A solid fence kills the breeze; a batten screen gives privacy and keeps the air moving. Here is how to get the balance right.
Privacy is about angles
You rarely need to block all light - just the sightlines from where people actually stand or sit. Setting batten spacing to the angles that matter gives privacy where you want it while keeping the screen open and airy.
Tune the gap
Tighter gaps block more of the view and more breeze; wider gaps keep things open. The sweet spot depends on the distance to the neighbour and the height of the screen - we can model it for your boundary.
Why aluminium holds the gap
A timber screen's gaps drift as the wood moves, so the privacy you set up degrades. Extruded aluminium battens hold their exact spacing for the life of the screen.