I'm thinking about enclosing my exisitng screen porch with either acrylic or vinyl windows. Any benefits to either? I live in Orlando and was thinking this would help protect from the elements and may even allow use of a portable ac unit sometimes.

Thanks,
Chris

 

Not sure what you are talking about. Those terms are often interchangable when talking about windows. Acrylic is a plastic, so is vinyl, but I am not familiar with windows that are referred to as acrylic. Acrylic glazing is often used in windows, usually plexiglass, will not break like glass. Double insulated glass would be a better choice for Florida, keeps out the heat better.

 

Bill,

Thanks for the response. The vinyl windows I'm referring to are not the typical vinyl frames with glass but are vinyl panes that sometimes are put in screen rooms. They are very elastic. The acrylics are more expensive because they're rigid. We considered a glass sunroom but it's too costly since everything has to be up to code since it's considered livable space.

Chris

 

We just replaced our vinyl enclosure with acrylic windows and doors. It was worth the price. We paid for professional installation. The vinyl was not secure and it did not provide any real insulation from the heat. The previous aluminum enclosure with vinyl windows came with the house. It kept the weather out, but did not really add any value to the house. We went with a 3" aluminum frame with styofoam insulation and high end acylic windows and door. We now have the perfect sunroom. The door has a bolt lock. The doors and windows are secure, heavy and airtight. It is very quiet. We discovered there is no insulation above the porch. Guess what we'll be doing this weekend. We are considering a portable a/c unit if we don't get sufficient air flow from the rest of the house.

Hope this was helpful.

 

thanks for the response.

Do you live in Florida as well? I knew the vinyl wouldn't add any insulation properties but was hoping it does a good job of keeping out the elements while also not making the room hotter in the summer. Would adding a portable ac with the vinyl not help?

I've been having a tough time finding someone who installs acrylic.

Thanks,
Chris

 

We live in Fort Myers. From our experience, we did not use the room at all with the vinyl. It appeared that the previous homeowners tried to cut corners and the porch was never very inviting. They did not put alum. panels on both sides of the frame, so the inside of the frame was a dirt catcher. It was always too hot during the summer. Our porch is surrounded by stucco walls on three sides. The fourth exterior wall was constructed of aluminum frame and vinyl windows. We had no air circulation, even with a ceiling fan. I'm sure a portable a/c would help keep the porch comfortable. Now we have a daybed, wicker chair and night stands on the porch. It has a cozy sunroom feel. My husband admitted it was a good investment and we are both pleased with the results.

You may want to check out the Elite 2000 site for a dealer near you. We have the Elite door and windows (very impressive), but went with a standard frame for the rest of the porch to save money.