Whether you want to use it for fencing, covering up old wooden fences or simply as a privacy screen, bamboo screening is one of the most eco-friendly ways you can spruce up your exterior and comes in a variety of forms including:
- Bamboo screening rolls
- Solid bamboo screening panels
- Bamboo screening plants
- Artificial bamboo screening
So with so many bamboo screening options available, how do you know which one is right for you? And more importantly, how can you make sure you’re getting high quality for a good price?
Fortunately, we’ve teamed up with our sustainable living community to review multiple bamboo screening options and combined that knowledge with thousands of consumer reviews to come up with the definitive guide to bamboo screening and fencing.
So with that being said, if you want to learn more about bamboo screening, simply read on.
BEST GARDEN BAMBOO SCREENING OVERALL: HOMATZ
When it comes to mixing high-quality with reasonable pricing, there’s not too many options on the UK market that rival Homatz’s garden bamboo screening.
Made out of premium bamboo slats, this bamboo screening comes in 2m x 3m rolls which makes them the ideal choice for anything from covering the perimeter of your garden to separating and protecting your veg patch. Whilst these are two options, really, this screening has a number of uses – you’ll only be limited by your creativity!
Whilst many slatted bamboo fencing is held together by what can be considered as toxic glue, Homatz use a strong galvanised steel wire instead. This has two benefits; the aforementioned fact that they don’t need to use a glue that is potentially toxic to pets and wildlife and also because it adds much more durability to the bamboo screening.
For example, a glue will eventually wear under the stress of British weather and you may find that some pieces of bamboo start coming loose or even fall off. The wire on the other hand has great resistance to corrosion and retains its strength during temperature fluctuations.
In terms of installation – it’s entirely up to you how you proceed. You can use this as a standalone fence if you purchase some fence posts to give it stability or you can attach it to existing fencing using something like cable ties. Of course, if using as a new fence, installation is going to be much easier than your typical wooden fencing and attaching the bamboo screening to existing fencing should be fairly easy too.
A great feature of this bamboo screening is how customisable it is too. Many people are often hesitant to buy bamboo fencing as they’re not sure how well it can be cut to size and whether you can paint it or not. Fortunately, both of these are possibilities.
Overall, this is high quality bamboo screening that is multipurpose, comes in a great size and should last you for years.
Bamboo screening idea: add a natural edge to your patio area by covering it with this bamboo fencing.
Pros:
- Very easy to install even for amateur DIYers
- Has a great opacity and can be used as a privacy screen
- Highly diverse in its function, it can be used in myriad ways
- Very good value for money at just a shade over £15/metre
Cons:
- None
BEST BAMBOO SCREENING THAT’S 2 METRES HIGH: LONGACRES
For complete privacy in your garden, it’s recommended that you go for a bamboo screening that is at least 2 metres in height. If this is something you’re looking to achieve then Longacres’ bamboo slat screening might be the perfect choice.
Made out of solid bamboo wood that’s 2m x 4m, the options for this screening is endless. You can use it as standalone fencing to go around the perimeter of your garden, attach it to your existing worn fencing to give your garden a fresh look or you can even attach it to the top of pergolas to create sheltered area that is ideal for those hot spring and summer days.
Like Homatz’s fencing, the bamboo slats are tied together with a strong metal wire which ensures the fencing remains durable over a long period of time.
To achieve the ultimate private finish, we recommend covering existing fencing with dark tarpaulin before stapling the bamboo screening into place. As the bamboo fencing lacks total opacity, the black tarpaulin works tremendously well to cover any gaps whilst also enhancing the colour of the natural bamboo.
Bamboo screening idea: attach to the top of a pergola to create a relaxing, shaded area for when it all gets a bit too hot!
Pros:
- Is 2 metres high so gives you unlimited potential for privacy
- The screening is rolled which makes it easy to put up in sections
- The slats are all uniform in length unlike cheaper brands
Cons:
- Lacks opacity to be used as standalone garden fencing
BEST BAMBOO SCREENING PLANTS: WORLD GARDEN PLANTS
There are plenty of ways bamboo can be used as screening and one of the best ways is to use bamboo screening plants. Our favourite bamboo plant for this purpose is the Phyllostachys bissetii which can reach 3 metres (sometimes even 5 metres) in height if not pruned. This makes it the ultimate bamboo screening plant.
The opportunities are endless when it comes to using this plant – you can go for dense hedging around the perimeter of your garden, giving you plenty of privacy or alternatively you can cover up an old-looking fence by spacing the bamboo plants out. To achieve a full and dense hedge it’s recommended that you plant 1 – 2 plants per metre of screening although you can space this out a bit more if you’re just covering old fencing.
You should bear in mind that this bamboo plant tends to lose its vibrant colour in the winter due to cold, crisp winds although once Spring hits, they’ll provide a luscious foliage.
Bamboo screening idea: plant 1 or 2 of these every metre around the perimeter of your garden and wait until dense, luscious hedges appear!
Pros:
- Can reach up to metres in height, providing you with plenty of privacy
- You can use it as bamboo screening plants or as a thick, dense hedge
- Offers a unique look to your garden
Cons:
- Loses its colour during the winter months
BEST SLAT (OR SPLIT) BAMBOO SCREENING: PAPILLON
One of our favourite types of bamboo screening, this slat (or split) fencing by Papillon is made of high quality bamboo and looks fantastic in the garden.
At 4m in height, it’s perfect for any area of the garden as it can easily cover unsightly fencing, boring looking walls or simply be used to give your garden a tropical feel. They are particularly attractive to look at and would make for a perfect background for your garden furniture or flower beds.
With this slatted bamboo screening arriving in a roll with each slat attached by galvanised metal wires, it’s incredibly easy to install and once up, should last you years.
Each slat is positioned closely together but as the bamboo isn’t all that thick, opacity isn’t the greatest. With this in mind, we’d recommend using this to cover up opaque surfaces instead of using it as standalone bamboo fencing.
Pros:
- The 4 metre height can easily cover anything in your garden
- Eye-catching colour gives your garden a tropical feeling
- Very easy to install, simply roll out and attach to fencing with screws or cable ties
- The lack of opacity means they’re perfect for giving your garden a more open feel and showcase your plants
Cons:
- Not the greatest opacity so is better used to cover up solid objects
BEST THICK BAMBOO SCREENING: FARM AND GARDEN
Whilst we would recommend using actual bamboo plants and creating a hedge to achieve a thick bamboo screening, if you’re looking for a thick, solid bamboo option then the slatted screening by Farm and Garden might be a good option.
Made out of sturdy, solid bamboo, the fencing comes in rolls of 2m x 3m and is great for covering up unsightly areas of the garden. Uses for this bamboo fencing includes sealing off patio areas, covering up old fencing or dirty walls and attaching to pergolas to create a relaxing, South Asian themed shaded area. You could also use it to give your planter trellis a unique look.
Again, installation is fairly seamless although as these bamboo slats are a little thicker than some of the other ones on this list, there’s less scope for flexibility.
Bamboo screening idea: cover old fencing with this bamboo and attach some solar fairy lights to give your garden an extra sparkle.
Pros:
- Sturdy and easy to install with very little effort which saves you plenty of time as opposed to installing a new fence
- Very attractive and unique look will make you the envy of your neighbours
- Perfect for covering unsightly walls or fences
Cons:
- None
USING CUPRINOL DUCKSBACK TO GET BLACK BAMBOO SCREENING
Whilst you can buy naturally black bamboo screening, this screening is prone to discolouration and fading during the winter and thus almost defeats the purpose of buying it in the first place. Therefore, we would recommend painting your bamboo screening with black Cuprinol Ducksback.
All bamboo screening and fencing is easily paintable and the best paint for the job would be Cuprinol Ducksback. Formulated to to resist rain and frost, this paint will give your bamboo screening the added protection it needs during the winter whilst looking fantastic all year round.
Pros:
- Retains its colour for roughly 5 years so you won’t need to repaint it often
- Better than purchasing naturally black bamboo screening which will fade over time
Cons:
- None
USING ZINSSER ALLCOAT TO GET GREY BAMBOO SCREENING
If you’re looking for grey bamboo screening then we would recommend using Zinsser Allcoat. This exterior satin paint covers bamboo fencing with ease and gives your screening a modern and versatile grey colour.
Having grey bamboo screening is perfect for really accentuating the colours of various flowers and plants in your garden, providing the ideal backdrop to make them even more eye-catching.
This grey paint has an expected 15 year life which means you’ll probably only need to paint your screening once!
Pros:
- 15 year durability will protect your bamboo screening for years
- Looks very modern
- Is an eco-friendly alternative to using grey PVC bamboo screening
Cons:
- Will need to paint the bamboo by brush which could take a long time
HOW TO PUT UP BAMBOO SCREENING
If you’re wondering how to put bamboo screening then keep reading. Putting up bamboo screening doesn’t need to be a difficult task as long as you have a few tools to hand and some cheap eyelet screws and cable ties that you can get from Amazon for about a fiver.
Once you have your eyelet screws, screw them into place on your existing fencing. To get the best results put the screws in every metre or so and make sure they go in at the top, middle and bottom of your fence. This will ensure your screening remains sturdy.
Most bamboo screening will arrive rolled up which makes it super easy to install. From the start of the fence, roll out the screening. Once happy that it’s looking straight, you can use cable ties to go around the bamboo slats and attach them to the eyelet screws. It’s usually easier if you have someone helping you – especially if you want the screening to be taut.
After installing the first panel, simply repeat the process until all of your screening is in place.
Side note: bamboo is easy to cut so if you wanted to decrease the height of your screening, use a measuring tape and saw off the ends. Sanding the cut ends down will ensure they’re not too sharp.
SUMMARY
Bamboo screening or fencing is sure to spruce up your garden with an exotic yet relaxing look and feel. We highly recommend the versatile Homatz bamboo screening and have personally used it to section off our fir tree. It’s highly durable and overall looks fantastic.
We’re also big fans of the bamboo screening plants by Pappilon as it gives your garden a luscious feel.
Of course, if you want to customise the colour of your screening then painting it might be the best option.
We hope you’ve come away with some great ideas and hope that this article has helped you avoid having to install virgin wooden fences!