Fixing a privacy screen on the patio
to a wall, post or beam
On a patio without a railing, a fabric privacy screen needs fixed points to hang from: the house wall, a post, the beam of a pergola or the support of a patio roof. Between them you tension a wire rope or mount a track, and the outdoor curtain hangs from that. Here you can read which fixing suits your patio and how the installation works.
The easiest way to fix a privacy screen on the patio is as an outdoor curtain on a wire rope or an aluminium track. Both need two fixed ends, for example the house wall and a post.
- Wire rope: An eye bolt sits on the house wall and on the post, with a stainless steel rope and tensioner between them. The curtain hangs from carabiners, typically every 10 cm. For a span of more than 200 cm, an eye bolt goes in the middle.
- Track: An aluminium track on wall brackets, with a bracket about every 80 cm. The curtain runs on runners, typically every 20 cm.
- Height: Only measure the curtain height once the rope or track is in place. With a wire rope, dimensions estimated beforehand are often 5 to 15 cm out.
- Patio railing: If there is a railing, you tie a balcony screen to it with cable ties or cord, without any drilling.
What the privacy screen on the patio holds on to
First look at which fixed points your patio offers on the side you want to screen. Depending on the layout, these places come into question.
On the house wall
On the house wall, the eye bolt or track bracket sits in the masonry with a wall plug. On an insulated facade, normal plugs hold only in the insulation. Special ETICS anchors carry the load into the load-bearing masonry.
On the post
On the corner or support post of a roof, the eye bolt is drilled through the material of the post. The post is then the fixed end point on the garden side.
On the pergola beam
If a beam runs across the open side, screw the track underneath it. What else holds on a pergola is explained under fixing a curtain to a pergola.
Under the patio roof
Under a patio roof, the track hangs below the rafter or on the front support. Fix it to rafters and supports, not to the glass or plastic panels.
On the patio railing
If your patio has a railing, the balcony screen is the simpler solution. How it sits on the railing with eyelets and cable ties is shown in fixing a privacy screen to a balcony railing.
Check the load capacity
Not every wall and not every thin aluminium profile will permanently hold the pull of a tensioned rope. We cannot judge from a distance whether a material will hold the screws safely. If you rent, get the landlord's written consent before drilling.
Wire rope or track on the patio
Both suspensions are proven. Often the look decides, and then the layout of your patio. Rope and track are available as separate items in your length: the wire rope system for outdoor curtains and the track system for outdoor curtains. How to install the rope or track and hang the curtain is shown in the installation guide for outdoor curtains.
- Look: The wire rope looks slim and understated. The track looks more formal, and some people find it too bulky.
- Wide sides: On a rope, an eye bolt sits at least every 200 cm. Wide sides therefore get a split curtain, with the middle bolt sitting at the join. On the track, even a wide curtain hangs in one piece. From a track length of about 800 cm, we divide the curtain into two or more panels.
- Wind: On the rope, stoppers hold the curtain in place. In very windy locations, eyelets and carabiners can slip over them. On the track, the closed locking stop holds the first runner.
- Sloping beam: If the beam slopes, only the track comes into question. On a rope, the curtain would slide to the lower side.
- Top hem: On the rope, the curtain has a gathering tape with carabiners, on the track eyelets. A curtain with eyelets can also hang on the rope.
How to create the fixing points
Choose the fixing points
Decide what the curtain will hang from: house wall, post, beam or support. The material must hold the screws permanently. If you rent, get the landlord's written consent first.
Set the fixing points
On the house wall, the eye bolt or track bracket sits in the masonry with a wall plug, and with an ETICS anchor on an insulated facade. On the post, the eye bolt is drilled through the material. For a span of more than 200 cm, an eye bolt goes in the middle of the rope.
Install the rope or track and hang the curtain
Tension the rope or put the track into the brackets. Then measure the curtain height and hang the curtain as supplied. Our installation guide for the outdoor curtain shows the individual steps.
Wind, rain and winter on the patio
The outdoor curtain is made of Agora and suits use under a roof and in the open, so also a patio without a roof. Agora is water-repellent but not waterproof. In persistent rain, a large curtain gets wet and therefore very heavy. That is why the suspension and the structure it sits on must be very sturdy. The fabric dries quickly after rain. Against fading in the sun, Agora comes with a 5-year guarantee on colour fastness.
A fabric privacy screen is not weather protection, so not a storm or rain roof. How to fix the curtain at the bottom and what applies in strong wind and in winter is explained under ideas for wind protection on the patio.
Made-to-measure privacy screen for the patio
You fix the privacy screen on the patio with the parts that suit your curtain. We sew it to your measurements in Westoverledingen, Made in Germany. You put together the fabric, hems and suspension with the made-to-measure outdoor curtain.
Balcony screen for the railing
For railings and existing frames there is the made-to-measure balcony screen with stainless steel eyelets in the hem. Whether cable ties or cord suit better is explained in fixing balcony screening.
Choose the fabric
The balcony screen comes in four opaque fabrics, plain or striped. Which fabric suits you is explained under balcony privacy screen ideas. If you want the privacy screen to be semi-transparent, choose the outdoor curtain. Free fabric samples show how the fabrics look in real life.
Ideas for the patio
Where a curtain looks good on the patio, on the house wall, between posts or under the pergola, is shown in ideas for privacy screens on the patio.
Shade from above
The curtain protects from the side. Shade from above is provided by the rope tension shade sail.
Send a photo
Not sure what the privacy screen on your patio will hold on to? Send us a photo and the dimensions via the service centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Last reviewed: 09.11.2026 · Reviewer: Germes-Team
Questions about fixing on your patio?
Send us a photo of the side you want to screen and the dimensions. We will tell you whether a wire rope, track or balcony screen suits and what the privacy screen will hold on to.