Gracie Girl - sounds like you should hire yourself out for home decorating/design!! Our current style is "Early American Yard Sale", but we're hoping to change styles when we move to TV in about a year. :-)

Gracie Girl--Please post before and after photos--Im thinking of shades, versus curtains once we get the hot tub!

That is just what we did. Got a message that we need to come in to have the Lowes person tell us the cost today.

Trish...they are custom. I am anxious to know how much they will be and whether I don't think we should pay that much and Sweetie does. (our usual approach to any purchase over a hundred bucks) I will tell you all what they cost.

Installer says to roll them up when it's windy. The options; snaps and velcro don't seem to work as per neighbors. At home we had rattan shades that we held down with something screwed into the frame and we tied the cord to it. This will have a continuous beaded pull on one side only that raises and lowers them. I can't figure out how we can tie them down either. Wind IS an issue here.

I want them, but hate to spend the money.

Gracie the penny pincher.

Like our shades
 

As Gracie mentioned, we are very happy with our Coolaroos. We use them in the late afternoon when the sun starts shining in our eyes at dinner time. They are custom made, but only come just so wide. Some of our columns are pretty wide and the shade did not come wide enough. There is about a 4"gap on both sides, but works well. We would like ideas on what to put across one of the pool lanai screens for privacy. We had them installed. Not sure a Coolaroo would work because it would be exposed to the rain and that couldn't be good for it. The Coolaroos we have installed now are hung inside the frame of the
Lanai as you go to the pool area. They can't get wet.

we use a very cheep system at home to keep shades and curtains from blowing in the wind, and for Gracie it is very inexpensive....we use magnets...two in both corners...they hold on to each other thru the shade and the screen.....i use cow magnets very strong and nothing blows them around......

Copw magnets? ? ?
 

Well, I googled "cow magnets" thinking it was a funny name for something entirely different but no...it's a cow magnet. Apparently cows are indiscriminate eaters and will ingest nails, brads, pieces of baling wire, etc. along with grass and other more digestible green stuff. They thus can suffer from "hardware disease" (honest, I got this off the internet). To stop it, farmers put these magnets in the cow's first stomach to attract the metal stuff and prevent it from going further into the cow's digestive system and causing real problems.

Pictures show them to be round cylinders about 1/2 to 3/4 " in diameter by about 3" long.

How did I reach retirement without ever having heard of this? Maybe it will be a trivia question on game day when I take my next cruise and I'll help my team win the big prize...or not!

omgosh Juneroses. You are smarter than this Cincinnati girl. I was thinking cute little cow refrigerator magnets. This is indeed useful info.

We got the price quoted and paid it. Just over 1000 bucks, but the lanai is 42 ft. long. Now we will see if it was money well spent.

cause you didn't grow up around cows...spend every summer on the famlies dairy farm in KY...at the time it was the largest in the state..yep cows eat everything and the magnets just as they were designed to do...as far as i know they are one of the strongest next to the pacer magnet donut...i have those also but the electric blue is not as easy to hide on a screen

Wow - that cow magnet stuff is serious!!! We lived in New Mexico near the university which is heavy into agriculture. They had cows there that had glass plates in their sides so those interested in this sort of thing could follow the digestion process. Called them cow plates. At first I was horrified then found out these cows have the best lives because they are so valuable to university research - go figure!!!

YOU are from Kentucky, Asian Three??? I cannot wait to meet you.

Where do I buy a cow magnet or do I stroll into a field and wait for one them to burp one up?

Oh gross.

Need coffee.

According to Lowe's website, they come in 3 widths. Not all widths come in the same colors. Will have to check the store today for sizes and colors.

BTW, they come with tie-down bungees.

you may be able to choose your size and color and have it shipped to the store for pickup. I don't think they charge you for that service. Just in case they don't have your color and size in stock. Go on line to do this.

We couldn't buy a stock size. We had these custom made because we have sorta strange size screens. Went to Lowes and contracted for them, They called the installer and he came out and measured, they make them, he hangs them. We get a cow to share his magnet and the wind won't blow them around..

We sit there and think..."See Jimbo..site orientation is not everything. Shade can be purchased". :)

And in the shade we will munch on our burgers and think what lucky folks we are to live here in THE VILLAGES!

Thanks so much for all the great Coolaroo information! I didn't know they came 96" long. I thought they only came in the 'too short' version, and I had no idea they have a measurer and an installer for them. I must have talked to the trainee at the store. You all are the best, & I will happily write a recommendation for anyone who wants to apply for a job at Lowes!

PS: Gracie, while you're sitting in the shade on your lanai munching on your burgers, be sure to check them for magnets. :loco:

LOL gracie///you can buy them online or at a farm supply store for a few bucks