Cover An Unsightly AC Unit With A DIY Wooden Pallet Project

While air conditioning systems surely make houses more comfortable, they do not exactly contribute to making them more attractive, especially from the outside. If you have an exterior AC unit sitting exposed and ruining the view of your house, then we have a DIY wooden pallet project to improve your yard or facade. In a one-minute video, YouTube user Making Manzanita shares how the assembled wood strips are repurposed into a neat-looking fence to cover the unit. Not only is it easy to do, but the choice of material also makes it an affordable solution.

As people try to make homes more resistant to climate change, air conditioning has become more than a luxury but a necessity, especially for regions where the temperature gets hotter than the blue blazes. With some creativity and a bit of handyman skills, it is possible to have a place that is cool on the inside and beautiful on the outside, all without spending much, if not nothing at all.

This AC unit cover is a clever way to upcycle leftover pallet wood for your garden or home exterior. If you are a DIY enthusiast, chances are you have a pile of them waiting for your next project. Otherwise, there are many local establishments and other places where you can get used pallets for free or at very low prices. Take note, however, that you will need units that are still fixed together and intact. Apart from this, you will also need a wood saw, screws, and a screwdriver.

First, cut your pallet into the needed lengths. You will need three segments to form a square layout adjacent to the exterior wall of your house, fully covering the AC unit on all sides. Leave some space, however, about a feet, between it and the fencing. When you cut across the wood slats, run your saw along the edge of the interior studs or the wood piece that is sandwiched inside the pallet. This will give a flat end-side for your fence sections where they can be jointed together. Screw the sections together in 45-degree angles. Finally, add a horizontal trim as a top piece to cover your fence.

There are several types of air conditioning. But if your house uses a split-type AC system, like most, then it is sure to come with an exterior component. Some are wall-mounted, while others are set on the ground. A pipe connects it to its counterpart assembly installed indoors. This condenser unit, as it is technically called, expels the warm air from the inside to the outside of the house. That is why it is placed outdoors. Otherwise, the room will not get cool. Moreover, all the mechanical noise comes from your condenser, which is all the more reason for it to stay outside.

A split-type AC unit works by continuously circulating a chemical refrigerant between the interior and exterior units. The refrigerant starts as a liquid in the interior unit that absorbs the room's warm air. It changes to the gas form as it heats up before being transferred to the exterior unit through the connecting pipe. Here, the refrigerant passes through a series of coils. A blower fan cools the coils, releasing the heat outdoors. Inversely, the refrigerant condenses into its liquid form once cooled and is pumped back to the interior unit to repeat the process.