Lanai floors in Sarasota and Bradenton
In winter the lanai is the living room. If yours still has faded outdoor carpet, paint that peels every year or tile that sounds hollow, a coated floor gives the furniture a cleaner, brighter base.
Example photos of finished floors, shown for the look. Not photos of a specific past job.
What happens to the old carpet, paint or tile on my lanai?
It usually comes up: carpet and its glue, flaking paint and loose tile all have to be removed so the coating bonds to sound concrete.
Outdoor carpet was the standard lanai floor for years. Underneath it, glue and trapped damp leave a stained, sticky slab. Painted lanais peel where chairs slide and water collects. Tile can be the trickiest: once a few tiles sound hollow, others are often close behind. Old paint or epoxy usually has to come off, and cracks are filled before anything goes down.
Carpet and glue
Both come up, and the glue left behind is ground off.
Peeling paint
Old paint usually has to come off so the new coating grips the concrete.
Tile
Ask about your tile. Loose or hollow tile comes up, and the slab underneath is prepped like any other.
How does a lanai floor cope with rain through the screens and afternoon sun?
Pick a system made for both: wind-driven rain means the floor needs some texture, and a west-facing lanai needs a topcoat that holds its color in strong sun.
Screens keep bugs out, not rain. A summer storm can soak half the lanai floor in seconds, so a smooth gloss is a poor choice where people walk in barefoot from the pool. Sun is the other test. Late-day sun on a west-facing lanai can yellow some plain epoxy topcoats over time, which is why outdoor systems often use a polyaspartic or similar UV-stable topcoat. Ask which system suits your lanai.
Texture
A light texture in the final coat helps wherever the floor gets wet.
UV-stable topcoat
Ask about a polyaspartic topcoat for a lanai that takes direct sun.
Slope
Lanai slabs usually slope away from the house. The coating follows the slope; it does not change it.
Which finish looks right on a lanai?
Most people pick flake or a decorative finish that reads like stone, in colors that sit comfortably between the house and the pool deck.
A lanai sits between the living room and the yard, so the floor has to work with both. Flake hides sand, leaves and pet hair between sweeps. A decorative finish with a stone or tile pattern dresses up a lanai that opens off the main living area. If you want a centerpiece, ask about borders and inlays.
Flake
Practical, hides dirt and has grip.
Decorative
A stone or tile look for a lanai that opens off the living room.
Borders and inlays
A border along the screen wall or a design in the middle. Ask what your slab allows.
What does a lanai floor coating cost?
Price depends on the lanai, so ask about yours; the size, what has to come up first and the finish you choose move it most.
Size and shape
Square footage, plus any steps down to the pool deck and curved edges.
Removal
Carpet, glue, paint or tile coming up first adds work.
Slab condition
Cracks, stains and soft spots add prep.
The finish
Flake, decorative or a patterned inlay, each with its own materials and steps.
How does a lanai floor get coated?
Ask
Tell us the lanai size and what is on the floor now, and ask for a quote.
Clear and remove
The furniture comes out, and carpet, paint or loose tile comes up.
Prep
The surface is usually ground and repaired so the coating has something to grip.
Coat and cure
The coating goes down in layers, then the floor needs time before the furniture goes back. Ask for the schedule.
Lanai floor questions
Can the coating go over the tile on my lanai?
Ask about your tile. Loose or hollow tile has to come up. Whether well-bonded tile can be coated over depends on the tile and the system, so it is a question for the quote.
Will the floor get slippery when rain blows in?
A smooth gloss can. Ask for texture in the final coat on any part of the lanai that gets wet.
Does the screen cage need to come down?
Usually not. The work happens inside the enclosure. Ask how the screens are protected from dust during prep.
How long until the furniture can go back?
It depends on the system and the weather. Ask for the schedule before work starts.
