[baybob]

OK, I'll admit it. I am a forever New Englander. I am looking at homes in TV on a regular basis and just don't understand some of the descriptios. Perhaps you all can help.

1) Why do some houses have screens for the garage? I can't imagine what purpose they serve.

2) What are solar tubes? Why do some houses have them?

3) What's the difference between a lanai and a Florida room?

4) What is the acrylic in a lanai all about?

5) What in the world are volume ceilings?

6) This is my favorite. What is an air handler and why is it a big deal when one has been relocated to the garage?

Any and all help here will be much appreciated.

Thanks

[samhass]

A screen in the garage is fabulous for cross ventilation.
Solar tubes allow a lot of diffused light to enter your home without turning on a light.
A Florida room is enclosed and a lanai is generally an open (screened) area..read patio.
Some people use acrylic windows when they enclose a lanai. I used glass.
Volume ceilings are tall....like 10-14" and some have trays.
As for the air handler......

[chuckinca]

Sooo - when a Lanai is enclosed by windows it becomes a Florida Room?

Believe "Volume Ceilings" are ceilings higher than 8' (for those who never heard of a "tray", it is a portion of a ceiling that is about a foot or so higher than the rest of the ceiling in that area. (Most of the houses we have had in the past 30 years had some ceilings that were higher than 8' but never heard them called "volume" until I got here.)

Believe an air handler is the heating/cooling unit that blows air thru the house. Mine is in the garage - suppose many could be in a closet in the house or maybe in the attic space and moving them to the garage would cut down on noise?

[Boomer]

Before I started looking at TV real estate ads, the only lanai I had heard about was the one that "The Golden Girls" had. But I always thought it looked like a patio on that show. Then when I arrived in TV to have our first look, I realized, Ohhhhhhhhh, a lanai is a screened-in porch.

But I gotta tellya, I was completely mesmerized the first time I saw those solar tubes. Of course, I kept trying to turn off the bathroom light when the bathroom light was not even on. And it was night time even. I think solar tubes are perhaps the Eighth Wonder of the World. A windowless room that gets light without having to flip a switch. I have never seen a solar tube in Cincinnati.

Boomer

[dillywho]

Unless I'm misunderstanding what the air handler is, I think it refers to the heating and air conditioning unit. Mine is located in the laundry room (we have an Amarillo model) which was a BIG mistake on our part. I wish I had gone for having it installed in the garage. I would have had more room plus it is unsightly when the door is open. Live & learn, huh?!? One thing we did do right was to have a utility sink put in the garage and located it right by the door to the laundry room instead of by the water heater where they normally install them.

[scottke]

The solar tubes are pretty nifty. Can't wait to put one in our guest bathroom. We have an Amarillo and our heating unit is in the garage leaving our laundry room as just a laundry room with the utililty sink in that room too. We looked for a house with the heating system in the garage within our price range and were fortunate to find an Amarillo designed that way. We would have liked a Florida room and with the price of homes now we probably would have been able to get a home with one or even the designer home that we liked but that's okay we still have a beautiful home in TV.

[starflyte1]

The screen in the garage also offers a bit of privacy and, in our case, certainly improves the look of the neighbor hood when our garage door is open and the screen door is pulled across.

[Bryan]

The acrylic in a lanai refers to the floor. Typically a lanai comes with a concrete floor (often painted with the paint applied in decorative patterns). Another option (not a real good one though) is indoor/outdoor carpeting.

Companies in The Villages and surrounding areas will "repour" your lanai floor using some type of acrylic coating. These coatings come in many different colors and decorative styles. Usually this involves sanding the concrete to remove dirt and paint, sealing, then two or three layers of acrylic material, depending on the pattern you chose.

The acrylic floors look better than concrete, don't wear and create concrete dust like some floors will, are fairly easy to clean, and generally give a little pizzaz to your lanai - all at a cost, of course.

I wasn't sure of the context of your question so the "acrylic" may refer to the type of windows installed in a lanai. There are three general choices, vinal (the cheapest), acrylic, and glass (the most expensive. Of course, there are always screens too.

If you want to get really inventive, these companies will gladly (for a price) add an acrylic covering to your walks, driveway, outdoor patio, whatever you want. I never went that far but I did have the acrylic finish put in my lanai and on my front porch and am very pleased with the results.

Yes, eventually it will wear some and need a touch up by a professional. They say that, depending on use, five to seven years between touch ups is about average. I haven't had that done yet (no need, so far) so no idea on the costs of that.

[graciegirl]

Adding a screen to the garage enables you to use the room as a craft room or workshop and still have ventilation, light and privacy. I can't wait to get one so I can do my painting projects out there.

[chuckinca]

GG:

Is the garage warm/cool enuf to use as a craft room?

My frau is talking about converting the dining room into a craft room (our DR is sort of off by itself)

.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by chuckinca

GG:

Is the garage warm/cool enuf to use as a craft room?

My frau is talking about converting the dining room into a craft room (our DR is sort of off by itself)

.

Chuck...the answer is NOT TODAY! But most days here it is another shaded area in central Florida. I can easily clean up any dropped paint off the cement floor. I have sprayed and painted lamps, frames and objects for the house out there too.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by Bryan

The acrylic in a lanai refers to the floor.

You may be right about the type of floor but I'm pretty sure that acrylic (as discussed in house descriptions) refers to the type of windows in an enclosed lanai (back porch). Some use glass and some use acrylic. You can do search on acrylic in this forum and find hundreds of entries. There was even a discussion about whether glass or acrylic would be taxed differently.

Isn't this correct?

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

You may be right about the type of floor but I'm pretty sure that acrylic (as discussed in house descriptions) refers to the type of windows in an enclosed lanai (back porch). Some use glass and some use acrylic. You can do search on acrylic in this forum and find hundreds of entries. There was even a discussion about whether glass or acrylic would be taxed differently.

Isn't this correct?

Yes, you are correct Russ. I've never seen an acrylic floor mentioned as a feature. But sales agents often mention a lanai with acrylic windows.

We used glass to enclose our lanai when we added a birdcage. I much prefer it to acrylic.

[champion6]

Great questions, baybob. As a TOTV newbie, I've been wondering the same things.

An additional question... are the homes built in the last few years on a slab or crawl space?

[baybob]

Originally Posted by champion6

Great questions, baybob. As a TOTV newbie, I've been wondering the same things.

An additional question... are the homes built in the last few years on a slab or crawl space?

Thanks. I've had these questions in my mind for quite a while and just discovered TOTV where one can get answers from those who know.

And thanks to everyone for your answers. I feel like and expert on internet house shopping in TV now.

My answer on slab vs. crawl space is that as far as I know all houses are built on a slab. We spent a week in TV a couple of years back and slab built was the impression that I got from my obligatory homes tour.