Kayleespencer posted: " Do you have close neighbors and want to make some parts of your yard more private and cozy, while still looking beautiful and custom; or even something in your yard you want to hide like electrical boxes or AC unit... this is the DIY project for you! "
Do you have close neighbors and want to make some parts of your yard more private and cozy, while still looking beautiful and custom; or even something in your yard you want to hide like electrical boxes or AC unit... this is the DIY project for you!
My wall is 16' long and 6' tall. These are the supplies I used:
Wood:
1x2 x 8' pine - 14 boards (12 in wall, 2 behind for support)
1x3 x 8' pine - 11 boards (6 in wall, 5 for vertical posts)
Backstory - the goal of my slat wall was to create an aesthetically-pleasing privacy wall along the backside of my gazebo I purchased that would allow for breeze to still get through, spacing to hang flowers on, and eventually add a bartop table slab.
Things I may have changed if I did it again:
Based on the goals I mentioned above, this is why I chose the specific types of wood I did, as well as the specific dimensions. If I were to do anything different (and if I were building this wall in the fall, not spring), I may have bought pressure treated 1x's vs pine for longevity and then painted them in the following spring. I chose to do untreated wood and weatherize it via exterior paint/stains because I personally preferred the aesthetic look of the colors I wanted now and not to wait the seasons needed to paint treated wood. I chose to attach my wall to 4x4 severe weather posts in concrete/dirt 2' deep underground to provide stability, but also to allow for the pine to not be placed underground exposed to constant moisture and quickly rot.
I would have set the 4x4 posts in the ground first in their proper place, then build the wall outside; then I wouldn't have to carry the wall completed out of my garage and to backyard. I chose not to do this because when I had time to build the wall, the 2' holes for my posts were not yet dug (needed to wait for a friend with a machine), and the weather was unpredictable. I was painting my untreated wood to weatherize it, so I didn't want to risk rain or dewy mornings before it was properly weatherized with my exterior paints.
Now the fun part!
The Process:
Pick a design pattern for slat wall and do your math for how many 1x's you need
This can be up to you! The design pattern I chose with my 1x's was - 6", 2", 6", 3", 2". I chose to leave a 3/4" gap between my boards, as well.
No rhyme or reason. I just liked it.
Do the math of how tall one section of your design pattern will be, then see how many of those sections you'll want to buy depending on your size of wall you need. This helps to minimize extra wood costs.
Paint five vertical 1x3x8' with Valspar Duramax "Carbonized".
I love this color because it's very dark gray but not quite black so gives not such a harsh color but still very good contrast.
Lay down the 1x's in their proper sequence on the black 1x3's, then attach!
I laid them all down first to get a visual and see if any big adjustments were needed, then before attaching them I got a 3/4" wide scrap wood for spacers.
I initially attached all 1x's for the slat wall to the Carbonized painted 1x3's via a Brad nailer which would have likely been fine had I built it in it's longterm home. I was nervous those wouldn't be enough support knowing we had to transfer it so I added outdoor screws in each board attaching it to the black 1x3s as well.
Tape and Paint the privacy wall!
I used the "Simple Cedar" Valspar Semi-Transparent One-Coat Exterior Stain & Sealer with a 5" deck bristle brush
I chose to paint these already up on the posts because since this is a semi-transparent stain, I didn't want drips to show on the backside so I wanted to be able to paint all sides at the same time.
Add support beams
I pre-painted two 1x2 boards with the same "Simple Cedar" and then attached them in the center of each slat wall to give additional stability for longevity.
Set the posts in the ground
I had a friend use a machine to dig 2' holes for each post, 8' apart on center.
Make a straight string line to ensure all posts are in a straight line
Pour 1 bag concrete in each hole, place the 4x4 posts 8' apart, ensure they're level, and use the scrap 2x4's to hold the posts in place while they dry.
I filled the rest of the hold in with dirt the next day
Attach the privacy slat wall to the posts!
Once we figured out how to get out of the garage haha then it went pretty darn smooth!
We trimmed almost 2' (left 2" to go into the dirt) off the 8' black vertical boards to create the illusion it's in the ground but isn't really.
Then 3 of us carried it in front of the 4x4 posts and used outdoor screws to attach!
Next year after the 4x4 posts have seasoned and are able to be painted, I will paint those with the carbonized color exterior paint as well! Got to love the look of your projects right lol.
I also left a 1.5" gap in the middle of the privacy wall to eventually add a wood bartop table as well! When I have time haha.
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