[pivo]

Need some input on screened compared to a acrylic lanai-
I'm under impression screened is very hard to keep clean, looking
for some input as to which one is prefered over the other
thank you

[swimdawg]

Neither.

My vote would be to go with Low-E glass.

[Ohiogirl]

Ours is now 6 years old, and being a CYV, has a wall about 12-20 feet away (it's angled). Maybe the wall keeps some stuff from blowing in, not really sure. Other than using window cleaner on the glass top table frequently, haven't really noticed much dirt. We use it constantly in spring and fall, and most of the winter, only a little in summertime and the really cold spells in winter.

I love the open feeling with screens. We have an outdoor rug out there, a comfortable seating area with a lamp, and the table and chairs. Have an outdoor rug which really makes it feel like a room. We eat most of our meals out there. Mostly I notice grass I track in on my shoes as I am an avid gardener and in and out the screen door all the time. I keep a whisk broom and dustpan under an end table for quick cleanups and usually need to clean the table after dinner anyway.

I think it depends if you are an outdoor person or not. If you use your deck or porch or patio a lot up north, I would wait to see how you use your lanai - which is really just a screened porch - for a while before you do anything. If you are one of those people who just about never uses your deck or porch now, you probably won't use a screened lanai much either.

Only downside I see is for entertaining when you need nice weather to use the lanai. Last winter was great, winter before that not so nice.

[sralph99]

I started with screens then enclosed with Low-E glass (and A/C). What a difference and you still have screens if you want to open your windows. It's clean and dry.

[rirlam]

Originally Posted by swimdawg

Neither.

My vote would be to go with Low-E glass.

Concur with this post. Cleaner, dryer and more comfortable.

[justjim]

Ohiogirl gave good advise in waiting to see how much you use your lanai. Obviously, pro and con of both. If you are a snowbird 4 or 5 months, I would recommend leaving it as a screen lanai because you will get the most use from your lanai during the time you are in TV. In the summer, most of the time it is too hot. Also, there is considerable expense in turning it into a Florida room with heat and air cond. Again, wait and see is probably the best for now.

[784caroline]

Without a doubt, low E glass is the way to go. Screen resulted in too much dirt and wet area...always cleaning for everything was always dirty. PLUS in the summer it was tooo hot (Especially if you have a western facing lanai)and winter too chilly. We raised the lanai floor and actully ended up expanding our living area by enlosing it and adding heat/ac. WE can open the screen sliders and have 50% breeze( best of both worlds) for those months that are just right.

[njbchbum]

i suggest checking with your tax assessor - was told that glass would change the nature of the useage of the area and thus an increase in the taxes - might just be minimal enuf inc to be worthwhile tho. we went with acrylic sliders and love the flexibility. love sitting out there in the rain that we couldn't do with just screens.

[784caroline]

A glass enclosure changed nothing as far as tax assessments and even if it did, the comfort it provides for the rest of the time I am living in that house and the work saved by not having to clean up the dirt in a screened in area would be more than worth it.

We DO live in Florida and I was always concerned about hurricanes ...having glass compared to acrylic.....well i just feel safer for glass windows can withstand 110 mph winds where acrylic windows are built to no wind standards and in fact it is recommended that they be taken down if 70 mph winds or more are expected. Especially when you consider the overall cost between glass and acrylic windows installed is really not that much differnet.

[livsea2]

Just keep in mind when deciding that the acrylic windows have a life span of about ten years, after that you will need to replace. Been there done that as they say.

[DENNIS G]

Originally Posted by pivo

Need some input on screened compared to a acrylic lanai-
I'm under impression screened is very hard to keep clean, looking
for some input as to which one is prefered over the other
thank you

When we had ours done, went to get permit and was asked if it was going to be glass or acrylic. If it is glass, heat and air would have to be installed along with additional electric, ie outside lighting by door, we went acrylic and no problems yet, 7 years.

[burbank3160]

Do you want another room or an outdoor area? Left ours screened. Been there 12 years. Love the outside feeling.

[Ohiogirl]

Originally Posted by burbank3160

Do you want another room or an outdoor area? Left ours screened. Been there 12 years. Love the outside feeling.

This is the succinct way of saying what took me 4 or 5 paragraphs!

[Villages Kahuna]

Be sure to consider the grade of your property surrounding the area you're considering enclosing. If you do encounter temporary " puddling" on your lanai as the result of our common hard rainstorms, the water will enter your new "room" under either acrylic or glass panels. Unless the surrounding grade will absolutely direct any amount of rainwater away from your lanai, you should either forego enclosing it or consider raising the floor by 2-3 inches. If you were to call a good commercial contractor like T&D Screen Division, they will consider potential flooding and advise you of what to do. The companies that simply install enclosures will never tell you about the potential for flooding of your new enclosure.

[Bruiser1]

There was a previous post regarding drains for existing lanai's. This would drain the aluminum to allow for easier clean up if lanai wasn't glassed up.

Does anyone recall the post?