DIY Do it Yourself or Not®

Some of us have something to hide, such as a not-so-attractive air conditioning unit or a cement pad intended for bulky garbage cans. Vinyl lattice panels provide a good-looking cover up and create an attractive backdrop for any landscape. Even an eyesore in your neighbor's yard can be shielded from view. These are versatile panels that will endure all kinds of weather, and require only a routine wash down with a garden spray to remove dirt.

Lattice material comes in white and green in 4-by-8-foot sections and U-shaped channels in 8-foot lengths. The channels frame the panels to create finished edges and are fastened together with screws. Both are sold in the building materials sections of home and garden centers and lumberyards. To build a 16-foot divider, you'll need four 4-by-8-foot plastic trellis panels, eight molded U-shaped channels, screws, crushed stone and pressure-treated end posts.

A handyman can build the divider and install it for $450. You can buy the materials and build it yourself for $240, saving 47 percent. The project involves digging the postholes, and setting the posts in a bed of crushed stone, then assembling the panels in the channels and fastening them together with a screwdriver. Use a carpenter's level to make sure the divider is straight and level.

For more ideas about building projects with lattice panels, see Sunset's book "Trellises and Arbors."