"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
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"brooklyn1" wrote in message
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"aemeijers" wrote in message
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Art Todesco wrote:
brooklyn1 wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
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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?

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.



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


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.