Question about screen rooms in Florida.

[Spensar]

We were watching one of those housing shows last week and at a house with a screened in pool, the tv host said they were common in Florida, and are mainly to keep out the gators. This was in a house near Orlando.

From reading this forum my impression is that the main purpose is to keep out the bugs and snakes. Are gators a problem for pool owners in some parts of Florida? Are gators a main consideration when deciding to put up a screen room?

I thought the host was being a tad dramatic. I don't believe Orlando is exactly in alligator alley either.

[tenax]

if the hurricane hits orlando, i wonder whether gators would flee that way? (always wanted to get to florida, have not yet so i'm 'geographically challenged")

[waterbear]

I currenly live in N Florida (St. Augustine) and grew up in S. FL (Miami) and lived in Ft. Lauderdale for about 15 years before moving to St. Augustine. I guess you could call me a native. There are gators pretty much everywhere along with armadillos and other forms of wildlife through much of the state. However, IMHO, the purpose of a screen room is more to keep a house cool and provide good ventilation since they have been around here on most houses for as long as I can remember. In fact, when I was a kid (50's and 60's) they were called "Florida Rooms" and people spent a lot of time in them because they were the coolest part of the house, even if you didn't have a pool. Back then not all houses had central air and even when you did it was very likely that all the windows were open and the doors to the screen room were also. IT was a way to enjoy the Florida outdoors without 'dying from the heat and humidity'.
As far as keeping out bugs and snakes....anyone in Florida can tell you that they don't do a very good job....in fact palmetto bugs get in just about anywhere (they are so commen in parts of Florida that they should be made the State mascot!) My pool is screened in and I have found bugs, crabs, spiders, and worms in it!
Gators and snakes do intrude on people here (they lived here first!) and there are areas where you have to watch your pets lest they become a meal for them.
I think the main consideraton in putting up a screen room in Florida is the same as anywhere else. To keep leaves and debris out of the pool, to provide some privacy and create an outdoor living area, and to keep unwanted visitors out of the pool....whether gators or the neighborhood children!
BTW, "Alligator Alley" is the name of the area between Fort Lauderale and Naples and is the road that connects them through the Everglades...it is pure Florida swamp! I've driven through it many times and have gone camping there (In a campground and RV park run by the Indians on the Reservation...beautiful and a lot of fun).

[Spensar]

So, she was doing a bit of drama for the tube!

In our winter zone, my idea of living more outside is to try and figure out how I can make use of the nice flat level area from my inground and convert it into a skating rink and not ruin the pool.

[momof2grlz]

I agree with Waterbear. When we decided to install a pool, I insisted on having a screen enclosue. Not to keep gators out. That's a reporter's overactive imagination. We want the screen to help keep debris out of the pool and to be able to open the house during the 2 or 3 days of non-A/C weather we get each year. Gators can be a problem for lakefront or riverfront homeowners, but nuisance alligators are usually a product of human meddling; i.e.: feeding.