They Turned a Discarded Wood Fence Into a Cover for Their Outdoor AC Unit
Outdoor AC units can become one of the most visible objects beside a house, especially when the condenser sits next to a patio or open lawn. Clover House had one against their brick exterior and found the material for hiding it in an old wood fence that was being torn down.
Instead of sending the boards to the trash, they saved 22 fence pickets and turned them into a three-sided screen. Weathered gray and brown boards were kept as they were, while an open top and spaces between the pickets prevented the screen from becoming a solid box around the equipment.
Old Fence Pickets Were Saved From the Trash
Boards pulled from the demolished fence showed years of outdoor exposure, with dark brown pieces mixed among pale and gray pickets. Twenty-two boards in usable condition were selected from the pile.
Reusing fence material can solve other backyard eyesores, too. One Homedit project used leftover fence pickets to hide a flower pot without repotting the plant.
Grass Was Removed Around the Concrete Pad
Work began at ground level, where grass was cut away around the existing concrete base. A shallow section was cleared beyond the pad to make room for a rock border around the new screen.
Landscape fabric covered the exposed soil before the next layer went down.
River Rock Filled the New Border
Two bags of river rock covered the fabric and filled the space surrounding the concrete pad. Wood edging marked the transition between the stones and lawn.
This gave the screen its own footprint while keeping grass away from the base of the fence panels.
Weathered Boards Were Cut to Four Feet
Salvaged pickets were cut to 4 feet, keeping their pointed fence tops intact. New 2x4s supplied the horizontal supports needed to join individual boards into panels.
Differences between the boards were left visible rather than covered with one stain or paint color.
Three Separate Panels Formed the Screen
Pickets were fastened across horizontal supports with gaps between each board. Side panels used 1 1/4-inch spacing, while the front panel used 1 1/8-inch gaps to fit between them.
Building three panels also avoided creating one heavy enclosure that would be harder to move when the condenser needs service.
Original Weathering Became Part of the Design
Once upright, boards that looked mismatched in the discarded pile created a varied surface. Gray, tan, and dark brown pickets alternate across the screen, with knots and old marks still visible.
Pointed tops preserve enough of the original material to make its former use recognizable.
Finished Panels Hide the Metal Condenser
Three sides block direct views of the condenser from the yard while leaving the equipment accessible from behind. From this angle, the reclaimed wood becomes the dominant surface against the brick wall.
River rock runs beneath the panels and around the concrete pad, finishing the ground where grass had been removed.
Only Three New 2x4s Were Needed
Fence pickets, screws, landscape fabric, and river rock were materials the homeowners already had. Three 2x4s were purchased for the frame, bringing the reported project cost to about $10 at the time.
Most of the finished screen came from wood that had been headed for disposal.
Open Top Leaves Space Around the AC Unit
Fence panels stop below the top of the condenser, leaving its fan exposed rather than covering it with wood. Gaps between the vertical pickets add more open space around the unit, and the freestanding screen can be removed for maintenance.
AC manufacturers specify clearance requirements for their equipment, so a screen should be sized for the particular condenser rather than copying these dimensions. Airflow and service access need to remain open when placing any structure around an outdoor unit.
Would you build a wood screen around your outdoor AC unit? If you work in HVAC, tell us what homeowners should know before covering a condenser like this.
Image credits go to @Clover House.