Thanks to everyone for all the information and pictures. We are considering either EZE Breeze or Larson Scenix windows. We like the 75% screen ventilation with EZE Breeze vs 50% with Larson. We like Larson glass panes (clearer view, won't discolor, easier to clean, and more durable).

We will have the windows on two adjacent sides of the screen porch and a door opening to the deck on one of the other sides. We do have a ceiling fan. We live in N.C. so should we be concerned with only 50% ventilation?

I've read that one can upgrade the screens. Is there a high visibility screen option?

For better visibility, we will be replacing the railing with a cable railing.

All thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

50% ventilation in Ohio is great. We have a ceiling fan and floor fan and with that circulation, it works fine. We are still using our porch with Larson windows in November! In the morning I open the French doors of our kitchen to let the household heat out there, and a floor heater, and we can usually get the room 30 degrees warmer than outside. (Otherwise it’s commonly 10 degrees warmer than outside). We LOVE our Larson windows!

You have a beautiful porch and backyard!

@Paul Sappie Will your porch get a lot of sun?? depending on which way it faces, in the summer it can be hot. Our porch faces East and we have large Scenix windows plus 2 sets of french doors with screen doors to open. In the summer I am happy to have the doors to open, I am not sure our windows alone would give us enough ventilation. We also have a large ceiling fan and a Mitsubishi unit which we use often in the summer and the fall. It extends the use of our porch a lot in the Fall & winter. I do love our Scenix windows, they have continued to work great.

We live in NC and have 4 large (near max dimensions) Scenix windows for our porch. We have a ceiling fan and natural gas log set. It's my wifes favorite place to sit in the mornings. I think the horizontal openings allow for better airflow than if we had used sliders that opened side to side at 50% and that it's sufficient for NC. (I definitely was against casements because I didn't want to crank open so many windows.) Before you make your decision, you should see both products if you haven't. For me, there's no comparison in quality. As I recall the EZ breeze was not glass and felt lightweight. We've had our scenix windows installed for 1 year and no regrets. We leave our windows open in the summer and closed in the winter. I do wonder how well the screen and pulley system will hold up over time. But no issues to report. Do know that the scenix are single pane glass. For a 3 season room in NC, that should be perfect - and it helped reduce the amount of yellow pine pollen we had to clean up ;) in the spring. I do tend to wash the windows about 4 times a year as late afteroon sun will show when they're dirty. So, invest in good window cleaning gear and the job will be easy.

Looove all this amazing Scenix inspiration @poogan and @mejstone! Your spaces are amazing! We too are considering Scenix or EZ Breeze for our three season porch. We will have a gas fireplace with a blower in there as well with the hopes that we can maybe sit out there longer (we are in Chicago 'burb). @mejstone any issues with your fireplace and the windows? I like the idea of the clear glass in the middle to look out. But have a couple of questions:

• we are on a golf course - we don't get lots of balls in our lot but then again you never know...shld we lean towards EZ Breeze since the vinyl "snaps" back in the event of being hit?
• Any downsides of the Scenix that you have learned over the years of owning them?
• And are the ones available at Menards/Lowes the same as through a contractor?

Thanks so much!

I dunno, to me, there’s just something not right about vinyl windows! It’s like eating with plastic silverware. But those are my biases. These windows are very strong and resilient. Are they resilient against a golf ball? I can’t answer that. But these are just as strong as any other window in your house. However, perhaps you want to get the “extra strength” screens. We got them and they are terrific. The visibility is still fine.

There is nothing, zero, nada, that we do not love about our windows.

I’m sure they are the same windows at Menards. We got ours through a contractor because we wanted very specific sizes and widths. We wanted the porch “so big” and then ordered custom made screens to accommodate that, rather than the other way around. (The screens are this big, so that’s how big our porch will be.). In fact, our contractor didn’t even measure and order them until the entire wooden structure of the porch was built. THEN he could get the exact size windows- to the quarter inch (or so to speak) without worrying if they would fit, gaps, etc. I recommend getting the biggest windows your project will allow.

Ok, I asked my husband his thoughts….he loves them, too, but 1) They are not insulated, nor do they have reflective coating. With full glass exposure, it can get hot in the summer, and dont retain heat in cold weather. You say you are in the Chicago area, we are in the Cleveland area - and I do say they are a true 3 season window. April through many November days. 2) They are not 100% bug proof for crawling insects. Its not a huge problem, but an occasional shield bug or lady bug will crawl in. 3) Custom sizing adds to the cost considerably, but we are still glad we did it.

No problems with the fireplace. It's been in the 30's the last few nights. I get a little condensation on the Inside but the room is nice and cozy. I open one window a few inches to vent the ventless fireplace. We were concerned we might have a carbon monoxide issue but sensors indicate all is good. Bottom line the room usable here in ATL for all 4 seasons.

Wow!!!!!! That’s amazing!!!! 30 degrees and toasty! Very impressed!!!! Beautiful room! You are very blessed to enjoy it into these very cold months!

Thanks for the feedback @poogan and @mejstone! Appreciate all the insight. Will keep you updated as we make our selections! We aren't starting till Spring but these days, decisions have to be made so early. Thanks again!

My porch windows by larsen leak every time we have a strong rain from the north. So dissapointed I picked them out so of course my husband blamed me for poor selection. Not worth the money!!! Will be calling the company but I have been told good luck getting results!!!

Could it be an installation problem? We have never had this problem!

My carpenter put foam seals inside where the wood frame meets the window frames and then sealed them on the outside. Its been a year and and we have no problems. That said, there is a water vent on the outside of the windows at the bottom (one on each side) The vents have little flaps that need to be open or clean and not sealed to let any water that may get inside the frame escape. I assume this might happen if a window is not closed all the way and rain get into the frame.

Our installers framed in the windows with Azek framing and trim pieces and sealed it all with a silicone sealant. He also cut out little channels in the trim pieces to allow the drain slots on the outside of the windows to drain freely. No problems with leaks even with a hard driving rain. I would seriously speak with your installers. I question if the problem is with Scenix.

My contractor did the same He "cut out little channels in the trim pieces"

Thanks i will I sincerley hope its not the windows .

Can you take a picture of the channel that was cut in the trim.

My husband says this is critical to allow drainage from inside the window casing.

here’s our drains don’t have to cut

Mmm… so maybe that is not the problem?

How did you handle electrical outlets?

hello,

recently recieved a qoute from lowes, and was a little surprised at the install costs. The labor was essentially the same as the 8 windows and 1 door from Larson (all scenix products). Is this typical for scenix window install (so if the window is $800, install price is similar?).

Thanks for any thoughts!

@melindamcguigan my windows have enough drywall around them to allow electrical outlets along the bottom of the windows.

@jcharbneau my contractor who was building my porch installed the windows so I don't have any idea how much the labor would be. are you replacing old windows with the new Scenix windows? would be good to find someone who has installed them before. Sorry I am not much help!

Agree, electrical outlets are no problem. We built a new porch front the ground up, so it was all included for us, too. Our contractor had never installed Scenix windows before, but did a fabulous job.

@k newhart - thanks for your reply. we already have the covered porch area (its part of the deck). It had screens originally, but they were damaged at some point and the previous owner removed them. The scenix windows seem like a great option, but the install qoute from lowes is making me want to check with a few other vendors before pulling the trigger ;-)

We are considering these. Until we actually decide, I will keep reading any new comments. They all look so beautiful.

Welcome to the conversation, Boomer6303. Keep exploring to see whether these are the right choice for you! We couldn’t be any happier with our Scenix windows.

Hi all --- thanks for the information on scenix! Did anyone choose these over tall vertical sliders? Also, how do you like the look from the outside? TIA

@Christine Kaufman I thought about sliding doors but decided I liked the look of the Scenix windows instead, I added two sets of french doors with screen doors for a full 6 foot wide opening. the 2 sets of french doors really make a difference on ventilation. the Scenix windows alone would not have given me enough ventilation. The windows look great from the outside & have functioned beautifully. I have had mine for 4 years.

The look from the out doors is gorgeous.

The look from outside is gorgeous.

@poogan Beautiful home!!

Thanks for sharing! Beautiful!

We are considering the scenix on a cabin porch in New Hampshire. Has anyone seen info on the insulation values on these windows?

They are single pane windows. I have had mine for 4 years now, I have been pleased with how quiet my room is when the windows are closed but they do not keep warmth in if it is cold outside. As far as I know Scenix does not offer a thermal version of the windows. Would be great if they did!

Is your aread heated? What part of the country do you live in?

We live in Pennsylvania. Our room is heated with a wood burning fireplace & we also have a Mitsubishi unit that cools & heats. it does a great job. We insulated the ceiling & walls in our room but for the most part the room is all windows. Our concern was mainly how to make sure it wasn't too warm in the summer months.

With the Scenix Windows, you will have a fabulous 3 seasons porch in New Hampshire! I live in Ohio, so about the same weather. We enjoy our porch April through October, no problem. In the months of November through March, we can sit out there “sometimes.” If it is sunny outside, the sun will heat our porch 30 degrees warmer than outside temperature - its truly a SUN room! So we have been known to have lunch on our porch, with the ground covered with snow, if its sunny outside, and add a room heater. If your expectations are in keeping with that, I believe you will be more than happy with Scenix windows!

Our Scenix windows also leaked in heavy rain, and the drain flaps are NOT blocked. We had to put silicone in all of the lower outside corners. We also carefully removed all of the lower screens and siliconed inside all of the bottom corners, and were careful to not cover the drain flaps. So far it’s working. We’re waiting for a few more rains before we finish off the inside walls. They look beautiful, but very disappointed with the amount of work it’s taken to stop the leaks.

Does anyone have Scenix windows in a hot climate? I'm in Atlanta, and am concerned the 50% ventilation won't be enough. Also, I'm wondering if the glass will make the room very hot in our Atlanta summers. Our backyard does not get a lot of direct sun at least.

We want screens to protect vs bugs, but also want some type of window to help during pollen season.

We are also looking at SunSpace Weathermaster, EZ Breeze, and Porch Conversions windows. This will be a brand new porch build.

I dont know that a hot day in Atlanta is a whole lot different than a hot day in Ohio. 90 degrees is 90 degrees. Or whatever. We have a lot of humidity, as I assume you do. This is only an impression and opinion, and others may weigh in differently. A 3 season room is a 3 season room. On hot days, it will be hot on your porch. There are days its too hot to be out here. I regret those days, but the only alternative is to make it a 4 season porch which you can do your climate control. I think we get good ventilation between the windows, a ceiling fan, and a floor fan. I open the windows up early in the morning to let the cool air come in. On REALLY hot days, I accept the fact that I will enjoy this room in the morning, and then in the evening when it cools off, but 12-5, not as much. I love my porch SO much. Happy that you are building a new porch, too!

Thanks @poogan, that is helpful!

If you dont get a lot of direct sunlight in your backyard, that will make a significant difference. That is one of the reasons these porches are sometimes called “sun rooms.” There truly is a “greenhouse” effect. I have mentioned in previous posts that the sun can heat up our porch 30 degrees, even in the winter. If its not a sunny day, it does not heat up to that degree. You have that working in your favor.

@Brandy Wine I would give some thought to which direction your room will face. If it is facing in any West direction it may be too warm during the summer. your summers are long & your summer nights do not cool off as much as in the North. Also depends how large this porch will be. mine is 22x22 and I have 6 of the large Scenix windows plus 2 sets of french doors that fully open to 6 ft openings. My windows are not enough ventilation on their own, the french doors save the day! My porch faces East, so no afternoon sun. And even with that, our porch can be very warm, but with our giant ceiling fan & French doors open, it has enough ventilation. I also put in a Mitsubishi unit that heats & cools. That didn't cost a lot to put in & it gives us total climate control in the summer & winter if we need it. We totally live on our porch, its like the rest of the house doesn't exist! So think through what you want out of this space you are about to create & how important this space will be to you. Ours changed everything for us. Hope this helps!!

FYI I asked our patio builder to include Scenix windows in our quote. He got back to me and said that Larson has decided to stop manufacturing Scenix windows as of December. So he doesn't want to use them.

I did reach out to Larson, and they confirmed Scenix windows will no longer be made. And they aren't going to offer a similar product. So that is disappointing.

We will likely end up using one of the 4 track vinyl windows such as Porch Conversions or SunSpace.

Brandy Wine did you end up using one of the alternative products? I’m in Chattanooga and have been researching ways to transition our large screened porch into a 3 season room. Very disappointed Scenix discontinued their line. Our HOA says they don’t allow vinyl window installation.

@ jemahaffey We ended up choosing Porch Conversions vinyl. The project isn't wrapped up yet, but the windows look good so far. Unfortunately, I don't know of any other real glass products such as Scenix.

@jemahaffey - We too were disappointed in the discontinuation of Scenix, tho I've read some other posts where folks weren't happy with the results. You may want to try WindowWorld and/or Pella (Pella was higher for us, but they had an option similar to Scenix except that the screen "folds" on itself when not in use - versus retracting on a roller), it may have still been a vinyl frame but I think was still glass with-in the sash. Window World had a lower quote and were at least on par with the big box stores for regular windows (screen visibile all the time tho - ymmv).

Still looking and plan to do our update in the fall. Will try to remember to post results here for the community to view.

Jess

My three year old scenix window won’t close. Upper pane reaches top frame before lower panel meets the bottom. cable on right side of window has more tension than left side.

After numerous calls to their customer service line I was sent a video on how to look for tight cable being caught around the bolt on lower corner of window sash. That was not the problem.

Any advice on how to loosen cable on one side of window?