How to Ensure Your Lanai is Hurricane Ready in 2020

How to Ensure Your Lanai is Hurricane Ready

In our area of southwest Florida, hurricanes will inevitably strike as they move over the state from the Atlantic to the Gulf and vice-versa. When these storms sweep through, they leave behind a path of destruction in their wake. There are steps you can take to make sure your lanai is hurricane ready for the upcoming storm.

Here are some tips on how to ensure your southwest Florida lanai is hurricane ready:

• Brace Your Screen Enclosure – You’ll need to wait until a storm is looming to put some pool screen enclosure hurricane protection tips to good use. However, others can be handled in advance. Using hurricane braces are a perfect example. When bad weather takes down pool screen enclosures, inadequate bracing is often to blame. Pool enclosure hurricane braces reinforce the structural integrity of the pool enclosure. Verifying that your pool cage has hurricane braces before a storm arrives can minimize damage and make sure your lanai is hurricane ready.
• Check Your Enclosure’s Hardware – Screws are small, but they can have a major effect when it comes to pool enclosure hurricane safety. Florida’s high humidity allows rust to flourish, and rusted fasteners leave a structure weak. Checking that your enclosure is built with corrosion-resistant fasteners is a simple way to ensure that it’s got the strength to survive nasty weather.
• Maintain Your Landscaping – Probably the most important of all the hurricane protection tips is this one. Dead trees, weak branches and fragile bushes are unlikely to survive an encounter with strong winds. Be proactive. At any time during the year, maintain your landscaping to decrease the chances that yard debris will tear through your screen enclosure.
• Eliminate Potential Projectiles – Strong winds can send things like planters, grills and patio furniture flying. Storing these items in a safe place when forecasters start calling for a severe storm prevents them from becoming dangerous projectiles. Do you have some things in your patio area that are too big to move? Consider locking them down in place with heavy-duty tie-downs or chains is a sure fire way to make sure your lanai is hurricane ready.
• Create a Path of Least Resistance – When gusts of wind come charging through, inviting them to take a particular path can limit the damage that they do in other areas. If a hurricane is expected, consider removing the doors or even some of the screen panels from your enclosure if its design allows for it. You’ll have to decide whether this is an option as the storm approaches. By creating additional wind flow, this may help you avoid torn screens.
• Prep the Pool – What about the pool that your screen enclosure surrounds? Keep it full to help it withstand the pressure of groundwater and wind. If you use chlorine, add an extra dose of this chemical to help the pool water fend off contamination from the storm.
• Flip the Switch on the Pool Area – It’s no secret that water and electricity don’t play nicely together. Heavy rains and flooding can send pool water surging into your pool’s systems. To reduce the risk of electric shock and equipment damage, turn off the breaker for your pool area before the hurricane hits.

Check Lanai Screens for Any Holes or Tears

If your lanai screens have any tears or holes in them, you should have those repaired before a hurricane moves into the area. Current holes and tears can be aggravated by a strong wind and can even be torn away completely depending on what category the hurricane is when it passes over your property.

Having holes and tears repaired, or replacing older screens, helps to eliminate these points of weakness in your screens and keeps your lanai better protected from the elements.

Secure & Lock All Lanai Screen Doors

Before the storm hits, make sure that all the doors to your lanai are not only closed but also locked. A strong wind can blow open a closed door, but locking it helps to keep it reinforced. A screen door blowing in a strong wind is a recipe for disaster, as you’ll be looking at a broken door and possibly more damage if that door gets blown around by the wind into other things such as a car or building.

Bring in Patio Furniture & Other Loose Items Such as Garbage Cans

Hurricane-force winds can exceed 100 miles per hour, which means loose items like garbage cans and even patio furniture will be whipped around, slamming into buildings, cars, and also your lanai. This can cause extra damage and can destroy your lanai screens. Before a storm comes, it’s best to bring these items into your home or store them inside your garage so they are protected from strong wind gusts.

Trim Overhanging Tree Branches & Limbs

During a hurricane, many tree branches and limbs will fall due to the winds and rain. If these branches are overhanging your lanai and fall on it or beside it, you risk screens being torn or your roof being dented by these falling limbs. Having a qualified tree trimming professional come out to your property routinely to maintain the growth of tree branches is recommended to assure your lanai is hurricane ready.

Final Step to Ensure Your Lanai is Hurricane Ready

When preparing for a hurricane the question always come up, what should we do with our scree/pool enclosure? Preparing for hurricane can be a stressful and daunting process for every homeowner, from shopping for supplies to putting up hurricane shutters you should also consider preparing your screen/pool enclosure!

A screen/pool enclosure is susceptible to the wind of a hurricane because it acts like a sail, more so when the screen is wet. Damage is caused to the enclosure due to the screen putting so much pressure on the structure during the storm. The cost of the structure far exceeds the cost of the screening so we recommend cutting the screens to prevent damage to the structure. Cutting the screens is not a science it’s a pretty simple process……

We suggest cutting only wall screens and cutting enough screens to allow airflow to pass through your enclosure. On a small enclosure cut 1-2 on each side and 1-2 on the back wall, If you have a larger enclosure cut 3-4 screens on each side and 3-4 on the back wall. We recommend the main screen panels above the chair rail, these are typically the biggest panels and will allow the most air to pass through.

We do have customers call and ask if taking their doors off is sufficient enough for their screen rooms. If you have a small enclosure, have the ability and the time then taking the doors off is not a bad idea and will help assure that your lanai is hurricane ready.

Keep in mind we do recommend watching the hurricane forecast and waiting until you are sure the storm is actually going to track in your direction before you cut your screens. Cutting the screens should be one of the last minute items to take care of, it takes less than 5 minutes to do.

Want to find out more about our Home Watch Services, Concierge Services, or Home Maintenance Services? Request a FREE quote, Book an Appointment 24/7, or contact us.