Meet the Expert
What Is a Lanai?
A lanai is a roofed porch, sometimes screen-enclosed or with one wall open to the outdoors.
Because they’re mostly enclosed, lanais are usable for a larger portion of the year.
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“They offer shade and protection from the sun.”
The term “lanai” means “roofed porch” in Hawaiian, where the concept originated.
Tip
What Is a Porch?
Design:Nesting Place Interiors/ Photo:Muriel Silva
A porch is a covered area adjoining a home’s front, side, or back entrance.
It has a roof and can be screened on two or more sides.
This bang out ofscreened porchdiffers from a lanai which may have one screened wall.
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The most significant difference between a lanai and a screened porch is protection from the elements.
Ascreened porchdoes not keep out rain, but its greatest benefit is it guards against insects.
What Is a Patio?
A patio is a paved, flat, open-air outdoor space with comfortable furnishings for outdoor entertaining.
What Is a Veranda?
Why Add a Lanai to Your Home?
“A lanai offers the ultimate in true indoor/outdoor living in a very comfortable setting,” Simonds says.
The lanai pictured above even includes a dining table perfect for entertaining, and colorful artwork graces the walls.
“Theres just something so luxurious about having a TV in an almost outdoor room,” Storms adds.
“Theres nothing like it.”
Lanais with screens can have either aluminum or fiberglass framed screens lasting between 10 and 20 years.
A lanai adds resale and functional value by providing another space to entertain or unwind.
More extensive lanais that are hybrid indoor/outdoor rooms cost much more than a screened-in enclosure.
How Much Does A Covered Patio Cost?HomeAdvisor.
