Patio partitions

A partition draws the line between your patio and everyone else's sidewalk. These 9 products are panels, including a hexagon pattern, and end stands, one of which holds a planter. Measure the run in feet first, then list panels and stands as separate lines, since a run is built from both.

Measure the run, then count the ends

Start with a string and a tape. Lay the string along the edge you want to mark, pull it tight and write down the feet. Every run has two ends, and an end stand is how a panel run finishes. The grid separates panels from stands, so a layout is a short shopping list rather than a single item.

One panel carries a hexagon pattern: a patio partition with a hexagon design, listed at 29.50 inches high. That is about the height of a dining tabletop, so a run of them marks the edge of the patio at table level. The partition end stand measures 36 inches high, 10 inches long and 10 wide.

Before you order, tape the run out on the pavement and walk it at the dinner rush. See where servers cut across, where a stroller needs to pass, and where a guest will lean on the end stand to wait for a table. A run that looks right on paper can pinch at a door.

Write down the exact count of panels and stands with the project. When you reorder or add a second run next spring, the list is already done.

Planters, prices and the corner problem

The stand with a planter, the partition end stand with planter, costs $585 against $375 for the plain stand. Prices for the group start around $375. Pieces are priced one by one, so a long run adds up fast.

Corners are where layouts go wrong on paper. Draw the run with every turn marked before you total the pieces, and if the shape gets complicated, a callback through talk to a specialist lets you talk it through.

Check the edge with the city

Sidewalk seating is often governed by the city, and some cities want a defined edge, a set width or a particular spot for a barrier. Ask the permit office what yours allows before you buy. The best partition in the grid does you no good if the inspector wants it a foot to the left.

Seats and tables behind the line still need their own room: about 36 inches for a service aisle and 18 to 24 inches for each chair to slide back. Look at patio tables and patio chairs next, then put the whole layout into patio plans so the run, the tables and the shade can be seen together. Umbrellas are one shelf over in patio umbrellas.