Urban living is changing. As urban intensification increases in New Zealand's larger centres, homes are being built closer together, and residents and councils are demanding more privacy for living areas. Additionally, as outdoor living spaces are getting smaller, New Zealanders want to make the most of the areas they have, so are putting solutions in place to make them usable and comfortable for more of the year.

A privacy screen can be defined as a permanent structure that provides a screen or visual barrier between a window of a habitable room or an outdoor area on a lot and an adjoining lot.

Aluminium Louvre Screens: Spectrum's louvre screen system incorporates a 50 x 50mm frame specially designed to conceal fixings for a clean look and use of 75mm or 90mm louvre blades. Louvre blades can be fixed or operable depending on customer requirements. Screens can be in a fixed position or sliding in tracks. Louvres are an excellent option to provide weather protection as well as privacy.

Aluminum Slat Screens: Slats come in a range of sizes including 60mm and 115mm wide. They can be fixed vertically or horizontally into frames or balustrades and are typically in a fixed position. Slats offer good privacy, but only fair weather protection, as rain can still come through the slats.

Aluminium Sheet Screens: Aluminium sheets offer the ultimate in customised design. Sheets are punched or router/laser cut to the customer's specific design and fitted to a structural frame. This allows for unique patterns, numbers or works to be incorporated into the screens, while still providing privacy. Dependent on design, sheet screens can offer good privacy and weather protection.

Glass Screens: Translucent or frosted glass provides a fair level of privacy as well as good weather protection. Glass is typically framed into one of Spectrum's glazing extrusions, but can also be frameless.

The Spectrum technical and design team can help with ideas, designs and construction details and help advise the best way to incorporate the screens into the building, including making the screen safety from falling compliant or incorporating it into the balustrade system.