The west patio that cooks at five
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
Neighbour's upstairs window has a clear line from 43 feet away, 15 degrees above the seat. Halfway along that line a barrier would have to reach about 9 feet 10 inches. A 6 ft 3 in screen 7 ft 8 in 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neighbour's upstairs window | Wide open | 43 ft | 15° | 162° | 9 ft 10 in | nothing |
From neighbour's upstairs 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 the dining table, nothing on the plan cuts the line to neighbour's upstairs window: it rises from 3 ft 11 in to 15 ft 1 in over 43 ft.
| What | From the dining table | Height | The line |
|---|---|---|---|
| The dining table (eye) | 0 in | 3 ft 11 in | Starts here |
| Screen A | 10 ft 8 in | 7 ft | Just closes it |
| Screen B | 21 ft | 9 ft 9 in | Just closes it |
| Screen C | 32 ft | 12 ft 7 in | Just closes it |
| Neighbour's upstairs window (eye) | 43 ft | 15 ft 1 in | Ends here |
The smallest thing that closes it
A 6 ft 3 in screen 7 ft 8 in out
6 feet 3 inches high and about 8 feet 10 inches wide, standing 7 feet 8 inches from the seat, across the line from Neighbour's upstairs window. That is roughly 55 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 6 ft 3 in high and 8 ft 10 in wide where the plan puts the screen, for two evenings at the hour that bothers you.
- If it worked
- Sitting at the dining table, you cannot see neighbour's upstairs window over it or round its ends.
- If it didn’t
- If you can still see neighbour's upstairs 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 the dining table with the sheet up, from the same spot both evenings, and measure how high neighbour's upstairs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A 6 ft 3 in screen 7 ft 8 in out 6 feet 3 inches high and about 8 feet 10 inches wide, standing 7 feet 8 inches from the seat, across the line from Neighbour's upstairs window. That is roughly 55 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 3 in | 8 ft 10 in | 55 sq ft | 8% | 68% | nobody | your land |
A 7 ft 7 in screen 12 ft 10 in out 7 feet 7 inches high and about 7 feet 7 inches wide, standing 12 feet 10 inches from the seat, across the line from Neighbour's upstairs window. That is roughly 57 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 7 ft 7 in | 7 ft 7 in | 57 sq ft | 8% | 68% | nobody | your land |
A 9 ft 3 in screen 19 ft 3 in out 9 feet 3 inches high and about 5 feet 11 inches wide, standing 19 feet 3 inches from the seat, across the line from Neighbour's upstairs window. That is roughly 55 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 9 ft 3 in | 5 ft 11 in | 55 sq ft | 8% | 68% | nobody | your land |
An 11 ft 6 in screen 28 ft out 11 feet 6 inches high and about 3 feet 11 inches wide, standing 28 feet from the seat, across the line from Neighbour's upstairs window. That is roughly 45 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 6 in | 3 ft 11 in | 45 sq ft | 8% | 68% | nobody | 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