Mechthild Muntel feels at home in her newly landscaped garden and is delighted by the many compliments she receives from guests, neighbors, and passersby on her redesigned "outdoor wellness area." Following her own plans and with a great deal of creativity and practicality, the 67-year-old has transformed a neglected property, left to its own devices for years, into a first-class garden. It's not just the new terrace with sauna area or the beautifully landscaped herb beds that attract attention. She is frequently complimented on her new privacy fence, which fits perfectly into the overall ambiance of the property. It comes from the product range of the Franconian manufacturer of wood composite systems, NATURinFORM. Its name: "DER EFFEKTIVE" (The Effective One).

When Mechthild Muntel from Thuine in Emsland – an idyllic village with an intact village structure located about ten kilometers east of Lingen – repurchased the house in which she had previously lived for many years, she faced major challenges. The building had been unoccupied for many years, and extensive renovation work, including a new roof, was urgently needed. The approximately 400-square-meter garden, which she had once lovingly tended and cared for, had been reclaimed by nature. As a passionate gardener, the owner of a hair salon immediately took action, thinking about and planning what her new refuge should look like. Her main focus was ease of maintenance, but she also wanted to create a suitable habitat for bees and butterflies. This led her to create a picture of the new garden: with paved walkways and stylish seating areas, as well as numerous bordered beds for wildflowers, medicinal herbs, and rock plants. The ravages of time had also taken their toll on the old wooden fence, becoming completely dilapidated over the years. Mechthild Muntel knew one thing: something different was needed. With her drawings under her arm, she headed to the Vogt building materials store in neighboring Wietmarschen and looked at the possible materials on site. At the landscaping exhibition there, she discovered the "Effective" privacy screen in anthracite from NATURinFORM. "The material immediately appealed to me in terms of its appearance, as the color of the fence matched the new roof perfectly," Mechthild Muntel recalls. After the sales consultant at Baustoffe Vogt explained the technical material properties and practical advantages of the visual and noise protection, the decision was made: "I want that." She wanted an indestructible, attractive privacy screen that would make her property invisible from the outside and thus offer her more privacy. There are parking spaces in front of the house and the outbuilding with its hairdressing salon, and the busy main road also runs there, while a kindergarten is located at the rear of the property.

Affordable, variable, indestructible: “THE EFFECTIVE”

The Franconian company NATURinFORM, known for its high-quality and weather-resistant products made from wood composite systems, develops its fence systems in line with growing requirements and increasing customer demand. As a cost-effective option in the manufacturer's product range, "Der Effektive" (The Effective One) in brown, anthracite, and titanium gray offers a wide variety of designs, as its modular structure allows for a free choice of heights and widths. It offers a high degree of design freedom for all applicable designs. The fence system, which is secured with aluminum posts as ground anchors or with a concrete slab for dowelling, can be installed quickly and easily using simple assembly instructions. The do-it-yourself kit, including the assembly kit, is delivered in modules measuring 180 x 180 centimeters. In the first step, the aluminum posts are either doweled to a base plate at a distance of 180 centimeters or firmly concreted into the ground using a ground anchor. The slats, each with a tongue and groove design, are then slotted onto and over one another. The height of the privacy screen can be variably adjusted as needed. The privacy fence impresses with the durable and elegant wood look of its unbrushed surface with decorative grooves. The robust wood composite material is manufactured at NATURinFORM in Redwitz ad Rodach in a 70:30 ratio from the fibers of local wood and an environmentally friendly, single-variety polymer. This innovative material requires no additional maintenance such as painting or oiling during its (long) service life. This eliminates the need for solvent-based chemicals.

GaLaBauer appreciates the material properties of the wood composite

After Mechthild Muntel had selected the materials required for the redesign of her garden, Baustoffe Vogt recommended the gardening company JBW GaLaBAU, also based in Wietmarschen, for the professional implementation of her project. "They were very impressed with the plans I submitted, and I received a 3D animation based on my drawings," says Mechthild Muntel, describing the extremely positive collaboration with the team led by company boss Johannes Bruns. Then the work began. The JBW GaLaBAU crew arrived with heavy equipment, completely plowed the old garden, and removed the existing trees and plants. Then the new beds and a small waterfall were built, and the areas were paved, before the new trees, shrubs, and flowers were planted. The garden oasis was completed with the new privacy fence. Before the 22 elements of the "effective" structure were installed, the corresponding aluminum posts were concreted in. A task that was easy for the team, as Johannes Bruns' employees already have extensive experience with this material, both in privacy fences and in the construction of terraces. "We value the wood composite systems because they are extremely durable and more colorfast – even in intense sunlight," says Johannes Bruns. "And unlike wood, this material doesn't splinter," the owner cites another major advantage that is particularly appreciated by those who cover their terraces and balconies with the material. Johannes Bruns, who founded his company ten years ago and now employs 17 people, implemented his customer's wishes and specifications to great satisfaction: different levels, a waterfall, a diverse selection of plants, and, last but not least, the new fence "with plenty of angles and slopes." "We've created something very beautiful here on a relatively small plot of land," says the gardener, who is also satisfied with his work. The company founder cites the quick and careful execution of all garden and landscaping activities as the reason for his young team's success. Due to its geographical location in Wietmarschen (Grafschaft Bentheim district), Bruns accepts contracts in the Emsland region, the Grafschaft Bentheim district, the Osnabrück region, and northern Münsterland. "Our customers value our expertise and excellent value for money – these are the key reasons for the long-lasting partnerships we maintain with them," says Bruns, who offers everything from consulting to planning, implementation, and maintenance from a single source. His company is a member of the Lower Saxony-Bremen Association of Garden, Landscape, and Sports Field Construction and a training company for garden and landscape construction professionals.

Close development requires private spaces

Living space is becoming increasingly scarce, and building plots are becoming more expensive. As a result, residential areas are becoming more densely built, and houses and gardens are moving ever closer together. Even the smallest of gardens, users desire a private retreat, protected from prying eyes and without the disturbing noise from the neighborhood or nearby traffic. Privacy fences are therefore not only found along busy roads and industrial zones; they are increasingly being used in residential areas as well: for protection, but also to enhance private properties. Mechthild Muntel is firmly convinced that she made the absolutely right decision with the new privacy fence from NATURinFORM. She enjoys the heavenly peace in her idyllic garden – apart from the chirping of birds, the trickling of the waterfall, and the chiming of the bells of the neighboring St. George's Church – without the neighbors watching.