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.

YES ... it does ... THANKS!

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.)

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

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 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.

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.

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.

Very informative ... THANKS!

Enclosed lanai
 

chiloutWhy 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

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

aj

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.