# window air conditioner outside panels...



## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

I should probably have mentioned that whatever I use needs to be cut to size and somehow fastened to stay. I guess aluminum but if I put a screw in it, there will be a hole and water will get in eventually, right? Jean


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Need a picture.
Trying to picture how sand, and wet sandy soil figure into a window A/C unit.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Perhaps PVC or pieces of HardiePlank which is a cement based product.


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## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

I'll post a picture tomorrow. It's not sand and wet sandy soil INTO AC unit; it's the pieces of wood that are used to block the openings on either side of the unit from the outside immediately after installation. Otherwise there would be about a 3-inch wide by 2-foot-long opening on each side of the AC unit from the outside. I guess it's the wiggle room needed to remove and install window units. Actually I wasn't sure whether to ask the question in appliances or in building/construction/carpentry.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

Aluminum would be best. Leave the wood. Screw the sheet on. Take out screw, squeeze caulk into the hole, then rescrew.


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## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

I like that -- except the wood is really spongy and literally covered with some sort of fungus or something, and I don't know if the screw will hold the aluminum in that soft wood? 

Maybe I could put a new piece of wood there and then screw the aluminum atop it? Because it's still in a shady area, would the new wood eventually rot and I would never know it because it's hidden by the aluminum? Seriously, I can't help the way I think. I don't even like siding on a house because you never know what's happening underneath it. I will post a picture tomorrow. I really appreciate your thoughts on the subject. It's 4:00 pm here in Florida and I'm shutting down for now.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

If the wood was not properly prepped, along with being exterior grade. It will rot. When I made a Plywood frame around mine, to help insulate between the expanding ends and the outside. Since it is too heavy and large to lift in and out of the window it is int.

I cut the Exterior grade plywood to fit. Then painted with exterior grade primer on both faces and on the ends. They painted two coats on both faces and all ends with a good exterior paint.

It has been in good shape for the past nine years with no signs of rot at all. It is also in direct sunlight all of the time.

I would bet that if the wood is holding moisture. Bugs are being attracted to it. Also you may find out that the sill is also rotted.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Covering that rotted wood is a bad idea. Gonna have to remove it all before considering any alternatives. Follow Gregzoll's instructions to make a NEW wood frame. Get rid of that rotten stuff.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Gymschu said:


> Covering that rotted wood is a bad idea. Gonna have to remove it all before considering any alternatives. Follow Gregzoll's instructions to make a NEW wood frame. Get rid of that rotten stuff.


Let them do their thing. They will be back to ask how to fix the frame, or why the air conditioner unit fell out of the window.


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## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

I absolutely will do as gregzoll says after de-rotting. I'm going to copy your recipe and give it to the carpenter. I need a new AC anyway. Thank you very very much. No picture coming.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

DIherself said:


> I absolutely will do as gregzoll says after de-rotting. I'm going to copy your recipe and give it to the carpenter. I need a new AC anyway. Thank you very very much. No picture coming.


Hopefully you did not take the last comment serious. Get the sill fixed. As for having a carpenter do the type of plywood framing I did. You can do it yourself. I used a Square, tape measure, hand saw, jigsaw for making the cuts. Just took my time getting the cuts square.

Then after I got the piece in. I put back on the upper Storm window that was there, and placed some caulk tape where the storm met the window frame, and where it met the top edge of the plywood.

I already had the wood in my garage. Just took it out of my stock and used it.

Now keep in mind that rot can go far inside the wall. You may find that you have moisture issues below the window, if it was allowed to be this way for a long time.


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## DIherself (Apr 26, 2011)

Thanks, Gregzoll. Clarification and a couple of questions first. The hole for the AC is underneath the window so the window is not involved. Won't that make it easier?

So, after the rot is repaired/replaced, I put the AC back in the window.
Then all I do is measure, cut the plywood and wedge the cut pieces on each side of the AC. Then I put caulk tape around the new plywood. That's it? 

Is the caulk tape made for exterior? The tape is going to get wet and shaded too, so I can't help but wonder if it will disintegrate and let moisture in between the unit and the plywood?


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

It is actually looks like an upside down U. I places a piece of PVC 1x4 under the two bolts to angle it. Placed foam pieces between the wood and plastic accordion ends on the unit.

After I installed the Plywood. Just sealed all around with a good outdoor rated Clear Silicone caulk.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

This sounds like a situation I ran into a few years back: Homeowner called and told me that she had two (2) window units in a rental house and that the wood on each side had rotted. Upon inspection she was correct, there were two (2) units that had plywood on each side and the plywood was so rotten you could push your finger through it. The window sills had rotted also. Each window had an aluminum awning over them, 1950 era homes? So where was this water coming from that kept this area so wet? Believe it or not- -on each side of her rental unit the owners had lawn sprinkler systems. Each side was getting a daily dose of water when the systems ran. Problem #1 was to get the neighbors on each side to allow me to re-aim a couple of sprinklers, no big deal with that one. Next was to replace the window sills and make new sides for the window A/C units, no big deal there. BUT then I had an idea, I used some leftover vinyl siding and covered the plywood on each side of the A/C units with this vinyl siding fitting it in really good. I fit and caulked everything in and it looks really nice. Even if the sprinklers get to spraying these windows again I don't think it would hurt them.


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