Lanai & Pool Cage Cleaning
Bonita National

Bonita National is a gated Lennar community off Bonita Beach Road, built mostly over the last decade around a golf course and a network of lakes. Its single-family homes typically have a screened pool cage or lanai facing the water or the course, while coach homes and terrace condos have smaller screened lanais. Because the homes are relatively new, most enclosures are still structurally sound. What they need is cleaning, and the sooner the better.

Lake-facing cages mildew first. A lake gives off moisture every evening, and the screen mesh facing it stays damp into the morning. Pollen and fine organic dust stick to that dampness and mildew grows into the film. The result is a gray screen that slowly turns green-black, starting at the roof panels and the lower kick plates on the shaded side. Owners usually notice it first as a darker lanai, or as a dull view of the water.

Fairway-facing cages collect clippings and spray. On a course lot, mowing sends fine grass clippings into the lower screens, and course irrigation can mist across the cage at night. Fertilizer in that water feeds algae on the lower panels and the deck edge. A cage facing the course often has a clean top and a dirty bottom third, which is the reverse of a cage under trees.

Rust on light decks. Bonita National is irrigated with reclaimed water, which can carry dissolved iron. When sprinklers reach the pool deck or screen kick plates, the iron oxidizes into orange-brown streaks and spots, very visible on the light pavers and coated decks common here. Bleach-based cleaners do not remove rust, and pressure drives it deeper into the surface. It needs a separate iron treatment, and the long-term fix is turning the heads so they stop hitting the deck.

Frames age faster than owners expect. Cage frames are coated aluminum, and full sun breaks down the coating over the years. Bare aluminum oxidizes into a white chalk that rubs off on hands and towels. Catching it early, while the coating is mostly intact, keeps the frame looking even. A heavy oxidation treatment, priced as an add-on, takes chalky frames back to a uniform finish.

The method matters more than the soap. A pressure washer will stretch and tear screen mesh and blow the spline out of its channels, and a torn panel costs more than the cleaning. We wash screens with a mild cleaner, brush the heavy spots by hand and rinse at low pressure from the top down. Decks get a pressure matched to their surface, and pavers are cleaned so the joint sand stays put. Cleaning solution is kept out of the pool, and plants around the cage are rinsed before and after.

Coach homes and terrace condos. Smaller screened lanais on coach homes and condos are quick jobs, often under an hour, and owners usually book them directly. In some buildings the association handles exterior screens, so it is worth a quick check with management. We can work from a building schedule if several neighbors want the same day.

How often. Most single-family owners clean the cage once a year, often before the winter season. Lake-facing cages, and those with heavy irrigation overspray, may need it every six to nine months. Decks and rust spots can be cleaned between full cage cleanings.

What sets the price. The size of the enclosure is the biggest factor. A small coach home or condo lanai under 800 square feet starts from $249, a standard single-family pool cage from $299, and a large cage of 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, common on bigger lake lots, from $399. A pool cage plus deck floor package starts from $399. Chalky frames add an oxidation treatment of $75 to $150. Heavy rust on the deck, a two-story enclosure or an outdoor kitchen under the screen can add time, and we tell you before we start. We price by the enclosure you have so a small lanai is not charged like a birdcage.

Before you book. Ask any cage cleaner what pressure will touch your screens, how they keep cleaner out of the pool, whether they treat rust or wash over it, and whether they carry insurance and will provide a certificate. Then turn off irrigation that morning, bring in cushions and pool toys, and let us know about any patched panels so we can work gently around them.