Lanai - enclosed? Open? Screened?

[Russ_Boston]

To help out us prospective buyers:

Lanais - Do you prefer yours open or enclosed? If open I assume you'd want it to be screened. I'd like to hear from those that don't have pools since i assume that those with pools have a screened lanai. But what the heck do I know, that's why I'm asking.

Let's hear about the pros and cons of open or enclosed.

[villager99]

i've left mine just screened as i like the open feel. i turn on the ceiling fan in summer and don a sweat shirt in winter. so i can use it year round.

[Avista]

Our lanai is enclosed acrylic. The acrylic is darkened (like sunglasses). We have 2 lounge chairs out there. I also put up a long folding table when we have a full house with grandchildren. I can serve a lot of people and with the children there is no carpeting to worry about.

It is a nice quiet room. Great for reading. When it is hot like this, we only use it in the morning. Then close the sliding door until evening. For about 9 months out of the year, we leave the sliding doors open and it stays cool. Windows slide completely open, so if we want, it is just like a screen lanai.

[nanci2539]

For those of you who just keep it screened, I assume you just have outdoor furniture in your lanai.

I've driven by (on myvisits) and saw many lanai's with TV's in the area so I have to assume if you use furniture or electronics that are not weather proof, you need some kind of enclosure like glass or acrylic?

And on another thread, they talked about if you enclosure the lanai, your assessment goes up. Is this statement only if you enclose it in glass or does it make a difference?

Is glass better than acyclic?

[SteveZ]

Florida building codes get tricky when you start having glass windows - different permit requirements as the "room" classification is changed, affecting electrical, taxing, etc.. That's why acrylic is popular.

Had a screen porch for years in Seminole County (FL) and rarely used the room due to weather conditions. After I put in acrylic, the screen porch became the den and it got year-round use.

In my recently purchased (July) TV home, I immediately planned for turning the lania into a, acrylic "den." Installation will occur in the beginning of October.

[dandt]

We love having acrylic (not glass!) with which we can totally close the lanai, but also keep the option of having it very open. We have a bird cage outside that, so we're still screened.

It really seems the best of both worlds.

[Russ_Boston]

I like that idea Dan - thanks.

[Happy Villager]

Our lanai was screened when we purchased the home and we had it enclosed with tinted vinyl. Without the windows the lanai would get dirty and we were constantly cleaning the furniture and tile floor. The windows can slide open from the top down or bottom up if you want the open area. The vinyl is a little less expensive than the acrylic. The acrylic is the way most people seem to be going now. We are having our front porch enclosed and we are going with the acrylic. The salesman did tell us that they do use a spacer bar when the acrylic window is over a certain size to keep it from bowing. Has anyone with the acrylic windows had a problem with their windows bowing?

[rballruss]

We also have the spacer bar which gives a nice look. After enclosing ours with acrylic, it has become my favorite room. In fact, it is where I am now typing this on the laptop and watching CNN on the wall-mounted LCD TV. We just added ceramic tile. The sliding windows allow for the breeze to come through, but not so during these 90+ degree days. We leave the sliders open that lead into the greatroom so the lanai is climate controlled.

[Faith]

When we decided to enclose the lanai, I was informed by the builder that glass windows would involve a new assessment, since it is "officially" a new room. Using acrylic does not change your assessment. We went with acrylic, and it is great - and we do have a new room! :)

[bamafan]

Roughly speaking what kind of cost is involved. I realize that lanais come in all shapes and sizes. Mine will be @ 9 x 20. Thanks

[Barefoot]

I'm really interested in costs and companies recommended. We definitely want to enclose our lanai. Acrylic seems to be the most used.

Rballruss - you say that you leave the sliders open so it is climate controlled. Can you do this year round? Do people leave (cloth) furniture and TVs in the lanaii year-round when it is enclosed with acrylic? Would it be possible to use it for guests with a pull-out sofa if you had an overflow of guests?

I guess I sound naive, but I'm from Canada ... thanks for the help.

PJ & Rick

[Barefoot]

We love having acrylic (not glass!) with which we can totally close the lanai, but also keep the option of having it very open. We have a bird cage outside that, so we're still screened.
It really seems the best of both worlds.


I agree, Can you share with us the cost and supplier of your acrylic windows?. And also of your birdcage?. It would wonderful to hear this info as I'm tryin now to get estimates; your input would be invaluable.

Thanks.

[Hope2b]

In our courtyard villa we had a screened lanai and I thought it was great. It did get dirty quick and you had to be careful about what you put out there because of the moisture but I really enjoyed it. Then we bought a preowned ranch with an enclonced acrylic lanai and REALLY love it. Would never go backed to screened. The previous owners ran the Heat/AC vent out there but I don't think it is very effective. Opening the door would do just about as good in the summer. In the winter it does keep it warmer.

[octcr]

Acrylic sounds the way to go...did not realize if you glassed the Lanai in... it would cause red tape...so if I enclose with acrylic I do not need to inform anyone or get the OK to have it done? I would like to speak to someone about enclosing my screen room...who would you recommend? Is it a mess having it done and how long did it take to have completed?

[coach]

We just recently had our lanai enclosed with acrylic sliding panels and are very pleased. Custom Windows did ours and we use the lanai as a den. My size was 11 X 15 and the price was just over $3600. The company came out and took the measurements and came back about three weeks later with the panels. Installation took about 1/2 day. Prices vary with exactly what you want. Mine are full length panels that slide in channels so that when opened, you could have four panels sliding behind each other to allow lots of air. They do have a spacer band about 24in. up from the bottom for stability. It looks good and is very stable and rigid.
We are very happy and consider this one of our best changes to our home.
Merry Christmas to all!!

[ouma1938]

This may sound like a dumb question but doesn't the acrylic get kind of discolored after a time. We had an acrylic enclosure put on our pontoon boat and after about 5 years you could hardly see through it is was so "cloudy". I am guessing that the material used on lanai's is different. Hope I'm right. Obnce we sell our house and move to TV we will get either a Courtyard Villa or a Designer and will definitely want to enlose the lanai. I love pre-planning Makies it all seem real and certain to happen. Merry Christmas to all.

[REDCART]

I would think in addition to salt air, how you clean acrylic would make a difference too. For one thing, any thing with ammonia, like Windex would over time make acrylic cloudy. All of the banks in the NYC metro area have clear acrylic dividers and they don't seem to discolor or cloud up. But you have to wonder why the price difference between acrylic and glass. Is it because there's little or no competition? They may be using tinted safety glass but it's probably not insulated. Must be in the fabrication process. Acrylic can be cut to size locally, whereas glass must be ordered and there's no room for error.

[keithwhale]

We are thinking of enclosing our lania and would be interested on what companies would be recommended for such work with sliding double glazed glass tinted windows in a Aluminium or uPVC frames.

[Ohiogirl]

i've left mine just screened as i like the open feel. i turn on the ceiling fan in summer and don a sweat shirt in winter. so i can use it year round.

Me, too.

[LittleDog]

When we decided to enclose the lanai, I was informed by the builder that glass windows would involve a new assessment, since it is "officially" a new room. Using acrylic does not change your assessment. We went with acrylic, and it is great - and we do have a new room! :)
I had a lanai and converted it into a Florida room with glass windows. We don't pay more because this is not considered a room because you have to take a step down to get into the room. From what I understand that makes it so that it is not considered another room. We also installed a wall air conditioner/heater which we love as it provides cooling in the summer and heat in the winter. I now consider this another room but the property assessment people don't.

From what I understand in the past when you put glass windows in it was considered another room but that is no longer the case.

John

[eweissenbach]

I had a lanai and converted it into a Florida room with glass windows. We don't pay more because this is not considered a room because you have to take a step down to get into the room. From what I understand that makes it so that it is not considered another room. We also installed a wall air conditioner/heater which we love as it provides cooling in the summer and heat in the winter. I now consider this another room but the property assessment people don't.

From what I understand in the past when you put glass windows in it was considered another room but that is no longer the case.

John

I too was told that bringing the floor up to level with the rest of the house AND running HVAC ductwork to the room would cause it to be considered as a Florida Room and additional square footage to the home for tax purposes, regardless of the type of windows.

[angiefox10]

I can't wait to get there so I can sit outside and breath the fresh air.... It appears that everyone is enclosing theirs in.... Huh????

[Pturner]

We love our screened lanai and have no desire to enclose it. It is southeast facing, so we don't get afternoon sun. It's very comfortable with the fan on and I love it being "outdoors".

We have nice outdoor furniture with cloth upholstery. When we are gone for significant time, we bring the cushions inside. We have light see-through pull-down drapes that can protect from weather and block heat. I sweep it often and wash it twice a year. It's a breeze... so to speak.

[Schaumburger]

I had a lanai and converted it into a Florida room with glass windows. We don't pay more because this is not considered a room because you have to take a step down to get into the room. From what I understand that makes it so that it is not considered another room. We also installed a wall air conditioner/heater which we love as it provides cooling in the summer and heat in the winter. I now consider this another room but the property assessment people don't.

From what I understand in the past when you put glass windows in it was considered another room but that is no longer the case.

John

The patio villa in Chatham that I rented earlier this month had the same kind of "step down" arrangement for the lanai. The lanai was air conditioned. Very pleasant to sit in in that room no matter what time of day it was. More than one person I spoke to told me that when I'm ready to buy, be on the lookout for homes that face north or east to avoid the hotter afternoon sun exposure.

[graciegirl]

We love our screened lanai and have no desire to enclose it. It is southeast facing, so we don't get afternoon sun. It's very comfortable with the fan on and I love it being "outdoors".

We have nice outdoor furniture with cloth upholstery. When we are gone for significant time, we bring the cushions inside. We have light see-through pull-down drapes that can protect from weather and block heat. I sweep it often and wash it twice a year. It's a breeze... so to speak.

I would have completely agreed with you on this a week ago P. We had a screen porch on our home in Cincinnati and had one on our home in Hadley. Now that we are renting, this home has an enclosed lanai and we are out here constantly, in fact this is where the computer is. We have changed our mind and are seriously thinking of enclosing the lanai on our new house being built. Maybe adding a small birdcage. We will live in it awhile and see.

This room is filled with windows and also has it's own air conditioning unit. It is very comfortable in this awful heat and would be useable in the cold part of the year too. You can put "real" furniture on it and, as I said, I am completly surprised how much I like it. Sweetie and Helene do as well. I loved the outdoor feel of the screened porch/lanai and I love this too...........

Something to think about.

Lovely choices here.

Hurry down P.

[GOJODO]

We are currently enclosing our lanai and converting it into a year round room.
We had the floor raised, wall installed with block window.Large glass low E windows across the front that open to the sides to allow good air flow, on the other side, ceiling to floor triple sliding glass doors that stack, also to allow for air flow. HVAC system in place now with separate control from main house, so we can use it when necessary. The floor will be tiled to match the house and cabinetry to be installed as well as bar sink and under counter fridge. Dan Watson at T&D is doing the job, we could not be happier with their professionalism. :BigApplause:

[784caroline]

We absolutely love our enclosed lanai with low E dual pane windows. Not only did we enclose it but we raised the floor, took OUT the sliding glass doors and arched the new entrance way, extended the existing AC/Heat directly to the main heat/Cooling system in the garage, added drywall, title floors, crown moulding to match. While we were at it we addded an attached "hobby" room off the lanai that also leads into the master bedroom.

Let me tell you we rarely used the lanai in the past, always dirty, wet, hot in summer or cold (chilly) in winter. Now we use it every day and its amazing how a good contractor can bring it all together,

Regarding taxes, the small amout of addiitonal RE tax that may occur by making this room more liveable is well worth the price. You are already pay RE tax on a screened in lanai, so the additional amount you pay after its enclosed is miniscual comapred to the comfort and enjoyment you get everyday...well worth it.

[batman911]

Once you enclose the lania with windows, doesn't it become a room? Kinda defeats the purpose of having a lanai and being outside. I like the idea of just adding a bird cage and leaving the lanai open.

[angiefox10]

The patio villa in Chatham that I rented earlier this month had the same kind of "step down" arrangement for the lanai. The lanai was air conditioned. Very pleasant to sit in in that room no matter what time of day it was. More than one person I spoke to told me that when I'm ready to buy, be on the lookout for homes that face north or east to avoid the hotter afternoon sun exposure.


You mean... The lanai... right? Not the house. My Lanai will face northeast.

[JohnN]

We like the outdoor space and the screen alone is great for us.
A little dirt does blow in , no big deal.
We don't need another room to sit in and read, we want outside!

[NJblue]

Once you enclose the lania with windows, doesn't it become a room? Kinda defeats the purpose of having a lanai and being outside. I like the idea of just adding a bird cage and leaving the lanai open.

That was my thinking until my wife convinced me that we were not getting enough use out of our lanai - either it was too hot, too cold, too wet or too dirty. So, we installed pocketable low-E glass sliding doors all around so that they can be fully opened in good weather to give the outdoor feel, but closed up the rest of the time. We also added a birdcage off one of the sides such that when the door to it is fully open there is a 12 foot wide opening - thus giving the feel that the lanai and birdcage are all one big outdoors room. For interior wall surface we could have chosen sheetrock since it is protected from the elements but opted for stucco to retain the "lanai feel". We opted to also have pocket sliders from the living room to the lanai thus allowing us to provide a sound barrier between the two rooms to allow two different TVs to be used or to provide a private retreat/ sleeping quarters for visiting relatives. We had a seperate "mini-split" heat pump put in and now this is the most used room in the house and I don't miss our hot/cold/wet/dirty lanai at all.

[senior citizen]

Ditto

[senior citizen]

That was my thinking until my wife convinced me that we were not getting enough use out of our lanai - either it was too hot, too cold, too wet or too dirty. So, we installed pocketable low-E glass sliding doors all around so that they can be fully opened in good weather to give the outdoor feel, but closed up the rest of the time. We also added a birdcage off one of the sides such that when the door to it is fully open there is a 12 foot wide opening - thus giving the feel that the lanai and birdcage are all one big outdoors room. For interior wall surface we could have chosen sheetrock since it is protected from the elements but opted for stucco to retain the "lanai feel". We opted to also have pocket sliders from the living room to the lanai thus allowing us to provide a sound barrier between the two rooms to allow two different TVs to be used or to provide a private retreat/ sleeping quarters for visiting relatives. We had a seperate "mini-split" heat pump put in and now this is the most used room in the house and I don't miss our hot/cold/wet/dirty lanai at all.

THIS SOUNDS GREAT and excellent advice........and would work well for us as well with visiting children and grandchildren, friends, etc....extending the indoor living space but still having the screened birdcage.

Yours does sound like a nice "retreat". Thanks for sharing....

[Luv2travel]

By remodeling the lani to become a room of the house with a/c and heat we have a wonderful space, all the light I would want, the ability to open all the windows and shut off the a/c, if we want, or heat it, if we want. These are our choices of controlling our space, but without full a/c, heat and double pane windows you have no options, it's just either too hot or too cold.

[senior citizen]

We absolutely love our enclosed lanai with low E dual pane windows. Not only did we enclose it but we raised the floor, took OUT the sliding glass doors and arched the new entrance way, extended the existing AC/Heat directly to the main heat/Cooling system in the garage, added drywall, title floors, crown moulding to match. While we were at it we addded an attached "hobby" room off the lanai that also leads into the master bedroom.

Let me tell you we rarely used the lanai in the past, always dirty, wet, hot in summer or cold (chilly) in winter. Now we use it every day and its amazing how a good contractor can bring it all together,

Regarding taxes, the small amout of addiitonal RE tax that may occur by making this room more liveable is well worth the price. You are already pay RE tax on a screened in lanai, so the additional amount you pay after its enclosed is miniscual comapred to the comfort and enjoyment you get everyday...well worth it.

Another great option.........to get more enjoyment from the original lanai.
We had two screened balconies in Venice and we were so wrong thinking that they would remain clean........not so. Also, love the idea of your hobby room...........thanks for sharing.

[senior citizen]

By remodeling the lani to become a room of the house with a/c and heat we have a wonderful space, all the light I would want, the ability to open all the windows and shut off the a/c, if we want, or heat it, if we want. These are our choices of controlling our space, but without full a/c, heat and double pane windows you have no options, it's just either too hot or too cold.

Very well said.

[Bogie Shooter]

Sometimes we are provided way too much information.........................

[Pturner]

Sometimes we are provided way too much information.........................

What is, Bogie Shooter? :confused:

[Skip2MySue]

What is, Bogie Shooter? :confused:

Thanks "P" for creating that visual.:D
Skip 2

[JohnM]

We opted to also have pocket sliders from the living room to the lanai ... We had a seperate "mini-split" heat pump put in ...

Could you expand on your decision to add "pocket sliders" ... did the home not already have sliders? Also, regarding the "mini-split" heat pump ... what is this? Is this totally separate from your main HVAC? TIA,

John

[ljones190]

Could you expand on your decision to add "pocket sliders" ... did the home not already have sliders? Also, regarding the "mini-split" heat pump ... what is this? Is this totally separate from your main HVAC? TIA,

John

John
I started another thread asking for manufacturers and installers for ductless ac units which are totally separate from your main heat/ac unit. They were developed to add ac to buildings that do not have duct work mainly in Europe and Asia. If you go to the Golf Course starter shacks in The Villages you will see the units hanging on the wall on the inside, no duct work with the compressor outside on the ground, we extended our main ac/heat to our enclosed sun room but I am not happy with the result. The ductless units are sold as ac only and others are both ac and heating. You turn them on only when you need them and they come with a remote and are quiet. I owned a house with a Sanyo and did not like the unit nearly as much as the Mitsubishi my brother has. I asked anyone for positive remarks from local installers, I have used Munns for our heating and ac and will give them a call to get a price. Hope this helps.

[JohnM]

Hope this helps.

YES ... it does ... THANKS!

[NJblue]

Could you expand on your decision to add "pocket sliders" ... did the home not already have sliders? Also, regarding the "mini-split" heat pump ... what is this? Is this totally separate from your main HVAC? TIA,

John

Yes, our house did have 12 foot and 6 foot sliders, but they were not pocketable (was not an option for Lantanas several years ago). Hence we were limited to a 6 foot opening with the 12 foot door and a 3 foot opening with the 6 foot door. By replacing them with pocket sliders we have full 12 and 6 foot openings and it really allows the rooms to flow together as one ... or to be closed off from each other when wanted.

Yes the mini-split is a separate unit thus providing dual zones (as well as eliminating a single point of failure that occurs with a single, central system.)

[NJblue]

Sometimes we are provided way too much information.........................

Don't most people just stop reading if they feel there is too much information?

[JohnM]

By replacing them with pocket sliders we have full 12 and 6 foot openings and it really allows the rooms to flow together as one ... or to be closed off from each other when wanted.

Thank you for your reply ... we have a Lantana with the standard sliders and I prefer the pocket sliders for the reasons you state ... I did not realize that you could change them without major reconstruction (the pocket) ... I would be interested in knowing how big a project it was, who did it for you and the approximate cost ... PM if you prefer ... THANKS!

[villages07]

I have a similar interest as JohnM ... anything you can share on cost, vendor, etc for the project you did on the Lantana would be appreciated, NJBlue.

Our lanai faces NE so it's a little chilly in the winter months. We put a birdcage extension around it. I've been wrestling with the idea of putting in pocket sliders in the "under roof" part of the lanai to keep it warmer in winter without frying in the summer. Will all that glass (even when opened) cause it to be hotter in the summer? I wasn't really thinking of adding A/C ... we really like the open air feeling but want to be able to keep out the wind and trap the sun in winter without diminishing our open air use in summer.

Thanks for sharing info on your project...sounds intriguing.

[784caroline]

I would imagine a key factor in a change from regular sliding glass doors to pocket sliders would be the size of the lanai itself for this change would take up inches (depth) and wall space (sides) in the lanai. A 12 ft deep lanai would not have a big problem but if you only have a 9 or 10ft lanai (or smaller) it may depending upon the size of your furniture.

Pocket sliders on the right lanai really make this space more liveable.

[NJblue]

Thank you for your reply ... we have a Lantana with the standard sliders and I prefer the pocket sliders for the reasons you state ... I did not realize that you could change them without major reconstruction (the pocket) ... I would be interested in knowing how big a project it was, who did it for you and the approximate cost ... PM if you prefer ... THANKS!

I too thought that it would be major construction, but, in reality, just doing pocket sliders is not a huge thing. Our ultimate project turned out to be huge (based on my definition of huge) since we completely tore down the existing lanai and then rebuilt it (to get the higher ceilings which we wanted - to create the sense of volume). However, we went through many design iterations before we did what we did and priced out many options.

One of these individually-priced options was the removal of the existing sliders and replacement with the pocket doors. I don't recall the exact numbers that were quoted by the various contractors, but it seems like it was in the ballpark of $3,000. What it entails is the removal of the existing doors and then the construction of a new wall just outside the existing wall to accept the new doors. The old support structure for the opening (the lintels) remains in place, so the new wall is not load bearing and hence not that expensive or complicated to do.

As what was pointed out, you do lose approx. 6-8 inches of floor space for the new wall, so that needs to be considered. (We added another 7 feet to the depth of our lanai, so it wasn't an issue.) Another issue is the patching of the existing flooring where the old doors are removed (You do "gain" the extra inches in the house where the doors are removed). Since dye lots in flooring can vary, there may not be a perfect match and you should think about this before proceeding. In our case it worked out great.

[JohnM]

Very informative ... THANKS!

[arnieenelson]

chiloutWe love having acrylic (not glass!) with which we can totally close the lanai, but also keep the option of having it very open. We have a bird cage outside that, so we're still screened.

It really seems the best of both worlds.

Why do you like acrylic over glass. I know glass is probably more expensive but it doesn't get that wavey look, will not scratch and if doubled paned can insulate better

[ajdeck]

Once you enclose the lania with windows, doesn't it become a room? Kinda defeats the purpose of having a lanai and being outside. I like the idea of just adding a bird cage and leaving the lanai open.


Anyone know how far from neighbor you need to keep your birdcage (Courtyard villa) and about what it cost?

aj

[batman911]

ajdeck,

I was told by my sales agent that you cannot build any structure closer than 10 ft from the property line in the back.