By Dave and Mary
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How to Make Porch Privacy Panels

Our 'How to Make Porch Privacy Panels' guide will show you how easy it is to make outdoor privacy screens to not only enhance the look of your porch and give you a bit more shade, but also give you privacy and hide unattractive views such as your neighbor's trash cans.


Additional privacy and ambiance with these privacy panels

With a little ingenuity and vinyl lattice panels, we managed to create extra ambiance and privacy on our back porch. Why not make your outdoor spaces the best they can be?

A year or so after writing this page, we added yet another panel. See our update and video below.


back porch without privacy panels
Before: Stepping back, here's how our porch looked before the privacy panels



back porch with privacy panels
After: Back porch with decorative vinyl lattice privacy panels
The outdoor privacy panels provide a visual filter and we gain a sense of privacy without giving up our overall view. Instead of using typical treated lattice or thin vinyl lattice from home supply stores, we opted for custom vinyl lattice from Acurio Latticeworks.

At 1/4 thick, the lattice comes in a variety of styles and can usually be custom made to your specifications and design. It is also super easy to cut. We opted for a square pattern to match our porch skirting underneath the porch.

We ordered these panels through Home Depot; however, you can also purchase larger sized panels directly from Acurio Latticeworks (contact information below).

Here's a general guide as to how I made the privacy screen panels for our back porch which you can use to make your own. Your project will probably have different dimension requirements so you will have to modify our guide to fit your specific needs.


How to Make Porch Privacy Panels - Materials and Tools

Vinyl Lattice Panels

parts to make privacy panel
Cedar and vinyl lattice for privacy panel


  • Two panels (32" x 48" each).
  • Cedar (can substitute treated lumber). I purchased two 8 foot x 6 inch x 1 1/4 inch cedar boards for this project.
  • Table saw
  • Chop saw
  • Measuring tape
  • Pencil
  • Exterior wood glue
  • Clamps
  • Drill

How to Porch Privacy Panels - Construction

Cut List

  • Cut two vinyl lattice panels to 45 7/8 x 17 3/16's each
  • Rip cedar boards to 1 5/8 x 1 3/4 inches
  • Cut cedar into two rails and three stiles Two at 94 1/16 inches;Two at 19 7/8 inches One at 16 13/16 inches (center stile)

Cut Dados and Rabbets

stiles and rails with dadoes and rabbet cuts
Dadoes and rabbet cuts on boards


  • Cut a 1/4" wide by 3/8 inches deep dado on each rail and end stiles
  • Cut two 1/4" wide by 3/8 inches deep dado on center stile
  • Note: You can center the dado or offset depending on your preference. rabbet joint on wood
  • Cut 1 5/8 x 1 inch rabbet on each end of the end stiles.
  • Cut a 1 5/8 x 5/8 inch dado centered on both top and bottom rails (for center stile)



Privacy Panel Assembly Instructions

After all parts have been cut, dry fit the panel and make any necessary adjustments.

Glue and clamp the panel together. I pre-drilled pilot holes and inserted one deck screw into each frame joint.

I stained the panel using natural stain.

Position on porch and secure with deck screws, using a drill as needed. privacy panel in place on back porch
Privacy panel attached to top rail - note the matching skirting



vinyl lattice privacy panel on back porch
Privacy screen panels add ambiance



We Needed a Slanted Panel for the Stairs

Because we wanted a bit more privacy on the back side of our porch, we needed to add an additional panel going partially down the stairs. We made it the same way but cut the vinyl panel at an angle since it needed the match the line of the stair railing.

To do so, we placed the panel in position against the top rail so we could mark the angle to make a perfect fit.


marking angle on privacy panel
Marking vinyl lattice to fit angle of railing



vinyl lattice cut to fit angle of railing on porch
Vinyl lattice cut to fit angle
We cut and assembled the parts in the same manner as above.


parts for the side privacy panel
Privacy panel parts
This panel provides just the right amount of privacy we were wanting.


small privacy panel on back porch
Aesthetically pleasing privacy panel



privacy panels on back porch
Both privacy panels in place



Update: Adding an Additional Privacy Panel

On one section of our back porch, we used a curtain for privacy. But over time, we decided it wasn't the best solution for us.

The curtain blew in the wind a lot and got tangled up and we were constantly fussing with it. So we decided to create another privacy panel to match the others.

Video: How to Make Porch Privacy Panels

Watch as Dave provides details of making the frames for the lattice panels


lattice privacy panel on back porch provides ambiance as well as filtered privacy
Close-up of our finished lattice privacy panel
we will especially enjoy our privacy panels when dining on our back porch
Another view of our new DIY privacy screen
before and after: we replaced our short porch curtains with a privacy panel
Before and after of replacing the curtain with a lattice privacy panel
Acurio black square lattice panels for wonderful filtered privacy We like the new look much better; the curtains became tangled around the rod as the wind blew. Had we decided to keep them, we would have come up with a better solution.




Why Do We Love Privacy on Our Porches?

It's no secret that most of us enjoy some privacy on our porch and here's why:

Plain and simple, most of us prefer to relax and unwind without feeling that we are being seen by passersby or neighbors. A bit of privacy helps us feel that our porch is a part of our home rather than a more public place.

Sometimes the view we have from our porch isn't the most appealing. Could be we live on a busy street or our view is of a neighbor's garbage cans. Either way, blocking an unwelcome view makes our porch more pleasant.

Another reason where privacy is appreciated is when we want to read, listen to music, meditate or just listen to the birds. Of course, we love our neighbors but sometimes we desire the tranquility of peaceful times.

And lastly, privacy on our porch allows us to entertain our family and friends more comfortably. Privacy helps our guests feel more at ease.

We hope you enjoy learning how to make porch privacy panels. We are super happy with our backyard privacy screens and found it to be a fairly easy DIY project. Maybe you can gain some precious privacy for those times when you want to enjoy some solitude on your porch.

And just as a final note, I fondly remember my dad making an outdoor privacy wall on his back patio. My Dad was an expert handy man, meaning he could make or do just about anything.

His patio was directly behind his garage. So he built backyard privacy screens on either side of his patio, allowing him and my mom to sit there quietly and enjoy the birds and the trees.




We Enjoy Working with Custom Vinyl Lattice

Mary and I really like using vinyl lattice from Acurio Latticeworks. Get more vinyl lattice screen ideas right here. We've used it as porch and deck skirting, privacy panels, and other projects as well.


acurio latticeworks privacy panels on back porch
Acurio Latticeworks privacy panel with palm tree design



Privacy porch using hanging lattice panel in simple checked design
We've gathered more ideas for creating a privacy porch



We hope that you enjoyed learning how to make porch privacy panels. They dress up our porch as much as they offer filtered privacy. We like ours.


Look at These Porch Trellis Ideas for Privacy

trellis planter for privacy on front porch

If you want to create privacy on your porch, get inspiration from these porch trellis pictures. Sometimes vines and planters can be used to create a sense of privacy, plus add beauty!




Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
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Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.
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All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project.
We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here.


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