Privacy on demand - outdoor screens

Sunset, June, 1994 by Peter O. Whitely

Sliding screens give versatility to this San Francisco deck

GRETA GARBO WOULD have appreciated this deck when she wanted to be alone. A pair of wide sliding doors can turn it into an enclosed outdoor room.

Before it was remodeled, the west-facing deck lay open to blustery afternoon winds and neighbors' views. The owners wanted to deal with both, but also wanted to retain views of their garden from the house and deck. Since the deck was well constructed and already sheltered on two sides by their house and a neighbor's, all that was needed to create the sense of an enclosed room were two more walls, the movable doors, and a hint of a ceiling.

The first step was to erect a sturdy, 8-foot-tall, post-and-beam frame along the deck's two exposed edges. The spaces between the posts were then filled with framed lattice panels--except for a 12-foot-wide opening facing the garden. That's where the doors come in.

To blend in with the overall design, the doors were also made from framed lattice panels. They hang from a barndoor track mounted to a beam above the opening. Most of the time, the doors are pushed to the sides. But when the owners want to enjoy a private meal, they roll the doors into position to cover the opening, just as if they were drawing curtains.

The "ceiling" is a U-shaped grid of cross-lapped 2-by-8s. It provides a sense of overhead enclosure and a little shade, as well as support for the lattice walls.

Design: Evans Associates of Alameda, California.