How to Design Perforated Privacy Screens

Need privacy screens to block sightlines but not light, airflow, views, or design appeal? Perforated metal is the solution that gives you complete control of what’s seen – and what isn’t.

But creating perforated privacy screens for balconies, internal spaces, and facades involves more than just the pattern. With Arrow Metal perforated panels used for privacy in projects across Australia, here are our tips to help you achieve the right balance between coverage, performance, and style.

Why Perforated Metal For Privacy Screens?

Perforated metal offers a unique advantage when it comes to privacy. By adjusting the size, spacing and layout of the holes, you can determine how much can be seen through the screen from both sides, ensuring direct lines of sight can be blocked while still allowing daylight, ventilation, and connection with the surroundings.

Because of the holes, perforated privacy screens do not create a heavy visual barrier. Instead, they feel open and integrated – a key benefit in residential, commercial, and public spaces.

How To Find The Right Balance: Privacy, Light And Airflow

So how do you get the design right? The key to creating effective perforated privacy screens is to consider all these factors:

Screen location: Is the location windy, sunny, or exposed? Perforations can be tailored to reduce the effects of weather, such as wind noise and heat gain

Open area: Open area percentage tells you how much of the metal screen is ‘open’ (made up of holes). It gives a valuable indication of how much light and ventilation will pass through

Hole size: Smaller holes offer more privacy than larger perforations

Hole spacing: Tightly spaced holes are optimal for privacy

Hole pitch: Staggered or diagonal patterns are very effective at disrupting lines of sight

The viewing angle and outcome you want: Do you need to block a neighbour’s line of sight from a specific direction? Reduce glare? Maintain privacy for people sitting or standing?

Screen position: Will the privacy screens be installed as fixed, folding, or angled? Folding privacy screens are especially popular for residential projects where screening needs to be flexible, while angled screens are useful to block sightlines or glare from a specific direction.

Choosing a Custom Pattern

Although hole size, pitch, and panel open area can all be customised, opting for a fully bespoke pattern allows you to completely tailor the design to achieve both privacy and visual goals. For facades or high-impact architectural features, unique custom perforated privacy screens make a striking impact while meeting privacy and performance requirements.

Panels can be punched with words, images, illustrations, and even old photographs using our PixelPerf technology, which translates images into CAD drawings for precision perforation and image replication. Explore PixelPerf possibilities here.

Material, Finish And Durability Options

While achieving privacy is critical, so is longevity, especially when specifying privacy screens for outdoor applications such as facades and balconies. Choosing the right metal and finish will ensure the screens last and look good long-term.

Aluminium is the most common choice for external privacy screens, as it is lightweight, strong, and corrosion-resistant. It can be finished with powder coating for extra protection and a colour that matches the building’s aesthetic.

For interior screens, aluminium is still popular, but there are also more luxurious options for high-end fitouts, such as perforated brass or even brass wire mesh in a tight weave style.

Privacy Screen Project Examples

Here are some of the ways architects and designers have used Arrow Metal perforated metal for stylish privacy solutions:

Splenda apartments

Splenda apartments in Botany give residents privacy and shade from the sun with a fully folding perforated facade. Finished in a copper colour and punched with a classic round-hole design, the screens maintain visibility of the city views.

Canterbury South Public School

It’s not just in residential buildings where privacy matters. Students at Canterbury South Public School have a privacy solution that earns top marks because each panel is tailored to the sun’s position. Shady elevations have perforations to allow more light and warmth, while the sunny sides of the building have patterns to protect from heat and glare.

Click on photos to enlarge

Carrington Assisted Living Complex

The custom leaf design of the privacy screens at Carrington Assisted Living is so stunning it has been used throughout the complex for signage and walkway panels, connecting residents to the surrounding bushland. The design began as just a basic drawing, brought to life by our PixelPerf technology and our team’s manufacturing expertise to ensure performance.

Click on photos to enlarge

Need Help with Privacy Screen Designs and Ideas?

Chat to the Arrow Metal team to talk through your project or request samples and specifications. We can help you choose or customise perforated privacy screens that meet all project requirements. Email sales@arrowmetal.com.au or call (02) 9748 2200.

Browse or download our Perforated Metal Catalogue , Brass Woven Wire Mesh Catalogue or Project Look Book for more perforated metal inspiration.

Stay in touch! Sign up to receive our monthly Newsletter.
Follow us: Facebook, LinkedIn

You can also browse our Project gallery