[TrudyM]

OK I have decided that an open lanai or birdcage with a kissing lanai is useless. I am sitting on the little lanai and I can hear conversations and yelling at the dog from three different houses and they are not out in their lanai just in their houses with the sliders open. I have to say at this point those of you who know me know I talk a little (maybe more than a little) loud because I am second generation slightly hard of hearing and it is a habit. So hubby and I don't talk when sitting outside. So if I can hear them what do ordinary hearing people experience? When the people behind have people over I feel I need to go inside and close the slider or I am intruding on their party. I now understand why a lot of the previously owned houses we have looked at have glassed in their lanai. The first month we were here we were in a courtyard villa now we are in a cottage home. In the courtyard villa you could hear but it was more muffled and at least you have the illusion of privacy and don't feel like you are intruding on someone elses space. I hope our place out west sells for a good price because the premium for rear privacy is now very high.

If you put on a large birdcage can you put a wall up inside the birdcage, or do the birdcage ontop of a wall so you have the illusion of privacy?