[NJSonja]

over a courtyard villa...to cover the courtyard villa?

thanks,

s

[CTgolfer]

Coming from the Northeast, when we purchased our pre-owned home, we were very excited to ADD a birdcage to the side of our home (not a covered lanai, but a birdcage). We thought this would be a wonderful way to live outdoors. What we didn't realize was that we would get very little use out of the birdcage and would have to clean the dirt and the mildew very very frequently. Our birdcage has an east/west exposure, so the summer sun made it too hot to enjoy and in the winter there weren't many days we got to use it. If you are considering any kind of a spa or pool, I would recommend the birdcage. This past year, we took down the birdcage screening and replaced it with a year-round room. An expensive lesson was learned. We only wish someone had explained this to us.

[bandsdavis]

CTGolfer, we are moving into a home in July that has a Florida Room, and also has a birdcage. We are thinking of getting the birdcage under roof for the very reasons you mention, although with the FL Room already, we only want to cover it with a roof. Can you tell us who you used for your project? Any other TOTVers who have covered or converted a birdcage, we would like to hear from you as well. Thanks!

B.

[lanabanana73]

I am facinated by all this birdcage talk because coming from the northeast, I'd never seen or heard of one until seeing one while at TV in March. It would seem like a novel idea and would expand your outdoor living space, but maybe the idea is better than the reality? I look forward to the answers that you might get, and thanks for asking.

[NJSonja]

i have gone done to the villages several times....i fell in love when i saw my first one...we have nothing like that up here in my section of nj...yes, we have screened in porches....but i would like one when i finally move down there....so i was curious!

sonja

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by CTgolfer

Coming from the Northeast, when we purchased our pre-owned home, we were very excited to ADD a birdcage to the side of our home (not a covered lanai, but a birdcage). We thought this would be a wonderful way to live outdoors. What we didn't realize was that we would get very little use out of the birdcage and would have to clean the dirt and the mildew very very frequently. Our birdcage has an east/west exposure, so the summer sun made it too hot to enjoy and in the winter there weren't many days we got to use it. If you are considering any kind of a spa or pool, I would recommend the birdcage. This past year, we took down the birdcage screening and replaced it with a year-round room. An expensive lesson was learned. We only wish someone had explained this to us.

How frequently if very very frequently and are there any services that can be hired to perform that kind of job since we're not physically capable of doing it ourselves?

[pooh]

Do you mean over the entire house? If so, I can't imagine what that would cost and if you could get anyone to make it!

[hulahips]

i imagine you mean to extend your lanai you want to add large birdcage I see them on many villas. extended birdcages. we put a huge birdcage with pool on back of our home and we live out there. Being from NY you could not sit outside too often (we only had decks) and you were eaten alive by mosquitos. So to add the birdcage here is wonderful if you enjoy sitting outdoors like we do!! You may want to make sure your in shade as it's more comfortable and you will spend much more time outside even dining if you are!! Enjoy I love the fla lifestyle!!

[Golf-Tinker]

I have been surprised to see so few bird Gage's with canvas covers when I play championship courses. Is cost, insurance costs, or whatever inhibiting the installation? Thought it was a neat idea and one we might pursue in the future.

[NotGolfer]

You can hire someone to powerwash your lanai/birdcage. It needs to be done more frequently than the siding being power-washed however! At least once a month or every six weeks or so if you use your lanai alot. Depends on how affected it gets with dust/dirt/mildew. Our lanai faces the east but we're finding we don't use it alot. Perhaps sometime down the road, we'll end up enclosing it for a FL. room.

[buzzy]

Originally Posted by CTgolfer

.........Our birdcage has an east/west exposure, so the summer sun made it too hot to enjoy and in the winter there weren't many days we got to use it. ..........

Can you clarify? Is the birdcage on either the north or south side of the house, so it has both east and west exposure? Thus you would have sun from one direction in the morning and from the other direction in the afternoon.

[gomsiepop]

I'm having a birdcage installed with a roof. I called the awning contractor to find out the cost of a vinyl cover and found out for the size of my birdcage (16 x 22) it would cost approximately $5,000 for a vinyl cover. Fortunately I am still in the negotiating stage of building my birdcage and asked the contractor how much would a birdcage with a roof cost. Hard to believe but, the cost was almost identical.

[batman911]

With a lanai facing South you would have sun all day in the winter when you need it and shade most of the day in the summer when it is hot.

[George Bieniaszek]

Originally Posted by pooh

Do you mean over the entire house? If so, I can't imagine what that would cost and if you could get anyone to make it!

HA HA That was my first thought when I read the post too