Outdoor

Privacy Screen for Hiding AC Unit

Learn how to make this easy, customizable outdoor screen to hide an air conditioning unit.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2.3–4.3 hours
Cost: $$$

About this build

Learn how to make this easy, customizable outdoor screen to hide an air conditioning unit. These plans can be easily modified to boost curb appeal by hiding garbage/trash cans, electrical boxes, and other unsightly outdoor eyesores. Always be sure to respect clearance distances for your a/c unit.

Tools

Essential

Brad Nailer
Drill / Driver
Miter Saw
Pocket Hole Jig
Random Orbit Sander

Optional / nice to have

Bar / Pipe Clamps
Tape Measure

Materials

Item	Qty
Board, 1x4 96"	6 board
Cedar Fencing Boards, 1x6 72"	12 board
Outdoor Wood Glue	1 each
Wood Stain or Paint	1 each
Outdoor Urethane	1 each
Blue Coat 1" Kreg Screws	16 each
Pack of 1" Brad Nails	1 each
Pencil	1 each
Eye Protection	1 each
Box of 1.25" Exterior Screws	1 each

Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L
Frame Boards	8	1" × 4" × 48"
Fence Boards	12	1" × 6" × 53"

What to buy

Buy 20 boards at 8 ft.

1" × 6"

12 boards

1" × 4"

8 boards

Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →

Start building →

Instructions

1Cut Pieces to Desired Length
- Check with your air conditioning unit's user manual to be sure your privacy screen doesn't impede air flow. This screen gives our air conditioning unit 12 inches of space between the screen, plus plenty of airflow between the slats.
- Cut your wood to your desired length, and sand any rough edges.
2Assemble the Frame
- Lay out your frame on a flat surface, and decide the length of your legs. We chose to make our legs 5 inches.
- Mark your leg length on each end.
3Drill Pocket Holes
Using your Kreg Jig, drill two pocket holes on each end of the horizontal boards. I used holes 'a' and 'c'.
4Add Kreg Screws
Add construction adhesive to your boards, then secure the frame with your kreg screws. Using a right angle clamp helped keep the boards secure while attaching.
5Nail Fence Boards
- Space out your fence boards until you have a desired look. Be sure to keep the boards spaced far enough to allow proper airflow through your privacy screen.
- Add construction adhesive to the boards along the frame, and attach boards with nails using a brad nailer.
6Paint or Stain as Desired
Paint or stain your privacy screen as desired. This could be done at any step. We chose a stained look and finished with an outdoor sealer.
7Connect Frames with Screws
Once all of your frames are assembled, connect the frames using adhesive and screws. You can screw right from face of one frame into the side of another to secure them together.