How to Disguise Ugly Fences Including Chainlink

If you want to cover an ugly chainlink fence and gain privacy, these ideas will help.

For more ideas, also see How to Place a Fence for Maximum Privacy and How to Make a Fence Taller.

Hide Ugly Fence and Improve Privacy

Ugly chainlink fence and fence with clematis flowers.

Privacy is so essential for a comfortable garden! One of my favorite things is having a quiet, private spot to read, think, and nap without feeling like anyone is watching.

Privacy fence created with vertical tree branches — Chain link fence covered in narrow branches

I’ll show you ideas for making basic chain link fences more private, ways to improve existing fences, ideas for adding privacy screens, and some unusual ideas for using living plants to block prying eyes.

Ways to Make Chain Link Fence Private
Ways to Make Existing Fence Taller
Ideas For Privacy Screens
Create a Living Screen

1Ways to Make Chain Link Fence Private

We used to live in a house with a very small yard surrounded by white chain link fence and it was so ugly and (obviously) not private at all. I spent far too much time thinking up ways to cover up that fence. One thing I was sure of: never choose white chain link! Black blends in so much better. White is just an eyesore.

If you are hoping to save money, covering up a chain link fence is going to be less expensive than replacing it with a wooden privacy fence.

Fence Add-Ons for Better Privacy

Mesh wind screens | Amazon

Bamboo screens | Amazon

Reed screens | Amazon

Fence slats | Amazon

Wood panels

Here’s an example where the chain link is replaced with wood and the original posts are used: chainlink fence converted to wood.
This one has wood on top of the chain link: wood fence over chain link.

There are lots of options for these screens. You can choose various colors and the amount of privacy they provide.

2Ways to Make an Existing Fence Taller

This shows how to extend fence posts with special cuts: make fence posts taller.
Another option is to sit the new post on top of the existing one and join them with tie plates: fence posts joined with tie plates.
You can see tie plates here on Amazon.

3Ideas for Privacy Screens

Sometimes you cannot modify a garden fence so a free-standing screen may be the solution. The closer you place a privacy screen to the area you want to make private, the more effective it will be. The screen in the image (above) is actually supported by the property fence and helps block the view from neighboring apartments. This is a smart work-around if local bylaws limit how tall a conventional fence can be.

More ideas for improving privacy in a backyard garden

4Create a Living Screen

Plants are my top choice but the effectiveness may just be seasonal, with good privacy in summer and none in winter when leaves have dropped. A thick evergreen hedge does the trick all year-round.

Here’s a unique free-standing container holder for annual plants.
My Vertical Gardening board on Pinterest has a bunch of ideas that would act as living screens.
Cedar hedges (like the one pictured above) provide excellent privacy but do take a long time to grow. A smart idea is to plant one and then set up other screens to use until the hedges are full size.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛