closes it |
| Screen C | 29 ft | 12 ft 10 in | Just closes it |
| Right neighbour's bedroom (eye) | 38 ft | 15 ft 1 in | Ends here |
The smallest thing that closes it
An 11 ft 10 in screen 25 ft out
11 feet 10 inches high and about 4 feet 3 inches wide, standing 25 feet from the seat, across the line from Right neighbour's bedroom. That is roughly 50 sq ft of material.
Sized against 1 of 2 marked observers. Nobody of any weight is left with a view in.
Line open: how much of each line of sight into the seat nothing blocks, weighted by how much you said each observer matters; 0% is unseen. Marked view open: how much of the view you marked is still clear from the seat. Both are read off the plan, so they are as good as the heights on it.
Test it before anybody builds it
- The test
- Hang a sheet or hold up a board about 11 ft 10 in high and 4 ft 3 in wide where the plan puts the screen, for two evenings at the hour that bothers you.
- If it worked
- Sitting at in the tub, you cannot see left neighbour's landing window over it or round its ends.
- If it didn’t
- If you can still see left neighbour's landing window over the top, it sits higher than the plan says; if you see it round an end, the zone is wider than drawn. Either way, nothing should be built to these numbers yet.
- Next evidence
- Photograph the view from in the tub with the sheet up, from the same spot both evenings, and measure how high left neighbour's landing window actually is.
Buy nothing yetA sheet held where this would stand, for two evenings, before a single panel is bought.
Every position tested
Close to the seat means short and wide. Close to them means tall and narrow, and usually not your land.| What | Height | Width | Material | Line still open | Marked view open | Still sees in | Whose land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 screens, one for each direction The smallest screen modelled on each side, taken together: 11 ft 10 in across the line from Right neighbour's bedroom, 11 ft 5 in across the line from Left neighbour's landing window. Roughly 98 sq ft of material in total. This is 2 separate builds, not one, and together they start to enclose the space. | 11 ft 10 in | 8 ft 5 in | 98 sq ft | 4% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 7 ft 1 in screen 6 ft 11 in out 7 feet 1 inch high and about 9 feet 11 inches wide, standing 6 feet 11 inches from the seat, across the line from Right neighbour's bedroom. That is roughly 70 sq ft of material. Being close to the seat means it has to be wide to cover the angle, and it sits right where you are. | 7 ft 1 in | 9 ft 11 in | 70 sq ft | 9% | 100% | nobody | your land |
An 8 ft 4 in screen 11 ft 6 in out 8 feet 4 inches high and about 8 feet 5 inches wide, standing 11 feet 6 inches from the seat, across the line from Right neighbour's bedroom. That is roughly 70 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 8 ft 4 in | 8 ft 5 in | 70 sq ft | 9% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 9 ft 10 in screen 17 ft 3 in out 9 feet 10 inches high and about 6 feet 8 inches wide, standing 17 feet 3 inches from the seat, across the line from Right neighbour's bedroom. That is roughly 65 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 9 ft 10 in | 6 ft 8 in | 65 sq ft | 9% | 100% | nobody | your land |
An 11 ft 10 in screen 25 ft out 11 feet 10 inches high and about 4 feet 3 inches wide, standing 25 feet from the seat, across the line from Right neighbour's bedroom. That is roughly 50 sq ft of material. Being near the far end means real height, and it is the position most likely to be on somebody else's land. | 11 ft 10 in | 4 ft 3 in | 50 sq ft | 9% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 7 ft screen 7 ft 6 in out 7 feet high and about 9 feet 11 inches wide, standing 7 feet 6 inches from the seat, across the line from Left neighbour's landing window. That is roughly 69 sq ft of material. Being close to the seat means it has to be wide to cover the angle, and it sits right where you are. | 7 ft | 9 ft 11 in | 69 sq ft | 47% | 100% | Right neighbour's bedroom | your land |
An 8 ft 1 in screen 12 ft 6 in out 8 feet 1 inch high and about 8 feet 5 inches wide, standing 12 feet 6 inches from the seat, across the line from Left neighbour's landing window. That is roughly 68 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 8 ft 1 in | 8 ft 5 in | 68 sq ft | 47% | 100% | Right neighbour's bedroom | your land |
A 9 ft 6 in screen 18 ft 9 in out 9 feet 6 inches high and about 6 feet 8 inches wide, standing 18 feet 9 inches from the seat, across the line from Left neighbour's landing window. That is roughly 63 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 9 ft 6 in | 6 ft 8 in | 63 sq ft | 47% | 100% | Right neighbour's bedroom | your land |
An 11 ft 5 in screen 27 ft out 11 feet 5 inches high and about 4 feet 3 inches wide, standing 27 feet from the seat, across the line from Left neighbour's landing window. That is roughly 48 sq ft of material. Being near the far end means real height, and it is the position most likely to be on somebody else's land. | 11 ft 5 in | 4 ft 3 in | 48 sq ft | 47% | 100% | Right neighbour's bedroom | your land |
Line open: how much of each line of sight into the seat nothing blocks, weighted by how much you said each observer matters; 0% is unseen. Marked view open: how much of the view you marked is still clear from the seat. Both are read off the plan, so they are as good as the heights on it.
Other questions about this place