A few questions about houses in Florida

[NotUrsula]

"Lanai" is a real-estate thing; they started using it in listings about 30 years ago to play up the idea of "Florida as sunny paradise" by invoking a Hawaiian word. Read enough listings and you start using the terms that you see. Old-timers still call it the screened porch.

FWIW, I live in the Midwest now, and real estate agents here call enclosed screen porches "Florida rooms"; they will differentiate a "screened Florida room" as opposed to a "glassed-in Florida room." Marketing.

 

[dyna]

Having the roof over my patio keeps it shaded till about 4:30 pm in summer I tend not to sit out there to much in the full sun. Winter I use it every day might not stay out there more than 15 mins but I'm out there several times a day. We could screen the patio in ever easily but have chosen not to...tho it might stay a little cleaner if we did.

The pool has no cage not enough room at the back side of lot for a screen. I try to keep the few loose leaves from the croton plants picked up, DH has a fit when they land in the pool.
I've been to homes that had cage over their pools seems hotter there than in my uncovered back yard pool. It helps that I have no big trees close to me but we do get some leaves an stuff in pool with a heavy storm.

Oh I'm in Winter Haven about 45 mins from the world

A few yrs ago a friend was talking to her sister on phone who lived in FL an was sayin she was sitting out on her lania. My friend said Hey sis you grew up eatin the same beans n taters I did so shut up with the fancy talk.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Interesting! I guess it’s even regional to parts of Florida, I’ve been here 10+ years and never heard it.

When we were buying a house on the island, we said something about patio or porch and the real estate agent corrected us to lanai.

 

[portocall]

"Lanai" is a real-estate thing; they started using it in listings about 30 years ago to play up the idea of "Florida as sunny paradise" by invoking a Hawaiian word. Read enough listings and you start using the terms that you see. Old-timers still call it the screened porch.

FWIW, I live in the Midwest now, and real estate agents here call enclosed screen porches "Florida rooms"; they will differentiate a "screened Florida room" as opposed to a "glassed-in Florida room." Marketing.

I figured as much. I roll my eyes when I hear "lanai". It sounds so ridiculous to me. A fancy word for an outside room with some wall of screen. Marketing is something else. Of course, I used to be one of the only one in a classroom that was actually born in Florida back in the 70's and 80's so I guess I would count as an old timer.

 

[luvflorida]

...We do use the pool during the winter with the pool heater since it heats the water to about 80 degrees. The cover helps keep it warm during the night.

80 degrees sounds chilly! Of course, our pool water right now (Phoenix area) is 96 degrees and the only thing heating it is the sun! And of course, it IS July! The funny thing, though, and people that don't live here don't believe it, but we can swim in our pool in 96 degree water temps, and the air temps are 110-115 degrees, yet we get chilled when getting out of the pool.

I guess you’ve never watched The Golden Girls? The girls were always hanging out on the lanai.

It’s an Hawaiian word for porch or veranda (according to the dictionary) and it’s kind of silly to use it here on the mainland. I guess it sounds more exotic or upscale than saying my patio.

One of my favorite shows! LOL! I've seen every episode of the Golden Girls, multiple times, and they always used the term lanai. I guess I just assumed everyone in Florida called their screened in patios a lanai.

"Lanai" is a real-estate thing; they started using it in listings about 30 years ago to play up the idea of "Florida as sunny paradise" by invoking a Hawaiian word. Read enough listings and you start using the terms that you see.

This is true. I've been looking at real estates sites and they all use the term lanai.

 

[Feralpeg]

We have a pool screen around our lanai and pool. We use it year round. Our animals love it. From September through March, they are out there constantly. It's a great way for our cats to be out without our having to worry about them.

The screen really keeps crud out of the pool. A few smaller bugs will still get through, but it really keeps things like wasps, etc. away. Mosquitoes don't get through our screen mesh. Mosquitoes absolutely love me. I can sit out on our lanai and not worry about getting bit. I adore our screened lanai.

I admit, I probably wouldn't use the lanai as much in the summer months if it weren't for the pool. It would be too hot. During the winter months, I like to sit out there and read.

 

[Feralpeg]

The one problem I do have with the screened in area is that the spiders inhabit the upper beams of the structure. I can't reach those beams to clean them, even with my power washer, and am considering having a pool company come out and remove all the spiders. I know they serve a purpose, but I rather they serve their purpose outside of the screen (and outside of my house!)!.

We also have the problem with the little spiders. Be very careful if you call someone to deal with them. Our pest control company sprayed them over the pool. It made a mess of the pool. It took weeks to get it back in shape. The spray washed into the pool after it rained. It messed up the balance of the pool and left an oily substance floating. Big mess. We've told the pest company never again!

 

[monorailsilver]

My sister lives in FL and she has a screen around her pool which is never closed. She may swim in the winter months except when it gets really chilly (Ft. Myers) but they also have a heater. It is nice because it keeps most of the bugs out. Her screen isn't the best one, I guess there are smaller holes so the no see ums don't come in.

We only go in April and this past April was the first time that we didn't get bit if we were sitting out there in the evening, not sure why since she still had a screen broke from the hurricane-they were getting new hurricane shutters put in and they didn't want to fix it before those people came as they had to get to one upper story window.