How to Protect Your Lanai or Pool Cage Before a Hurricane

Clear everything loose off the lanai, close and latch every door, and inspect the frame for loose fasteners, torn screen, and corroded base anchors while there’s still time. Keep the pool full, shut off power to the equipment, and photograph the enclosure for insurance. Don’t cut screens unless your installer says to.

Do pool cages and lanais actually survive hurricanes?

Many do, and many don’t. Screen enclosures are light structures with a lot of surface area, so wind loads them quickly. How one holds up depends on three things: how it was engineered, how well it is anchored to the slab or footing, and what condition it is in when the storm arrives.

The damage seen most often after storms is rarely a mystery. Rusted anchors, missing fasteners, or an old frame that was never built for current wind requirements are risk factors. A well-built, well-maintained enclosure has a better chance, but even a sound one can fail when winds exceed its design conditions or debris strikes it. That is why the work you do before the storm matters, and why the work done years earlier matters even more.

Also remember that a cage protects a pool area from bugs and sun. It is not a shelter. Follow your county’s evacuation guidance for your zone.

What should you do with screens and doors before a storm?

Screens

This is the most debated point. Some homeowners cut or pull screen panels to let wind through. Many enclosure pros advise against it, because the screens are part of how the structure was designed, and cutting them can leave you with a mess of torn material and a frame that’s harder to repair. If your installer or the original engineering drawings say otherwise, follow them. If you’re unsure, call the company that built the enclosure before the storm, not during it.

What is worth doing is checking the screens you already have. Look for torn panels, spline that has pulled out of the channel, and sagging sections. Loose screen catches wind and can start a tear that spreads.

Doors

Close and latch the cage doors so they don’t swing and slam. Make sure hinges and latches are tight, and replace any missing screws. Then close and lock the sliding doors and house doors that open onto the lanai. Those glass doors are what separates the storm from the inside of your home, and they should be fully shut and locked. Locking is not the same as impact protection: sliding glass doors that are not impact-rated generally also need hurricane shutters or other approved opening protection against windborne debris.

The frame and anchors

A typical pre-storm walk-around goes like this. Start at the base and look at each post plate where the frame meets the slab. Check that the anchor bolts are snug and that there is no heavy rust or cracked concrete around them. Move up the posts and check the connections at the beams and the roof line. Tighten anything that has backed out, and note anything bent or corroded that you can’t fix yourself. Don’t climb onto the enclosure to do any of this.

How do you secure furniture, grills, and loose items on the lanai?

Anything that isn’t fastened down can become a projectile or punch through screen. Even a light chair can tear a panel when wind throws it against the frame.

• Move furniture indoors if you can, or into a garage. Stacking and tying chairs together on the lanai is a last resort.
• Disconnect and store grills. Propane cylinders must stay outdoors, upright and secured in a ventilated location, never inside a home or garage and never inside the cage.
• Take down hanging items such as planters, wind chimes, fans with removable blades, and string lights.
• Remove pool items like skimmer poles, loose toys, floats, and umbrellas. Store them inside.
• Secure or remove cushions and rugs. Wet cushions are heavy, and rugs can blow out through a torn panel.

For the pool itself, the general advice is to leave it full. Draining a pool can let groundwater push it out of the ground. Turn off power to the pump and other equipment at the breaker, and follow your pool service’s advice on chemical levels and covers. Don’t cover the pool with a solid cover unless the manufacturer says it’s safe in a storm.

What makes an aluminum enclosure more wind-resistant from the start?

The best protection is built in long before a storm is in the forecast. A few things make the difference, whoever builds it:

• Engineering for the site. Wind exposure differs between an inland lot and a waterfront one. Enclosures should be designed for the conditions where they will stand, not pulled from a generic plan.
• Framing size and spacing. Post and beam sizes, bracing, and the spacing between members all affect how the structure handles load.
• Connections and anchoring. A frame is only as strong as its attachment points, both at the slab and where the enclosure meets the house.
• Materials that resist corrosion. Aluminum doesn’t rust like steel, but fasteners, anchors, and coastal exposure still need attention over time.

At Pyramid Aluminum, our enclosures are built from aluminum extrusions that we cut and assemble at our Largo facility, and we use site-sealed engineering tailored to each project. To learn more about our pool enclosure services, visit our pool enclosures page. Whoever you talk to, ask to see the engineering for your structure and ask what wind conditions it was designed for. Permit and code requirements vary by city and county, so check with your local building department too.

What should you check after the storm passes?

Wait until officials say it’s safe to go outside, and stay away from downed power lines. Then look at the enclosure from a distance before you go near it.

1. Look for leaning or sagging. If posts lean, beams sag, or the frame looks twisted, stay out from under it. A damaged cage can collapse further.
2. Check the base. Look for pulled anchors, cracked concrete, and plates that have shifted.
3. Inspect the connection to the house. Gaps or pulled fasteners along the wall are a red flag.
4. Look at the screens and doors. Torn panels are common and usually repairable. Bent door frames and broken latches need attention before the next storm.
5. Check the pool and equipment. Don’t run the pump until you’ve checked for debris, water in the equipment area, and electrical damage. Keep everyone out of the pool if there is debris or a risk of live wires.
6. Photograph everything before you move or repair anything, and then contact your insurer.

When should you call a pro to inspect damage or upgrade the structure?

Call one if the frame is bent, a post has shifted, anchors have pulled, or the enclosure is attached to the house in a way that looks stressed. Structural damage isn’t a DIY fix, and a cage that looks fine but has a shifted connection can fail in the next storm.

It’s also worth calling when the enclosure is old, the anchors are badly corroded, or you’ve had repeated screen damage. Sometimes the answer is repair, sometimes it is re-screening, and sometimes it is replacing sections or the whole structure with something engineered for current conditions. A pro can tell you which.

If you’d like someone to look at your enclosure, screen room, or lanai, you’re welcome to contact us. We’re happy to talk through what you have, even if you aren’t ready to build anything.

Frequently asked questions