View Full Version : Lanais Enclosures
Packer Fan
02-12-2023, 08:34 PM
I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages
thelegges
02-13-2023, 01:57 AM
We went to open houses that had enclosed lanai, sitting for 10 minutes. Single pane if there was any noise outside, (cars, lawn mowers, barking or sometimes loud talking) it was as if there wasn't a window there at all.
Double did a better job for noise, but we found a triple that seemed close to sound proof.
Splinters, In full sun without shades they seemed to work ok. Full shade, I would hold off until you live with it awhile. Open windows and see what works.
We choose not to enclose, we enjoy the outside, have water resistant curtains that keeps elements out if needed.
rjn5656
02-13-2023, 08:07 AM
Double pain and mini split
Worth the extra money for double pain.
Mini split works great when very hot in summer. New splits mount in the ceiling, much more aesthetic looking.
I had 2 house, one with knee wall, new house we put sliders in. Prefer the slider so we can access the back area, open to fresh air, etc.
Bilyclub
02-13-2023, 09:00 AM
How do you clean the windows on glass sliders which have the fixed screens on the outside ?
laboutj
02-13-2023, 10:42 AM
I have double pane sliders that are about 6 feet tall and no mini split. Pretty good at keeping noise out. Our lanai faces east and it does get pretty warm during the day but we haven't invested in a mini split as we are thinking about moving. We would not purchase a house that didn't have the lanai enclosed.
vintageogauge
02-13-2023, 12:14 PM
How do you clean the windows on glass sliders which have the fixed screens on the outside ?
We have double pane sliders along with sliding screens so we can open to 50% fresh air when the weather permits and close them up when hot or cold and it makes it very easy to clean the windows by simply sliding the screens.. We use a floor room AC that works just fine except in the sunniest hottest days of the year.
KjLjGooding
02-14-2023, 04:19 AM
How do you clean the windows on glass sliders which have the fixed screens on the outside ?
I’m watching for answers to this! We have been taking them down and cleaning but now it’s just too hard for us. Assuming we have to hire someone to come and clean them.
Raywatkins
02-14-2023, 05:01 AM
We had ours enclosed 5 years ago.
We went for knee high wall, opened the access into the Florida room and had a single door with half glass installed in the centre back wall/window area. We had single glass and full air con, which classed the area as Cat 5 in Fl state terms. We have no noise or heat issues. However, that will largely depend on the aspect of the lanai to the sun and any busy roads. That was something our builder advised us on during the planning and estimation phase. He also co- ordinated the airco work with our supplier ((Munns).
mrrmauu
02-14-2023, 05:21 AM
Single pane, no mini split (yet).
I’ll make a decision on the mini split after this summer.
One question. I’ve also thought of cutting a register in the ceiling and running a 6 or 8” flex duct off the existing hvac system. Has anyone tried this or is there a valid reason not to do it?
jswirs
02-14-2023, 06:26 AM
I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages
We also are seriously considering enclosing our 18 X 24 foot lanai. If / when we do I would definitely go with double pane windows, (for noise reduction and temperature consistency),
and probably a mini split system, (for individual control of temperature). I'm also seriously considering taking on the job of the general contractor, and hiring individual companies who specialize in windows, roofing, HVAC, etc. I believe I may get a better job along with reduced cost. Any thoughts on this?
Blackbird45
02-14-2023, 06:44 AM
Without getting into the weeds, we have a double pane three door slider. We also kept the original slider in place. The advantage of this is we not only reduce the noise, but also maintain the temperature in the rest of the house. Other than a fan, we did not install air conditioning or heat and were told not to, or it would be considered a room and would be taxable. We have a dining table in the space and during the warmer months we open the sliders and have breakfast out there. We do have a birdcage outside with plaint growth so no one can see in. It was the best investment we ever made. As far as cost we have had it for years and I do not remember what we paid.
Berwin
02-14-2023, 06:50 AM
In our previous home, we had a totally glass sunroom (even ceiling). Definitely needed the double pane glass. We also had a mini-split heat pump which kept the room very comfortable year-round. On one occasion, our house A/C (gas heat) went out on a long weekend and we used the sunroom mini-split to keep the living area and bedroom livable until a service tech could come. We have cats and a dog so went with the knee-high option to keep the screens intact.
thevillager1988
02-14-2023, 07:01 AM
We have double pane, and all sliders (one fixed pane that was too small for a slider) and a mini split. We have a birdcage and pool. We can close off the house completely, and open the lanai sliders to the birdcage and pool. Or we can keep the lanai sliders closed and open the house to connect the lanai (which is our typical configuration). It works well for us.
mkjelenbaas
02-14-2023, 07:15 AM
I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages
Thanks for telling people how to behave on their answers - good luck in controlling responses - WOW!!
edtherock
02-14-2023, 07:28 AM
Bought an older house with single pane , acrylic/bronze color lanai sliding doors. Full top to bottom floor sliders and removable. Replaced all rollers. Polished scratches on acrylic. Installed mini split The room was unbearable in the summer. What I discovered was the attic above the lanai was sealed from the rest of the attic with plywood. In other words no acces to the attic above the lanai since it was originally built not to be living space- aka no taxes. I cut into the plywood to gain acces and then installed R 30 rolled insulation and also installed a ridge vent in the roof to let the heat out! Amazing what a difference that alone made. Then the mini split now enables us to sit in the lanai year round- even in 40 degree or 95 degree weather. Love it. QUOTE=Packer Fan;2186815]I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages[/QUOTE]
bonrich
02-14-2023, 07:32 AM
We have full size windows in our lanai, and are very pleased with them. We decided not to go the route of a/c, but added cool-a-roo blinds and they work. Also have ceiling fans if needed. One thing I wish I had done was to raise the floor of the lanai. I would have kept the interior sliders, but it would have been nice not to have a step down when entering the lanai.
nancyre
02-14-2023, 07:35 AM
Do not do a single pane if West facing. The prior owners enclosed it. The heat was horrible even with solar shades (inside), then I tinted it - better but still unusable in the summer. Finally installed a mini-split (heat and air) they come with or without heat. Now I can use it 365 comfortably. The direction of the lanai and shade makes a HUGE difference. I face west with NO Shade at all.
coconutmama
02-14-2023, 07:48 AM
Single pane full length sliders, mostly due to cost. Didn’t think double was necessary
Love the mini split. Use both temps seasonally. Comes to temperature within 20 minutes. Lanai is about 14x28.
We face west & have roll down shades, which are often at 1/2 down on whichever side the sun is coming in
Floor not raised.
We love it because the main house stays at a more consistent temperature year round, saving energy costs. Lanai is much cleaner. Although we hear some traffic noise (mostly fire engines) it makes our lanai a 4 season room. We no longer use our inside dining room.
The sliders are rated for hurricane cat 1. We took them out once but won’t bother again. But it is doable.
Only problem we ever had, 6 years later, is one latch snapped off (our error). It was replaced quickly at no charge
talonip
02-14-2023, 07:53 AM
We had a house with morning sun and we put full length single pane, shades and mini split. I have allergies and it was the best thing we ever did. That room was our go to room. Noise? If don’t want noise move to the country. The only time we had noise was when the lawn guy was out there. Cleaning the windows was easy. The sliders actually are removable and we had glass cleaners out and they removed them and cleaned the glass.
crash
02-14-2023, 08:03 AM
I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages
I have had single pane acrylic no mini split floor not raised, hated it. The only thing it would do is keep debris out. Too hot or cold to match the weather.
I have had double pane glass no mini split with raised floor and loved it. It was an Iris and by keeping the slider from the house open did not need a mini split to control temperature the house ac did just fine. The raise floor made it seem like a sun room and the no step made it much safer almost eliminating the tripping risk still a threshold.
Am currently replacing first scenario with dual glazed glass and raising the floor. Put in a knee wall at the end and sliders leading to the birdcage. I will wait and see if the house ac can keep the temperature good before deciding on the mini split.
Hope this helps.
lawgolfer
02-14-2023, 08:31 AM
I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages
We decided to convert the lanai into a home theater as we never used it as a traditional screened-in lanai.
This involved constructing a knee wall, traditional framing, stucco outside, sheet rock inside, raising the floor and adding large double-paned windows with electric roll down shades. Out airconditioner was already oversized and we only had to extend the ductwork into the new room and add a ceiling fan. The sliders which separated the lanai from the living room were removed and the opening finished with sheet rock. Of course, the flooring was extended from the living room into the new room.
We added an 85" TV and reclining leather chairs. It is now the most used room in the house when it was almost never used as a screened-in lanai.
MrFlorida
02-14-2023, 09:00 AM
How do you clean the windows on glass sliders which have the fixed screens on the outside ?
The glass sliders lift out for cleaning.
jimschlaefer
02-14-2023, 09:20 AM
You also may want to consider which direction your lanai faces. If North, as in our case, thermopanes may not be necessary. Thus full length window sliders may be desirable. Other directions, with direct sun, you may want to thermopanes which usually demand partial partitions if you want something that opens up.
Nadinefall
02-14-2023, 09:20 AM
I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages
We love our lanai, double pane full height sliders on 3 sides, mini split which is awesome. We raised the floor a little. Mini split is fantastic, very quick response to heat and cool. Our lanai opens to a birdcage so no screens.
Absolutely love the sliders, we can have open air or closed room.no trouble in any way, over a year now since we had them put in. My backyard is a road and sliders do a good job of reducing the noise but don’t eliminate it.
JDRVKR
02-14-2023, 09:22 AM
We have full length single pane sliders and a mini split. It works fine, however, since we face south the glass gets very hot. Would do double pane with a fixed glass bottom if doing over.
Bay Kid
02-14-2023, 09:25 AM
The glass sliders lift out for cleaning.
Mine are very heavy.
HJBeck
02-14-2023, 09:33 AM
We have a knee wall, single pane enclosed, 4 full windows. If lanai will get sun, it gets very warm. Did two things to improve. Insulated attic above it and had roll up Sunsetter awnings installed. Really helped to reduce thermal impact of sun. Before we did this we got estimates for mini split system ( far too expensive ).
Croan
02-14-2023, 10:09 AM
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.
edtherock
02-14-2023, 10:22 AM
:::We have the single pain acrylic on the palmer golf course and it clearly says on the 18 year old full length sliding doors - which are removable by lifting up and out- to take them out at winds over 74 mph. We have never had any issue leaving them. Half the lanai is in a bird cage (Which is screened of course) and half outside the birdcage with their own screens. My guess is the doors are pretty light- aluminum with the single pane acrylic- and it would be safer to store them inside the house if we had hurricane force winds. But in 20 years, no issues at all and never removed nor stored them. Our lanai faces east and with the r30 insulation installed to the attic over the lanai and installing a ridge vent to let that heat out, the lanai is used everyday summer and winter with the MiniSplit. It is basically now an extension of the great room of the house.._ TV / chairs / sofa etc.. Noise is not an issue for us with the single pane acrylic... good luck:wave:
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.
IndianaJones
02-14-2023, 10:43 AM
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000. Double Pane - you won’t regret it.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass? While the double pane does insulate better, our windows face west, so we installed a mini-split (Belleview Heating & Air did a great job) - definitely needed the mini-split.
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either? I have been in Florida 44 years - knee wall is better.
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care). We didn’t, but I wish we did.
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages[/QUOTE]
Hope this helps.
donfey
02-14-2023, 11:47 AM
How do you clean the windows on glass sliders which have the fixed screens on the outside ?
Lift the windows out. Simple and easy.
rnicholis
02-14-2023, 01:28 PM
I am asking a few simple questions as we are trying to decide - Please only answer if you have or have had a glass enclosed Lanai. I also don't want any mention of additional taxes or all that stuff. I don't care. The questions are -
1. Single or Double pane glass and why? Single Pane is $12,000 and double is $23,000.
2. Mini split air cond or not? Does it make a difference if you have single or double pane glass?
3. Knee wall or full height sliders? Any troubles with either?
4. Raise the floor or not? (again, not tax talk, I don't care).
I am in Sumter county. Please don't post an opinion if you don't have a glass enclosed Lanais in The Villages
I went with double pane windows and am glad I did. I have full height sliders as well and the higher quality glass has allowed me to keep my lanai open to our home with no significant temperature change in the lanai from our house without having to install a mini split or anything else. My home air conditioner and heat keeps everything comfortable with the use of our ceiling fans as needed. I would not have been able to do that with single pane glass. However, each situation is different, shape of the lanai, ours is octagonal, Boxwood model home; Lanai faces Northeast so gets some morning sun but is in the shade by 11am and I have a lot of insulation on top of the lanai. I have lived with these for 5 years and am so glad I purchased the higher quality glass, also warrantied for life, and needed to replace a large pane that got broken by a rock thrown up by our mowing service. Only paid about $80 for installation and that was covered by the mower.
rsmurano
02-14-2023, 06:52 PM
If you are going to do this, simply end the money and do it right so it looks like it’s an addition to your home. We used double pane windows, put electric and cables in the floor and posts, raised the floor to make it even with the house floor, used the same tile as the house so the lanai looks like it’s part of the house, insulated the ceiling, got nice solar blinds, and waited 1 year before buying a mini split heat pump, it got uncomfortable in the summer. We put in the ceiling mounted minimum split for the looks, I just think the wall mount mini split is ugly.
Also remember there are 5 levels of a lanai conversion where levels 4 & 5 you pay sumter county taxes. With all the things we did is a level 3 so we don’t pay taxes on these mods.
Quick note. All the mini splits on the market are controlled by a remote which is a terrible way to control your heating and cooling. I wanted to control the mini split with some smarts so I bought the the Cielo which allows me to program the mini split to come on when the temps drop below a certain temperature and turn off when the temp rises above a certain temp for heat and vic versus for cooling. Plus I can operate the mini split with my iPhone/iPad. I think I’m going to start installing and programming these for a small fee.
Aacosner
02-15-2023, 11:31 AM
How do you clean the windows on glass sliders which have the fixed screens on the outside ?
I slide them around in the opening and center the pane to be cleaned with the others fully off to one side. Then, I use a microfiber cloth wet with your favorite cleaner to reach behind and clean just half the window and then dry it with another microfiber cloth. If the pane is centered in the opening, the screen will have enough give to get your hand back and reach halfway across the pane without damaging the screen. Then go to the other side of the pane to reach back for the other half. You might need to step up on something to reach the top center.
Packer Fan
02-17-2023, 04:53 PM
If you are going to do this, simply end the money and do it right so it looks like it’s an addition to your home. We used double pane windows, put electric and cables in the floor and posts, raised the floor to make it even with the house floor, used the same tile as the house so the lanai looks like it’s part of the house, insulated the ceiling, got nice solar blinds, and waited 1 year before buying a mini split heat pump, it got uncomfortable in the summer. We put in the ceiling mounted minimum split for the looks, I just think the wall mount mini split is ugly.
Also remember there are 5 levels of a lanai conversion where levels 4 & 5 you pay sumter county taxes. With all the things we did is a level 3 so we don’t pay taxes on these mods.
Quick note. All the mini splits on the market are controlled by a remote which is a terrible way to control your heating and cooling. I wanted to control the mini split with some smarts so I bought the the Cielo which allows me to program the mini split to come on when the temps drop below a certain temperature and turn off when the temp rises above a certain temp for heat and vic versus for cooling. Plus I can operate the mini split with my iPhone/iPad. I think I’m going to start installing and programming these for a small fee.
That is your definition of "do it right". If I wanted to continue to live in Wisconsin then Maybe. I don't want an extension of my house, I want a florida room. Doing it right includes a 200 square foot screened Pergola and 200 square foot birdcage, and a hot tub. If I raise the floor to be even with the house, then I will have a step down to the Pergola and Birdcage. We would rather have all the outside on one level, deliniated from the house by the step down. Also, since all the single pane window voters said they loved it, I just can't justify 12,000 extra for double pane. I am doing all of this because I plan on spending most of my time outdoors, thats why I am moving to Florida to begin with..
Packer Fan
02-17-2023, 04:57 PM
Thank you everyone for Voting, for giving me your honest opinions, and for not repeating all the sad tax information and the like. I really appreciate it. Based on all the feedback, we are going with Single Pane, not raising the floor. We are going to have custom windows install floor to ceiling sliders. We are also adding a 200 sq ft screened pergola and a 200 sq foot birdcage and a hot tub. Not raising the floor will keep it all on the same level. If we need to later we will add a mini split air conditioner.
We are going with Single pane glass because all the people with Single pane were happy, so why spend the extra 12,000. To be honest, the other reason is Skip Smith has the same single pane setup and likes it. My wife had breakfast with his wife Sue the other day, and she said they were happy even without a mini split, they didn't feel the need to add one. We will see how it goes.
Thanks again for all the advice.
PS, village tinker, we will run it by ARC before we build, figured I would add that because you always make that comment :)
vBulletin® v3.8.11, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.