I love a DIY privacy screen – they add privacy (duh), but they can also be so pretty to look at! This chevron privacy screen isn’t our first, or second, but our third privacy screen over the years.
The big benefit of this one is that it’s cheaper thanks to one of our favorite materials for outdoor projects: cedar…fence pickets! At the time of building, these cedar fence pickets cost right around $3 for a 6’ picket. They aren’t as thick as a regular 1×6, but if we would have used those instead, the price would’ve been WAY higher. We’re talking $3 vs $25/board for a whopping $600 in savings.
Alright, let’s dive in and start DIYing a wood privacy screen!
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How to Build a Chevron Privacy Screen with Cedar Fence Pickets
Recommended Tools:
- Miter Saw (we use this blade with ours)
- Circular Saw
- Kreg Jig (not sure which to get? Check out which Kreg Jig to get)
- Drill
- Clamps
- Level
- Measuring Tape (new to DIY? Be sure to check out this post with measuring tips)
- Safety Equipment
Shopping List:
The quantities you’ll need will vary depending on the size of your privacy screen. Here’s what we used for our privacy screen that was 85” tall and 106” wide:
- (28) ⅝ x 5.5” x 6’ cedar fence pickets
- (3*) 1x4x8s (we used cedar – see step 6)
- (3) 4x4x10 (we used pressure treated pine)
- (2) 2x4x8s (we used pine)
- (6) bags of fast setting quickcrete
- Drainage rocks
- ¼” piece of wood or something else to act as a spacer
- Exterior wood glue (we like Titebond 2)
- Optional: Sandpaper (80 and 120 grit)
- 2.5″ softwood Blue-Kote Kreg screws
- 1 ¼” deck screws
We finished our privacy screen with Cabot Semi-Solid Black Stain on the 4×4 posts and 2x4s and Cabot Australian Timber Oil in Honey Teak.
STEP 1: POSITION YOUR 4×4 POSTS
Before digging your posts, call 811 to have someone come mark any cables that might be close to your digging area.
For each post, dig a hole that’s approximately 12” wide and 36” deep. This is standard in our area and board length, but be sure to look up the recommendations for your location.
To help prevent rotting, we added a small layer of drainage rock to the bottom of each hole. Place a 4×4 post in the hole and then check to see if it’s level and straight. It doesn’t need to be perfect just yet, but it’s helpful if it’s close to how you want it before pouring in the Quickcrete.
Pour two to three bags of Quickcrete into each hole – whatever is necessary to get it filled. Before adding any water, check again to make sure that the posts are straight and level. Once you’re happy with the placement, add the water according to the instructions on the bag and let it dry.
As you’re positioning the second and third posts, you have two options. The first option is to try to get them to all be the same height from the start. To do this, you can place a scrap piece of wood on top of the posts to check that they are the same height. You can add or remove some drainage rocks as needed.
The second option is to not stress too much about the height initially and then measure the posts after the concrete has dried. Then you can cut the taller posts to match the shortest post with a circular saw.
On our DIY privacy planter project we opted for option number 1. For this project, we opted for option number 2. I don’t think I have a recommendation because they both come with challenges.
It was definitely difficult to cut a straight line through the 4x4s since you have to cut from both sides with the circular saw. On the flip side, it was much easier to install the posts without worrying about matching the heights perfectly and you can decide on the actual height that you want.
STEP 2: ADD YOUR SUPPORTS
No matter how straight your 4x4s appear to be and how well you positioned your 4×4 supports, it’s likely that they aren’t going to be perfectly square from top to bottom. To help fix this, to minimize warping later on, and to give ourselves a spot to secure the upper and lower slats, we installed (2) 2x4s between each of the 4×4 posts.
Measure the distance between two of your 4×4 posts at the bottom, middle, and top of your structure. If the middle is larger than the rest of your gaps or if your upper gap is a good bit bigger than the bottom, you may want to add a 3rd 2×4 to help pull in the middle as well.
Since the bottom piece will be installed close to where the cement is, there won’t be much wiggle room to force the boards out or closer together. Because of this, take the distance at the bottom and cut 2 or 3 2x4s to that size. Using the 1 ½” settings, drill 2 pocket holes on each end of the 2x4s.
Using glue and 2.5” Kreg screws, secure the 2x4s between your 4×4 posts, one at the bottom, one close to the top, and an optional board in the middle. Be sure to install these flush with the front of the 4x4s so that you can screw your slat into them later.
In the pictures, you will see that our top boards were flush with the top of the 4×4 posts. We recommend placing the 2×4 support ½” – 1” lower than the top of the 4x4s. At the end, we will be trimming the excess fence pickets and it’ll be cleaner and easier if you aren’t concerned about cutting into the 2×4 support.
Get the 2x4s installed between 2 of the posts before measuring for the other side just in case you really pull the middle 4×4 in or push it out
Since we didn’t use cedar for the main structure, we opted to stain these boards black instead of using the Australian Timber Oil. You can definitely use the Australian Timber Oil, but it looks like a completely different color on pine vs. cedar.
Since we aren’t using wood glue for the slats, we stained these prior to moving onto the next step.
STEP 3: CUT FENCE PICKETS FOR CHEVRON PATTERN
If you like the rough look of the cedar fence pickets, you can dive right into cutting. If you prefer a smoother look, you can sand with 80 and 120 grit sandpaper before cutting them down. We opted to not sand for this project.
The chevron pieces are cut at a 33-degree angle on both sides. The beauty of this design is that the middle and sides are going to be covered up, so you don’t need to cut your pieces precisely.
Once you cut one and the sizing works, you can cut the remaining full pieces. For our screen, we started by cutting down (18) pieces to be ~60”. It’s likely that the pieces on one side of your screen will be shorter than the other.
For our particular screen height, two of those pieces will have to be trimmed further, but it’s a good starting point. We also cut one side of the remaining pieces at a 33-degree angle to remove the dog-eared piece of the picket.
STEP 4: INSTALL FENCE PICKETS
Draw a line down the middle of your middle 4×4 so that you have a guide to help line up the angled side of your fence pickets.
To install the fence pickets, we’ll use a ¼” piece of scrap wood and (4) 1 ¼” deck screws per picket. We opted not to use glue because of the mess, but you’re welcome to add some if you’re concerned about warping. Our fence has been up for a year and the screws have done a fantastic job at keeping everything in place.
Line your first fence picket up with your mark on the center 4×4. The tip of the fence picket should be in line with the top or overhanging slightly. This doesn’t really matter, but that’s how we chose to start it.
Secure the fence picket with (2) 1 ¼” screws on each side.
Place the next piece underneath it using a ¼” piece of scrap wood as a spacer. We used a clamp on each side of the picket to hold it in place as it was screwed in.
Repeat until you have all of the full sized pieces installed on one side. Then, repeat the same process on the other side. This is the fun part because it goes pretty quickly.
Once you get the full sized pickets installed, it starts to slow down because every piece is a different size.
For the bottom, we cut a scrap piece of wood to be 1 ¾” wide to help us get the dimensions. We lined up the side that was already cut at a 33-degree angle with the bottom-ish of the privacy fence and then marked where it hit the 4×4 post.
Then, we took the 1 ¾” scrap piece and lined it up with the outside of that line and drew a new line. This scrap piece added on the additional amount we needed to reach the center of the 4×4 post.
We weren’t too terribly precise along the bottom because we knew we would be adding rocks in front that would cover up the bottom edge.
As you’re installing the bottom pieces, you can secure the middle to the 4×4 post using 1 ¼” deck screws. Since you can’t reach the outside 4×4 post, you’ll secure the bottom side to the 2×4 support.
For the top, you’ll also secure one side to the 2×4 support. Try to keep your screws relatively lined up on the bottom since we won’t be covering the top or bottom screws.
The top boards can either be measured precisely, or you can do what we did. We cut them down to general sizes and installed them, working on one half at a time.
STEP 5: CUT OFF EXCESS FENCE PICKETS
Once one side was installed, we cut off the excess cedar fence pickets along the top using a circular saw. Do you see now why we recommend not lining your 2×4 up precisely with the top?
Draw a line between the top of the two posts to be your guide and then cut with the circular saw.
Finish installing the fence pickets on the other side and then cut off the excess.
Yes, you could install them all at once and then cut, but that’s a long strength to keep your line super straight.
If you’re installing your fence close to the house like we did, there might not be enough room to get your circular saw in to cut the last board or two or three. Be sure to check first. If you don’t have enough room, you’ll want to measure and cut each piece to size prior to installing.
STEP 6: INSTALL 1x4S
This next step is going to clean up the look of the privacy screen, especially if you didn’t precisely cut your cedar fence pickets. No judgement – the only reason ours looks remotely as clean as it does was because we weren’t sure if we were going to add these extra boards.
Luckily for you, you’re reading this blog post so you can look at the before and after and decide whether or not you want to add them.
For ours, we installed (4) 1x4s – 3 along the front and then one on the visible side. The other side was close to the house so it’ll never be seen. But, I would probably just recommend doing the boards along the front.
The only reason we added it to the side is because ours isn’t actually just a privacy screen – it’s a full-on storage area inside, complete with a door. Now this tutorial is just about the chevron side, but if you’re interested in a tutorial for the rest of it, let me know in the comments below.
Alright, back to installing. To install the 1x4s, we lined them each up so that they covered the 4×4 posts that were behind them. These 1x4s hide any gaps and also cover all of the screw heads.
Each of the boards is secured with (6) 1 ¼” deck screws – 2 at the top, 2 near the middle, and 2 at the bottom. The only challenging thing about installing these pieces is that you need to avoid all the screws that are behind it.
STEP 7: STAIN
Now that your privacy screen is all built, you can customize it further by choosing your stain color. We used Cabot Australian Timber Oil in Honey Teak. We love that it’s easy to apply and only takes one coat. The color is also so pretty on cedar! The one con is that you do want to re-apply it every year to keep the color looking fresh.
There you have it! Now you know how to build your very own privacy screen using cedar fence pickets!
Like I mentioned earlier, we did build ours out to be an entire enclosure. Aside from the door, the process is the same – we just opted for horizontal slats instead of the chevron pattern. If you’re interested in seeing a tutorial for the full enclosure, leave a comment below and let me know!
