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Your AC unit, a necessity in most homes. It’s that big, ugly box that sits outside your house, sticking out amidst the beautiful landscaping you’ve worked so hard to create and maintain. You can’t change the face of your exterior air conditioning unit, but you can disguise it!

Through some creative DIY and a bit of elbow grease, you can hide your air conditioner unit (eyesore) and build a cover that has some great benefits. Add a bit of beauty to your yard, protect your air conditioning unit from landscaping and yard debris, and even deter theft! Copper theft from air conditioners does occur; hiding your unit out of sight will help to prevent your home from being a target of this expensive crime. If your unit is located where it is visible to anyone passing by, or in an area not protected by a locking fence and gate, creating a DIY air conditioner cover is a smart idea.

Your DIY air conditioner cover can be as simple or as fancy as you’d like. A few things to remember though when you’re building a cover to disguise your air conditioner:

• No matter what you create, your air conditioner should still be accessible. In the event your unit requires repair, your HVAC technician needs to be able to access the exterior air conditioner, so make sure there is an easy access point, such as a removable panel or open side at the rear of the unit.
• Do not limit airflow! Air needs to flow freely around the exterior air conditioner for it to function properly. If your cover is positioned too close to the unit, it won’t receive adequate airflow. Create a design that leaves plenty of space between the cover and the air conditioner to allow air to reach the unit.

Below are some examples of great DIY air conditioner covers to help inspire you as you get to work planning your own DIY air conditioner cover design!

1. Use left over fencing

   Create an AC cover that matches your home’s fencing — maybe you even have leftover building materials you can use. These homeowners  created this DIY AC cover using recycled fencing materials:

   

2. Make a fun mosaic AC cover

   Go all out and create a real work of art that not only covers your air conditioner, but makes a beautiful addition to your landscaping. Check out this mosaic AC cover:

   

3. Use premade lattice

   Build a quick and easy air conditioner cover using premade lattice purchased from your local hardware store, like this one:

   

Let us know if you try this! We would love to see your finished project!