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Homeowner Forum / Repair / July 2009Creating dead zone around AC unit
My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are so deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed finds the area delightful and it's eating my air conditioner. I thought of covering the whole area with plastic and then a few inches of stones right up to the foundation, but I have another concern. In winter, it's not uncommon for several feet of snow to drift into that corner. When it melts, I'm not sure I want that much water ponding in the plastic and overflowing along the edges near the cinder block. The basement's always been dry, but still, something about the plastic idea seems iffy. So, some sort of landscape fabric seems like a better option. Regardless of the material on top, I'm thinking of edging it with Trex buried with just enough above ground to contain 2-3 inches of stones. Comments? > My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are so > deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed finds [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Comments? Agent Orange or the current commercial equivalent? Lou >> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are >> so [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Lou I avoid weed killers, since so many animals use my yard as a dinner table, but I might make an exception in this instance because once the area is covered, nothing will be eating there unless there's a type of animal which eats stones the size of ping pong balls. >>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are >>> so [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > covered, nothing will be eating there unless there's a type of animal which > eats stones the size of ping pong balls. And if there is you might hope the bad stuff gets it:-)) >Agent Orange or the current commercial equivalent? what IS the current commerical equiv that you can buy at Lowe's? >>Agent Orange or the current commercial equivalent? > >what IS the current commerical equiv that you can buy >at Lowe's? 2-4-D is still available, at least in Oregon. It was a component of Agent Orange, along with 2-4-5-TP, if memory serves. There are some other weed killers which proport to have an extended effect for up to a year. >>>Agent Orange or the current commercial equivalent? >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > There are some other weed killers which proport to have an extended > effect for up to a year. Ortho® GroundClear® Vegetation Killer touts 1 year death zone. Kills existing vegetation and prevents new growth for up to 1 year Used to be called Ortho® Triox® It absolutely worked. > >Agent Orange or the current commercial equivalent? > > what IS the current commerical equiv that you can buy > at Lowe's? Tractor hydraulic fluid, and "purple" degreaser come to mind... >My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are so >deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed finds [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Comments? How about just grading the area so that water runs off the plastic rather than ponding. Direct it away from the house. If you wanted to get fancy, install a french drain system. Hmm. A French drain. Does that mean it only works 30 hours a week, drinks up all your red wine, and has a mistress on the side?  SignatureChristopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org . How about just grading the area so that water runs off the plastic rather than ponding. Direct it away from the house. If you wanted to get fancy, install a french drain system. > Hmm. A French drain. Does that mean it only works 30 hours a > week, drinks up all your red wine, and has a mistress on the > side? So the jerks are coming to watch now. Still ostentatiously wearing your religion on your sleeve, like Elmer Gantry, while mocking a people you don't even know? Your a class . . ., make that a half class act Mormon. Signature- Billy There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. Will Rogers http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm http://www.tomdispatch.com/p/zinn Oh geez. MORE chemicals. No wonder our water is pollluted! Rather amusing when one poster mentions the availability of certain types of chemicals and then says " ... if memory serves me"! Remember that DDT was a wonder chemical back in the 1940s and 50s? Now considered posonous and having a long persistence. Maybe that got to him either before birth or afterwards? At the rate we uses herbicides and pesticides none of us will have any memory ....... at least those we can recollect using! BTW which chemical/s is it that is affecting human sperm and or causing fewer males to be born. > Oh geez. MORE chemicals. No wonder our water is pollluted! > Rather amusing when one poster mentions the availability of certain [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > BTW which chemical/s is it that is affecting human sperm and or > causing fewer males to be born. Beer. > My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are > so [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Comments? A course or three of paver blocks is a zillion times better than spending your life cussing small stones. >> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are >> so [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> >> Comments? Landscaping fabric allows water to go through and inhibits weed growth. It can be put under a layer of gravel instead of plastic. >>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves >>> are so [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Landscaping fabric allows water to go through and inhibits weed growth. It > can be put under a layer of gravel instead of plastic. Why not a precast concrete or recycled pop bottle AC pad, tilted slightly away from the house to prevent ponding? They come in several sizes, and can pretty easily be slipped under the AC unit without disconnecting it. May need a few shims under the coil box to keep it level, but that is easy enough. If there is slack in the cables and hoses, also a good idea to raise the box up a few inches. -- aem sends... >>>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves >>>> are so [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > enough. If there is slack in the cables and hoses, also a good idea to > raise the box up a few inches. That's what I have, one of those cast fiberglass like pads, I always thought that was the manditory default, had one at my last house too. I'm sure it would require a few strong backs to insert a pad after the fact: http://i39.tinypic.com/m75dhc.jpg >>>>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves >>>>> are so [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > sure it would require a few strong backs to insert a pad after the fact: > http://i39.tinypic.com/m75dhc.jpg I've got the same type of pad, but still, I'd like a barren area for a foot or two around the thing. >>>>>> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves >>>>>> are so [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > I've got the same type of pad, but still, I'd like a barren area for a > foot or two around the thing. Then I think the patio pavers would be the best solution. I just string trim, would still need to edge around patio blocks or anything else, but I've no idea if you have lawn. I'd choose most anything before small stones... a plastic edging filled with pine bark nuggets like I have prevents weeds (I have barrier cloth under the nuggets). I had to install the fence as that is the third shrub, deer got the previous two... nothing else works other than fencing. Originally I had no fence, a week later I had no shrub, that little cyprus is long gone: http://i39.tinypic.com/2pzf8yd.jpg You can use 6X6 landscape ties too... one morning I woke up to shrubs munched down to nubs, so that's why I now have fence all around: http://i44.tinypic.com/119qjya.jpg Once the shrubs grow and the galvanized wire fencing dulls it's not very noticeable: http://i43.tinypic.com/zsscw1.jpg I learned long ago not to skimp on landscaping lumber/materials, I hate do overs. I spent a fortune on every deer repellant on the market, spent many, many hours spraying, even in fridgid winter weather, and then having to wash the stink off my clothes and myself... all to no avail... only a fence works. > http://i39.tinypic.com/m75dhc.jpg whose that pussy in the window? >> http://i39.tinypic.com/m75dhc.jpg > > whose that pussy in the window? Finally someone perceptive. That's The Jilly, the world's only MENSA cat: http://i44.tinypic.com/2j28col.jpg >> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are >> so [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > A course or three of paver blocks is a zillion times better than spending > your life cussing small stones. That's an interesting idea. Could be disassembled like Legos if necessary, too. > My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are so > deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed finds [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Comments? You are right about the plastic being a bad idea. We have landscape fabric, available in different strengths, with river rock on top and used in similar areas where nothing grows. We have Trex on our finger dock, about 7 years old. Full sun, all day, Florida. Concrete pavers or black vinyl lawn edging work nicely around the rock and contain it well. > My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves > are so deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Comments? We killed a law area once with newspaper. Thick layer, hold down with rocks. I have to do something like you want in the corner where our AC is. SignatureBest regards Han email address is invalid >> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves >> are so deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > rocks. I have to do something like you want in the corner where our AC > is. Have heard that one before and it works. >> We killed a law area once with newspaper. Thick layer, hold down >> with rocks. I have to do something like you want in the corner >> where our AC is. >> > Have heard that one before and it works. Corrugated cardboard also works, with the added benefit of lasting a couple of years. Jon >> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves >> are so deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > rocks. I have to do something like you want in the corner where our AC > is. I use newspaper in some of my vegetable & flower beds. Works, but it'll be gone in a season. Not appropriate for the area I'm talking about here. Kept attorneys out of the law area? SignatureChristopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org . We killed a law area once with newspaper. Thick layer, hold down with rocks. I have to do something like you want in the corner where our AC is. SignatureBest regards Han email address is invalid > My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are > so [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Comments? I'm just trying to imagine an AC compressor mounted on cinder blocks. Won't happen for me... SignatureDave > My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are > so deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Comments? I'd be helpful to have more information on the type of bindweed. Tell us. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_bindweed and other types. SignatureBud >> My central air conditioning unit is located in a spot where the eaves are >> so deep that even after lots of rain, it's still bone dry, but bindweed [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_bindweed > and other types. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulus No idea which species, no need to find out in order to solve the problem. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulus > > No idea which species, no need to find out in order to solve the > problem. That's the weed that is giving you trouble? We used to call it "pispot". The Dutch spelling doesn't hide the meaning. Never knew it was any trouble, just a weed. SignatureBest regards Han email address is invalid >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulus >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > The Dutch spelling doesn't hide the meaning. Never knew it was any > trouble, just a weed. Yeah, it's one of those - whichever one grows all over western NY. It's actually a good ground cover, as long as there's nothing nearby which you do NOT want it to wrap itself around, like your favorite plants, shrubs, air conditioning unit, car or children. |
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