[GERALDINE]

We have a rather large lanai that backs up to another large lanai. We also have a quad sliding door that goes out into the lanai from the Living Area. The problem is this: The neighbor behind us, albeit a very nice person, is on his lanai about every 15 mins. having a cigarette. We don't particularly like looking out and seeing him there all the time and we feel we need to keep our verticals closed so he can't see in...and we can't see him...but we don't like feeling like we're living in a dark cave. We bought this house for all the big bright windows. We've considered: 1.) privacy screening...we could still see out (and see him) but he couldn't see in (except at night); 2.) Scenic Screening...we couldn't see anything except the picture on the screen AND it blocks the airflo they told me; 3.) Lanscaping but it would have to be tall, bushy, and fast growing!!!

Any suggestions?

[elevatorman]

Up north we had a screened porch we used the roll up bamboo like blinds to block the evening sun. You may be able to only lower 1 section of this type of blind.

[paulandjean]

thats why we purchased and offset lot. you do not back up to another lanai

[Xavier]

Originally Posted by Patches

We have a rather large lanai that backs up to another large lanai. We also have a quad sliding door that goes out into the lanai from the Living Area. The problem is this: The neighbor behind us, albeit a very nice person, is on his lanai about every 15 mins. having a cigarette. We don't particularly like looking out and seeing him there all the time and we feel we need to keep our verticals closed so he can't see in...and we can't see him...but we don't like feeling like we're living in a dark cave. We bought this house for all the big bright windows. We've considered: 1.) privacy screening...we could still see out (and see him) but he couldn't see in (except at night); 2.) Scenic Screening...we couldn't see anything except the picture on the screen AND it blocks the airflo they told me; 3.) Lanscaping but it would have to be tall, bushy, and fast growing!!!

Any suggestions?

We have Bottle Brush Bushes. They make excellent privacy hedges and grow fairly quickly. The seventh paragraph at this link should give you an idea of what you may be looking for. Some of the smaller birds love the flowers.

[sschuler1]

I have been looking at plants for the same purpose, and I want something that will have leaves year round. So I have been happy to see that most of the plants that were of interest to me stayed green even through the big freeze that we had a few weeks ago. The one that looks like it grows really fast and is big and bushy is the bottle brush bush. And it stayed green! I also like the oleander bushes, but I haven't found out if those are as fast growing yet. We still have some time before I have to make a decision, since they haven't started on a house behind us yet. Our lot is supposed to be offset, so I shouldn't need too much in landscaping.

[Allen]

I don't know how long you have been in Florida, but we learned in Tampa when we purchased there a few years ago that things grow very rapidly! We purchased a new home and the builder put in a tiny little hedge row (about 12 inch plants) between the lanais. It only took a few years before I had to get up on a step ladder to trim it!

So if you buy lager hedges to begin with you may only have to put up with seeing your neighbor for a year or so... the advantage here is that he will be blocked before you know it, and it's not like you are putting up something that immediately says "I don't want to see you". This might help with the relationship in the long run. If you don't mind sending that message, you could also use the screens as a temporay measure until the hedges are high enough to block the view.

Just be aware... you will have hedge trimming in your future unless you can find a landscaper that can recommend something else to do the job with less maintenance.

[l2ridehd]

Don't worry about it. If he smokes a cigarette every 15 minutes, he will be dead before the plants grow up. But just in case the new owners do the same thing, just plant some hedges that will grow and block the view.

[redwitch]

One caveat about bottle bushes -- not only do the birds love them, so do the bees. So, if you have allergies I'd suggest you seriously consider another plant.

Any chance you could convince your neighbor to smoke in the front of the house -- a small table and a camp chair works if he doesn't want to go the bistro table route? It really does help in stopping the smell getting into the house and stinking up his lanai.

Good luck!

[starflyte1]

I have a privacy problem and am thinking about what to do. I too like windows and lots of light and privacy can be difficult. My thoughts on what we are considering for the home we just bought with a small pool on a golf course:

First, a question. Do hedges have to be trimmed to 4ft? Some sort of Palm "plant" may be what I use. I want it about 5ft. If a hedge has to be kept at 4ft, that is not quite high enough. Something to think about.

Also, if you drive around and look at homes, some have window tints that you cannot see the window treatments inside. Then there are the sheers with the vertical blinds in them-you can see thru them when the blinds are open. There were some available for sale on here a few weeks ago-very tempting. Or just sheers.

[Halle]

We had Sunscape plant hedges along our side property lines to form a natural fence and Jeff did a great job. We back up to a farm so we don't have any neighbors behind us just beautiful oaks and horses.The plants are beautiful and were 3 feet high when planted since that is what we told Jeff we wanted, they are now about 4 feet high. We were not in TV so Jeff emailed us pictures of the finished job and payment was due after the job was complete. We are so pleased with the work that we plan on hiring Sunscape to do additional landscaping. The plants are Pampass Grass and I believe Verbinum they all survived the freeze and are doing great. We have lived in NW,NE, and Central Florida and these plants have always grown great and are easy maintenance.

[ijusluvit]

Window tint film is an instant, inexpensive solution. A friend's lanai has a gold tinted film which is very subtle, almost unnoticeable even if the sun is shining on it, but you cannot see into the lanai. From inside, there is very little difference between the light level of the tinted windows and an door with plain glass.

[GERALDINE]

Originally Posted by paulandjean

thats why we purchased and offset lot. you do not back up to another lanai

FYI... we DO have an offset lot however all the lanais are VERY large and therefore there is some "overlap" !!!

[GERALDINE]

Originally Posted by sschuler1

I have been looking at plants for the same purpose, and I want something that will have leaves year round. So I have been happy to see that most of the plants that were of interest to me stayed green even through the big freeze that we had a few weeks ago. The one that looks like it grows really fast and is big and bushy is the bottle brush bush. And it stayed green! I also like the oleander bushes, but I haven't found out if those are as fast growing yet. We still have some time before I have to make a decision, since they haven't started on a house behind us yet. Our lot is supposed to be offset, so I shouldn't need too much in landscaping.

I see you are from Traverse City...one of my MOST favorite places. We're also from MI...Tawas Bay area. Bottle Brush trees and bushes are pretty hardy but if you drive around you'll see some of them are turning brown now on the tops...but they'll come back...not to worry. Another planting I'm wondering about is Bamboo. There are some nice looking bushes beside and behind Bacall Rec Center and they definitely survived the freezes we had. Actually, they're a little TOO big now (I think Bacall has been there less than 3 years) but I'm thinking you could plant less stalks???? Don't know but I gotta find out about these plants.

[GERALDINE]

We got an estimate for window tints for the front 2 windows of our house to block the glare and heat in the afternoons...that we KNOW is coming soon, however when you put up film on the windows, you void the manufacturers/builders warranty on them. We've only been in this house 2 months so don't want to do that. The heat/glare in the front of house is a whole separate issue from the lack of privacy on the lanai!!! Maybe I need TWO separate threads?

[GERALDINE]

Originally Posted by redwitch

One caveat about bottle bushes -- not only do the birds love them, so do the bees. So, if you have allergies I'd suggest you seriously consider another plant.

Any chance you could convince your neighbor to smoke in the front of the house -- a small table and a camp chair works if he doesn't want to go the bistro table route? It really does help in stopping the smell getting into the house and stinking up his lanai.

Good luck!

LOL Redwitch....Don't think we didn't think of that!! In fact, I told my husband it might be cheaper to buy him a screen for his garage opening...than for us to do anything!!! He might do it on his own though because he has a west facing lanai and it will be VERY hot out there this summer. He hasn't spent a summer here so he has NO idea how hot it will be!! We purposely shopped until we found the house we wanted facing the way we wanted for this reason.