A wall sleeve is the casing that supports your air conditioner as it slides into the wall. The wall you choose should border the outside of your home–it shouldn’t be an interior wall between 2 indoor rooms. Many experts suggest mounting your AC around 1 to 5 ft (0. 30 to 1. 52 m) off the floor. If you aren’t sure, consider speaking with an installation professional about placement.
There’s about 16 in (41 cm) of space between wall studs in most modern homes. If your house is on the older side, the wall studs may actually be 24 in (61 cm) apart. [3] X Research source
If you can’t find any dimensions, measure the sleeve itself with a ruler or tape measure.
This second, larger outline gives you enough clearance to install a supportive frame around your AC sleeve.
To be extra safe, slip on a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved shirt so you don’t get any fiberglass on your arms or legs.
You can also lightly slice around the edge of the outline with a drywall knife and knock out the bulk of the rectangle with a hammer. [9] X Research source Feel free to sand the edges of the wall if you want to smooth them out.
Wall studs resemble vertical planks running through your walls.
When put together, these 4 dots create the rectangular outline of your wall opening. Home improvement experts don’t recommend a specific drill bit size for this project–just make sure that your bit is large enough to create noticeable holes through your exterior wall.
If your home’s exterior is made of stucco, it may help to carve a 1⁄4 in (0. 64 cm) thick outline around your sketch first (using a circular saw). Then, you may have to manually chisel the stucco so you can access and cut away the chicken wire underneath. [13] X Research source
If you’re having trouble nailing the frame together, use corner brackets or wood glue instead.
The wall sleeve comes with your AC unit.
Some air conditioning units may come with a frame-like border that goes around the front of the device.
You can find strips of foam at your local hardware or home improvement store. This is a good time to make any repairs and fixes to your interior drywall, too.
Check the package of the caulk for specific drying times and wait until the caulk has fully dried and hardened before you install your air conditioning unit. At this point, you can turn the power back on.
