The mountain deck that cooks while the air is cool
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
Every marked line into this seat is already interrupted. Privacy reads 0 out of 100 here, and nothing needs building.
| Who | Line | Distance | Above the seat | Bearing | Barrier halfway | Interrupted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The house upslope | Blocked | 68 ft | 12° | 0° | 11 ft 2 in | The house |
From the house upslope, 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 the table on the deck, the line to the house upslope is cut by the house.
| What | From the table on the deck | Height | The line |
|---|---|---|---|
| The table on the deck (eye) | 0 in | 3 ft 11 in | Starts here |
| The house | 15 ft 1 in | 19 ft | Cuts it |
| Screen A | 16 ft 11 in | 7 ft 8 in | Just closes it |
| Screen B | 34 ft | 11 ft 1 in | Just closes it |
| Screen C | 51 ft | 14 ft 6 in | Just closes it |
| The house upslope (eye) | 68 ft | 17 ft 9 in | Ends here |
The smallest thing that closes it
A 5 ft 8 in screen 6 ft 9 in out
5 feet 8 inches high and about 8 feet 2 inches wide, standing 6 feet 9 inches from the seat, across the line from The house upslope. That is roughly 46 sq ft of material.
Sized against every marked observer. 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 5 ft 8 in high and 8 ft 2 in wide where the plan puts the screen, for two evenings at the hour that bothers you.
- If it worked
- Sitting at the table on the deck, you cannot see the house upslope over it or round its ends.
- If it didn’t
- If you can still see the house upslope 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 the table on the deck with the sheet up, from the same spot both evenings, and measure how high the house upslope 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A 5 ft 8 in screen 6 ft 9 in out 5 feet 8 inches high and about 8 feet 2 inches wide, standing 6 feet 9 inches from the seat, across the line from The house upslope. That is roughly 46 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. | 5 ft 8 in | 8 ft 2 in | 46 sq ft | 0% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 6 ft 9 in screen 12 ft 2 in out 6 feet 9 inches high and about 7 feet 6 inches wide, standing 12 feet 2 inches from the seat, across the line from The house upslope. That is roughly 50 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. | 6 ft 9 in | 7 ft 6 in | 50 sq ft | 0% | 100% | nobody | your land |
An 8 ft 5 in screen 20 ft out 8 feet 5 inches high and about 6 feet 4 inches wide, standing 20 feet from the seat, across the line from The house upslope. That is roughly 54 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 8 ft 5 in | 6 ft 4 in | 54 sq ft | 0% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 10 ft 6 in screen 30 ft out 10 feet 6 inches high and about 5 feet wide, standing 30 feet from the seat, across the line from The house upslope. That is roughly 52 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 10 ft 6 in | 5 ft | 52 sq ft | 0% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 13 ft 3 in screen 44 ft out 13 feet 3 inches high and about 3 feet 11 inches wide, standing 44 feet from the seat, across the line from The house upslope. That is roughly 52 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. | 13 ft 3 in | 3 ft 11 in | 52 sq ft | 0% | 100% | nobody | not 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