Philip Kessler

The main reason that lanais are so popular here is pretty obvious, right? When you live in paradise, you want to be outdoors as much as possible!

The Hawaiian word “lanai” dates back to the 19th century and means “back porch” or “patio.” They are typically added to the original design plan of the house. One main characteristic of the lanai is that the existing roofline of the house extends over a foundation incorporating it into the residence. The floors are typically made of concrete, stone, or pavers.

However, if your home wasn’t originally designed with a lanai in place, you can find an experienced contractor who can do the job after the fact. Moreover, they can do it so well that anyone who hadn’t seen your home before would never know the lanai was added at a later date.

What makes them so popular?

It’s true that our sub-tropical climate makes it seem as if Florida is as close to paradise as it gets here on earth. However, if we’re being honest, there are a couple of drawbacks with which many of us contend. Namely, the sun and bugs—and, the latter come out in droves, don’t they?

Lanais allow homeowners to check both of those annoyances off the list

Having a roof over your head does a lot to combat the sun. Its most dangerous element, ultraviolet (UV) rays, hammer down on us relentlessly for the majority of the year. Not only is it dangerous for our unprotected skin—causing varying degrees of sunburn and even skin cancers—but it damages our stuff. UV rays cause sun fade for sure. It’s evident in everything—outdoor furniture, swingsets, bikes, and the paint on our cars and homes.

Moreover, UV rays can damage the structural integrity of some materials causing them to weaken over time. If you’ve ever flopped down on a canvas deck chair only to hear a resounding rip as you crashed to the ground, you know exactly what we mean!

Of course, if your lanai isn’t enclosed, you haven’t rid yourself of the bug issue entirely. You can use torches, sprays, and other methods to repel them. You can keep an ample supply of flyswatters on hand too.

Maybe it’s time to end your bug problem for good! Screening in your lanai will do it. The grid is small enough to block all types of bugs. Mosquitoes aren’t getting in to drive you indoors either. Imagine what a difference that will make!

And, there are other benefits you and your family will enjoy as soon as your enclosure is complete.

Privacy

The number one reason that homeowners choose to enclose an outdoor area is to create a sense of privacy. Mesh screen enclosures create a greater illusion of privacy than those made of glass. Using a darker screen makes an even greater difference, of course. You can also look for a company, like ours, for instance, that customizes your screens using digital imagery.

It allows homeowners to create a private get-away spot just outside their back door. The results are pretty amazing. Especially, after adding your own personal style when choosing furniture and other decors.

Free airflow

Mesh screen enclosures keep the air circulating throughout the area and that’s your best defense against mold and mildew growth. That’s saying a lot here, in Florida, because we have such high humidity here. It creates the perfect environment for it to thrive.

Mold can cause health problems for you and your pets. Worse, if left unattended it continues to spread and allergic reactions grow worse over time.

Symptoms include:

• Watery and itcy eyes
• Redness of the eyes
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Runny nose

Keep out debris and unwanted guests

It can be disheartening to look out back after a storm has gone through to see the lanai covered with storm debris. And, hopefully, you’ve never experienced the shock of discovering an animal or reptile that has taken shelter from the storm there!

Enclosing the space eliminates both of those scenarios—on day one!

Protection

Enclosing your lanai can allow your young children to experience a sense of freedom because you can let them out on the lanai to play without having to worry about them wandering off. Even if you aren’t letting them out the door without you in tow, you could sit and enjoy your novel or check in with social media without worrying about being distracted and losing track of your little ones.

How does that sound?

Floridians do love their lanais

Lanais allow Florida homeowners to have an attractive outdoor addition to their homes. Rather than deck or lawn chairs and a picnic table, people can furnish the space with the same types of furniture and decorating elements that they used throughout the rest of their home.

You won’t be driven indoors by swarms of bugs or mosquitoes. The sun isn’t as harsh when you are shaded either. What’s more, you can sit outside during a passing thunderstorm instead of watching at the windows from indoors—a pass-time that many find relaxing.

And, it’s worth mentioning, that homes with enclosed outdoor living areas appraise higher than homes without them. To what degree, of course, depends on the size of your space.

All in all, there isn’t a reason not to love lanais! It allows you, your family, and friends to gather together outdoors comfortably. And, when we’re comfortable, the good times roll, don’t they? You’ll be making memories that last a lifetime.

So, if your home doesn’t have a lanai or another type of outdoor living area, you may want to consider adding one. Odds are you aren’t going to regret it—ever.

Mesh pool screen enclosures are becoming more and more popular over traditional glass enclosures. That’s because they offer several benefits for homeowners that glass enclosures can’t provide.

Are you wondering how a mesh pool screen enclosure stacks up against a glass one where ultraviolet (UV) protection is concerned?

We’ll share what we know.

Glass vs mesh pool screen enclosures

Exposure to the sun is highly beneficial for our immune systems in small doses because it stimulates our bodies to create vitamin D. That’s more important than ever because vitamin D is a natural defense against the coronavirus. And, we aren’t going to deny that a healthy tan is something to be proud of as well.

Still, sunscreen is a necessity when your family and friends are at the pool for an extended length of time. That’s because too much exposure to UV rays will ultimately damage the skin. Even worse than peeling skin, continued exposure often results in permanent damage—such as the “leathered” look we know so well or even worse, skin cancers.

Glass enclosures without added UV protection won’t keep you from frying because the glass intensifies the effects of the sun’s UV rays. Mesh pool screen enclosures provide an element of shade so you won’t have to apply sunscreen as often.

If a homeowner is willing to pay the price for treated glass, a glass pool enclosure could certainly block more UV rays than a mesh pool screen enclosure. Glass treated with added UV protection is more expensive, of course, and the price continues to increase depending on the amount of protection you want.

In contrast, mesh pool screen enclosures are often treated with additional UV protection as the company norm. It’s because doing so extends the life of your screens. Untreated, the mesh will begin to break down under the relentless barrage of ultraviolet light beating down on your screens day after day.

Moreover, if your contractor provides customers with the option to customize their screens—like we do, for instance—the dyes used are specially formulated to withstand UV rays so the imagery doesn’t begin its slow fade on day one.

Lower the temperature

Glass pool enclosures—especially those with no UV protection—intensify the heat of the sun. We’ve already mentioned that can increase your chances of getting burned substantially. On the other hand, mesh screen enclosures give you some shade and can actually lower the temperature of your entire home.

That’s because the treated screens don’t absorb as much heat. If your pool enclosure attaches to your home, that means your exterior walls won’t be absorbing as much heat as they had before.

Since we’re talking about outdoor elements, it’s worth mentioning that you aren’t going to get driven inside every time a storm blows up either.

Free airflow

Mesh pool screen enclosures don’t block airflow the way glass enclosures do.

That’s a big deal because free airflow allows for surfaces to dry completely. It’s going to greatly reduce your chances that you’ll have areas where mold and mildew begin to grow. Our heat and humidity provide the right type of environment for mold to thrive.

Left untreated, it can create health problems for both humans and pets. And, the threat to your health worsens with prolonged exposure.

Free airflow can eliminate the feeling of claustrophobia that some people experience when “cooped up” inside a glass enclosure too.

Provide more privacy

Mesh pool screen enclosures actually provide a greater sense of privacy than glass enclosures. Of course, glass can be tinted, but, again, it would be an additional expense. Mesh screen enclosures are cheaper to install than glass overall. When you add the fact that choosing a darker color for your screens—or when adding a custom image to them—creates an even greater illusion of privacy, we think it’s another reason that screen enclosures are a better choice.

Easy to clean

The difference between cleaning a glass enclosure and a screen enclosure is as different as night and day.

All you need is a bucket of sudsy water and a scrub brush to wash away dirt and salt accumulations from the screens. If you break out a power washer, you’ll be finished with the chore in no time!

Glass enclosures can be tougher to maintain. Lots of homeowners hire a service to handle the chore which can get costly depending on the size of the structure.

They block the sun and more

So, we’ve determined that mesh pool enclosures do provide you and your family with some protection from the sun. They protect you from exposure to the wind and rain too.

They also block bugs and mosquitoes from invading your space. Just imagine what it would be like to not spend your time poolside without constantly swatting at your face and arms!

You can store your supply of flyswatters in the garage and save them for when everyone is hanging out in the yard.

Yard debris isn’t going to be a problem any longer either so your pool is going to stay a lot cleaner. You might even do away with the pool guy and take on the job yourself.

If you’re upgrading your outdoor living area, it’s a good idea to consider what kind of return you can get for your investment. Overall, you can expect to get about a 75% return on the money you spent. If you’re going all out and adding a screened-in patio complete with an outdoor kitchen, it’s most likely going to get expensive. However, imagining the finished project might make it hard to pass up making that dream a reality.

The type of materials that you’ll use has a huge impact on the final cost.

A concrete floor might not sound very appealing—until you start checking out the amazing finishes available today. Stamped designs, textures, colors—there’s a lot to choose from. You’ll be surprised at how economical this option is compared to laying tiles, for example.

Reeling in the budget

If you want to get the best return on your investment, these points will help you keep the cost factor down. That, in turn, makes the increased value go up.

• Size—The idea behind adding a screened-in patio is to provide you with more usable space. The size of the enclosure is more important than the overall look. Therefore, choosing less costly materials allows you to expand the size of the patio.
• High-end screen enclosures aren’t the best call—Installing costly features and using extravagant building materials will lower the chances of getting a higher return.
• Quality materials—There’s a big difference between extravagance and quality. Choosing low-quality materials to save money will just cost you in the future because they won’t last.
• Electrical work gets pricey—Keep your outlets to a minimum and avoid wiring for added features that will require their own circuits or tricky wiring. Think recessed or scone lighting, for example.

Of course, if you aren’t planning to put your home on the market any time soon knowing the value that a screened-in porch will add to your property might not matter that much to you.

Looking for immediate payouts

Adding a screened-in patio to your home or upgrading the one that you already have provides a number of benefits for you and your family as soon as the job is completed.

Looking at the big picture, having a screened-in porch professionally installed will increase the functional living space of your home. Moreover, it’s increasing your prime living space because patios usually connect to the kitchen or living room. That means more room for lounging, entertaining, and family gatherings.

Screened-in patios offer a number of other benefits that we’d like to share with you.

The privacy factor

The number one reason that people decide to enclose their patio, pool, or even the gazebo is because it provides an increased sense of privacy. It’s nice to have an outdoor space where you feel secluded from the rest of the neighborhood.

Some companies, like ours, for instance, provide their customers with the option to customize their screens. Where is your favorite spot on earth? The beach, a breathtaking mountain top, the most beautiful flower garden you’ve ever seen—

You can create virtually any environment that you want! The results are pretty amazing if we do say so ourselves.

Protection from the elements

We enjoy our outdoor living rooms nearly year-round here in Florida. But the sun is relentless at times. Enclosing your patio or lanai will provide you and your family with some protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. And, when those storms blow up out of nowhere, you won’t be forced to watch it pass indoors.

Insects can’t invade your space

Living in a subtropical climate means we get to share our space with a multitude of bugs and mosquitoes. A screened-in patio eliminates that annoying problem once and for all. The screen is fine enough to block all types of insects—even those tiny noseeums. And, the mosquito repellant will be staying in the cabinet until the next camping trip.

A safety feature

If you aren’t enclosing the pool area, it’s easy to overlook the safety feature that enclosing your patio has—especially if you have small children.

A screened-in patio provides an outdoor space for children to play. You’ll be able to sit and enjoy a novel or catch up on social media without having to worry about anyone slipping away without your knowing.

The same goes for your pets. You never know when an unannounced critter will catch their attention. It can cause them to take off as if they’ve been shot out of a cannon!

The best return for your money

There’s no doubt that you and your family will spend a lot of time on the patio when it’s screened-in. You’ll increase your living space, won’t be fighting off the bugs, and you’ll have some protection from the sun and rain.

Another thing to consider about all the time you’ll be spending on the patio—and, it’s the most important thing of all really—is the fact that you’re on the patio—spending time together. Time moves faster than we think. We turn around, it seems, and our kids are grown and starting lives of their own. It’s wonderful to watch them take on life. Still, on the other hand, we can’t help but wish we could turn back the clock now and then.

Take advantage of the time you have now because that’s what creates the memories you will all treasure for the rest of your lives.