Home Rehab Outdoor,  Landscape,  Outdoor

Let’s Hide the AirConditioning Unit!

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I don’t know about you, but I really dislike looking at the utility units around our house! The air conditioning unit is at the back of the house and our utility boxes and gas meter are all on one the side in the front. Even though the ones in front are painted a dark grey and the siding is light grey, they stood out like sore thumbs. So, awhile back, I decided to try to camouflage them with a little DIY. Now, I am thinking of hiding the AC unit!

Utility screen & meter box

To help conceal the utility boxes along the side of the front of the house, I made a screen & for the gas meter, a box. To create them, I used vinyl lattice & 1 x 2 boards. Those projects can be found here or by clicking on the pics below. I planted vines in the buckets that held the screen, and the gas meter box is really easy to remove. Our meter is read electronically, so the box has only needed to be moved when they replaced the meter. I like how the side of the house looks now! While they were pretty simple and quick to create, I went in another direction when I decided to camouflage the air conditioning unit.

Table Of Contents
  1. Utility screen & meter box
  2. Air Conditioning Unit
  3. Should I try to hide it?
  4. Build or buy?
  5. Step 1 – Open box & read directions
  6. Step 2 – Assemble panels
  7. Step 3 – Attach the screens & add the caps
  8. Step 4 – Install around AC unit
  9. Thoughts on this project
  10. Before & After
  11. Supplied Used
  12. Instructions
  13. For your convenience
  14. Want more project ideas?

Air Conditioning Unit

A couple of years ago, we had air conditioning installed. We’ve considered AC before but always put it off because we didn’t usually have a lot of really hot summer days. But last summer was SO hot that we broke down and finally got it. We LOVE having a cool house in the summer, but do not love the look of the air conditioning unit! Before it was installed, I called the Company that would be installing the unit to ask what color it was. Yes, I’m that person. I was told it was grey. Perfect! At least it would somewhat blend with the siding. However, when they brought it to install, it was not grey but brown. WHO confuses brown for grey???!

As you can see, it clearly is not grey. While I was disappointed, my only options (as I saw it) were to:

#1 paint it or #2 live with it.

I chose not to paint it since it’s connected to natural gas & I didn’t want to be spray painting around gas. So, I just lived with it. Besides, the pool railing sorta covered it.

Should I try to hide it?

Yes, the railing sorta covered it, but not really. Every time I was floating in the pool, enjoying the backyard views, it bugged me that the unit was brown. We won’t even talk about the black foam covering the pipe that goes up the wall – I may have to address that with another project in the future. SO, after ‘living’ with the brown AC unit last summer, this summer, I decided to do something about it.

Build or buy?

As you probably know, I am a DIY fanatic! If I need something or want to change something, I try to do it myself – usually from scratch. Doing so gives me a great deal of satisfaction! Well, this summer was so filled with repairing, repainting, regrouting, rebuilding, that I thought it would be nice to buy something ready-made to cover what I consider an eyesore that sits very close to my pool deck.

After a brief search, I found this vinyl 2-piece screen for just over $60! Yes! I bought it right away. I was thrilled that it would only take a few minutes to install!

Step 1 – Open box & read directions

When the box arrived, I was surprised at its shape. Why was it so small? I thought the two screens already assembled? Obviously, I didn’t look at all of the pictures on the listing.

So, when I opened the box, I saw why it was small the two ‘screens’ were in pieces. I guess my quick and easy AC unit cover was not going to be quite as quick as I had expected.

I took out the instruction manual, gave it a quick read, removed the pieces, and prepared to assemble the screens.

Step 2 – Assemble panels

Before starting the assembly, I laid the slats on the workbench by size with the longest ones on the outside and the shortest one in the middle.

I then laid the cross bars on my working table. Starting with the left side, I fed each slate through the top bar, middle bar, and then snapped them into the bottom bar.

Once all the slats were installed, I fed the legs through the cross bars in the same manner. With the legs were in place, I secured them with the screws that were provided. The holes for the screws are pre-drilled.

Initially, I attached the stakes, but hubby suggested we try just sitting the screen in the bark instead of digging holes for the stakes. I removed the stakes to give that a try.

Step 3 – Attach the screens & add the caps

The hardware to attach the screens together is included but there are no pre-drilled holes. I set one screen on each side of the workbench then clamped them together to hold them in place while I drilled for the screws. Due to the tight working area, I used a manual screwdriver to insert the screws.

Step 4 – Install around AC unit

The final step in this project was to ‘install’ the screen around the AC unit. Hubby and I carried it out – although, it is lightweight enough for one person to carry. I moved aside the bark that would be under the screen, set the screen in place, and pushed the bark up close to it. Voila! Easy and adorable!

Thoughts on this project

Even though this didn’t start out as a DIY project, since the screens came in pieces, it ended up being one. Was it as much work as starting from scratch? Nope.

Starting from scratch would include measuring for materials, driving to the hardware store, cutting, sanding, and painting before assembling. While I enjoy all of those aspects of a project, it was fun to have one that merely involved assembling!

Before & After

I know that most people would be just fine with their AC unit uncovered and neatly tucked behind their pool deck; but for me, adding the screen has increased my viewing pleasure while floating in my pool or working in the backyard.

Before

After

Now I just need to fix this eyesore! Maybe some light grey paint? What do you think? Reply in the COMMENT section below.

Supplied Used

  1. Drill
  2. Screwdriver
  3. Rubber mallet
  4. Clamps
  5. Vinyl privacy screen

Instructions

  • Open box
  • Read instructions
  • Assemble each screen
  • Attach screens together with hardware that is provided
  • Install around AC unit

For your convenience

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to order through these links, it will be at no extra cost to you

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