One thing I haven't seen posted is the wind rating for single vs. double pane. We've been in our house just under a year. Previous owners enclosed the lanai with full length single pane sliders. We also have a mini split. All good so far. During the recent hurricane, we were sitting on our lanai when I heard an unusual moaning, squeaking sound. I happened to put my hand on the window frames and discovered they were bending with the wind! Totally freaked me out! We moved heavy furniture against the frames to support them and luckily no damage. Post hurricane found out the single pane windows and frames are rated for just about where the wind speed was. Had the storm been much stronger, there's no doubt in my mind that the sliders/windows might have given way. Lesson learned: if a stronger storm passes over us, we move our belonging inside the main part of the house....just in case.
Otherwise, single pane setup is just fine and unless you can afford the upcharge for the double pane, you likely will be fine with the single pane (decision on a mini-split is separate).
I wouldn't extend the main HVAC system into the lanai - 1. the original system may not be able to handle the extra load and 2. without proper permitting, you could have a problem down the road if you ever need to sell the house. Fla is tricky about those sort of things.
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