Lanai Remodeling Questions

[ron122049]

Hi Villagers,
We are looking for a reputable contractor to finish our lanai in the Hillsborough community. I have 2 estimates but they are many thousands of dollars apart. One contractor is very good about responding to emails but expensive in my opinion. The other came in much cheaper but has not responded to my follow up questions after giving me a much lower estimate.The first includes insulation for the ceiling and double pane windows. The cheaper is quoting single pane windows. We want the area to be warm in the winter and pleasant in the summer. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding materials or a reliable lanai contractor? We want the job done right but obviously don't want to over build either. Thanks for your input and recomendations.

[theorem painter]

If you want your lanai to be warm in the winter and pleasant in the summer that isn't going to happen with single pane windows unless you plan to spend a lot of money on heating and a/c. It sounds like your low bid is just that - low quality and low customer service. Why don't you try a third estimate?

[Yorio]

I am sitting at a lanai turned into a Florida room last October. Outside is a bit nippy but with the sun out, enclosed lanai is a delight. As I type you this reply, you won't go wrong with Randi Services if you don't have their estimate. If you have his and if it is a bit expensive, I would recommend going with him. He is very busy so he may have increased his price, but once he commits, he sticks to it.

[Jim Wilson]

Sometimes (often times) the cheapest price is not always the best choice and can be the most expensive one in the end!

[rjm1cc]

What is being done with the HVAC system?

[ron122049]

What is being done with the HVAC system?

There was no mention of that by either contractor. From what I am hearing though it sounds like insulated windows are a must. Do you agree?

[ron122049]

Sometimes (often times) the cheapest price is not always the best choice and can be the most expensive one in the end!

I fully agree. We are not looking for the cheapest. Don't want to get hosed either. That's why I am inviting responses from folks who have lived here a while. Thanks for your reply. Any other thoughts?

[Philip Winkler]

We were very pleased with the work that KB Construction(Matt and Rocky) 352-470-5627 did. They do the estimate and the work and are very responsive. We also added 3M film. KB recommended a HVAC guy to install a Mitsubishi heat pump system; it is very efficient and quiet.

We can now enjoy our lanai without all of the dirt and pollen. Our only regret--we wish we had done this sooner!

[TNLAKEPANDA]

To me a Lanai the is totally enclosed with windows, heat and air is nothing more than what you already have in your LR. Personally I enjoy sitting on a screened porch (Lanai) but to each their own. I would definitely spend the money for dual pain good windows though. If you tint them you may find your house LR very dark.

[jj6426]

We are also looking for someone to enclose our lanai and we were very impressed with Matt, the owner of KB Construction, after we spoke to him about the job. His price seemed fair (not as high as others) and he really seemed to know what he was talking about. We will be calling him when we are ready to have the job done.