Frequently Asked Questions

Florida Living Outdoor's phone number is (386) 463-8494 — call us anytime during business hours, Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM. Prefer we reach out? Use the chat widget or request a free consultation and we'll call you.

Scheduling is easy. Call the office at (386) 463-8494, use the chat widget, or book a free 20-minute phone consultation online. We'll find a time that works and get your outdoor project moving.

Our office is in Oviedo, Florida, and we serve homeowners across Central and East Coast Florida — from New Smyrna Beach and Palm Coast down through the greater Orlando area to Mount Dora, and along the coast as far south as the Palm Beach/Fort Lauderdale area. Not sure if you're in our range? Just ask — we'll confirm your location.

You can call the office or schedule a free 20-minute phone consultation online or schedule an appointment at the following calendar link https://link.oculusintel.com/widget/bookings/20-minute-free-phone-consult

Florida Living Outdoor is owned and operated by Kip Hudakoz, who brings 26 years in Florida's outdoor-living industry. Kip built his reputation through Paramount Fencing and Custom Fence Orlando — hand-crafted pergolas, custom fencing, and full backyard builds across Central Florida — and co-hosted The Florida Home & Garden radio show on News 96.5 "Ask the Experts."

In 2021, he launched Florida Living Outdoor to bring pergolas, motorized screens, awnings, fencing, and lighting under one roof, with a single mission: the ultimate backyard experience. FLO earned its Better Business Bureau A+ accreditation in 2024. After all these years, what Kip loves hasn't changed — a new design, a new challenge, a new backyard to bring to life.

Florida Living Outdoor designs, installs, and services complete outdoor-living systems: motorized retractable screens (insect, solar, privacy, and hurricane-rated), aluminum pergolas, awnings, horizontal fencing, and landscape lighting. Our focus is simple: protecting and transforming your outdoor space so your family can actually use it, comfortably, 365 days a year.

We don't operate a traditional showroom: Nearly all our work happens right in your backyard, where design decisions actually get made. We bring sample demo kits and material samples to your consultation so you can see and feel the product in your own space, and once you move forward, we can create a lifelike rendering of your home with the finished system in place.

Yes. Housing and tracks come in five standard finishes — white, beige, bronze, and black — and for a custom look, frames can be color-matched to your home. Screen mesh is available in a range of colors, textures, and opacities depending on whether you need insect, solar, privacy, or hurricane protection. We'll help you match everything to your home's architecture during the consultation.

A rendering is a lifelike image of your home with the finished system shown in place — your actual house, your actual openings, with the screens, pergola, or lighting applied so you can see exactly how it'll look before anything is installed. It takes the guesswork out of the decision.

Yes. Because nearly all our work is installed in homeowners' backyards, the best way to see a system in person is a referral visit — with a client's permission, we can often arrange for you to see a completed installation near you. We'll also bring material samples and demo kits to your consultation, and can create a lifelike rendering of your own home so you see exactly how it'll look.

No — and the differences matter. Screens vary in two ways. First, by function: insect mesh, solar/UV screens, privacy screens, and hurricane-rated screens each do a different job. Second, and less obvious, by engineering: systems differ in how the screen is held in its tracks, the fabric quality, and how well they resist wind, jamming, and wear over time. Two screens can look identical on a brochure and perform very differently in the real world. The bigger factor is often who installs it — even a great system underperforms if it's measured or installed wrong. We'll walk you through the trade-offs so you know exactly what you're getting.

No. Motorized Screens serve different functions such as bug, solar, or storm protection.

Magnetic-tension systems use opposing magnets — instead of zippers or fixed tracks, opposing magnets hold the screen securely in its side tracks and let it self-correct under wind and pressure. Done right, it's an excellent system, and we've installed and serviced thousands of magnetic units over the years, so we know it inside and out.

Here's the part most homeowners are never told, and it's the part that matters most: a magnetic system is only as good as the precision behind it. It has to be manufactured to exact tolerances and installed to match — measured, squared, and set correctly for each opening. When the manufacturing and the installation line up, you get years of smooth, quiet, trouble-free operation. When they don't, that's exactly where homeowners end up with service calls and premature wear. That gap is the real difference between a system that performs and one that disappoints — and it's why the installer you choose matters every bit as much as the system itself.

Want the full breakdown of how magnetic systems work and what to look for before you buy? Read our guide to purchasing magnetic motorized screen systems.

Every motorized screen is built from five core parts: the housing unit (the enclosure the screen rolls into), the side tracks that guide and hold the screen, the weight bar at the bottom that keeps it taut as it deploys, the screen fabric or mesh (chosen for insect, solar, privacy, or hurricane duty), and the motor that raises and lowers it at the touch of a button. The housing, tracks, and weight bar stay consistent across screen types — what changes is the mesh, which is matched to the job you need the screen to do.

Very — the mesh is what actually does the work, so it's worth getting right. The housing, tracks, and motor are the delivery system; the mesh determines whether you're stopping no-see-ums, blocking UV and heat, adding privacy, or standing up to hurricane-force wind.

We select high-quality mesh from established U.S. fabric manufacturers such as Twitchell and match the weave to your goal: fine insect mesh for bug protection; tighter solar weaves that block most UV while preserving your view. Privacy meshes and hurricane-rated fabrics are engineered for high-wind zones. In short, the mesh isn't an afterthought — it's the part of the system you'll notice every single day.

Yes. Please plan to be there. Because every system is custom to your openings and how you'll use the space, the consultation works best as a conversation: we take exact measurements, walk the space with you, and make sure the design fits how you actually live. Being on-site together is how we get it right the first time.

Not an exact one over the phone — because every system is custom to your openings, finishes, and mesh, a precise quote comes after we see the space. But you're not left guessing: use our online ROI calculator for a budgetary estimate in a few minutes, and we'll confirm firm pricing at your consultation. Happy to talk ballpark ranges by phone anytime at (386) 463-8494.

Every project is custom, so there's no flat price — cost depends on the number and size of your openings, the screen type (insect, solar, privacy, or hurricane), the fabric and finish you choose, the mounting and construction of the surface we're attaching to, and any special site conditions. Pergolas price separately based on size, roof style, and options. For a quick budgetary range, run our online ROI calculator; for exact numbers, we'll confirm pricing after a site inspection.

Motorized screens cover a wide range of openings — from a single window or door up to large lanai and patio spans. Maximum width and height depend on the specific system and screen type, and because every opening is measured individually, the best answer for your space comes from an on-site assessment. As a general guide, our systems handle openings up to roughly 25′ wide × 14′ tall — we'll confirm the exact limits for your project during the consultation. Recess applications 30' wide - 20' tall.

Most motorized screen projects run about 8–10 weeks from signed proposal to installation, since each screen is custom-manufactured to your exact openings. Timelines can shift with season and product, so we'll give you a current estimate for your specific project at consultation.

Great question — and the honest answer is that "best" depends on your opening, your goals, and, more than anything, how well the system is installed. Motorized screens generally fall into two camps: zipper-track systems and magnetic-tension systems. Zipper tracks are simple and proven; magnetic systems let the screen self-correct under wind and resist pulling out of the track. Both can be excellent when they're manufactured precisely and installed correctly — and both disappoint when they're not. Rather than crown one brand, we'll assess your space and recommend the system that actually fits it. For hurricane-rated openings today, we install MaxForce by Fenetex; for everyday shade and insect protection, One-Track by Fenetex.

Yes. For hurricane protection we install MaxForce hurricane screens by Fenetex — motorized, Florida Product Approved, and engineered to deploy at the touch of a button and stand up to high-wind zones. One system protects against storms, sun, insects, and rain, then rolls away out of sight when you don't need it.

Florida Living Outdoor is an authorized Fenetex dealer, installing the two systems best suited to Florida homes: MaxForce for hurricane-rated protection and One-Track for everyday shade, insect, and solar protection. We chose Fenetex after evaluating the market for engineering, fabric quality, warranty, and support — and it's what we stand behind today.

Yes. Our MaxForce hurricane screens by Fenetex carry Florida Product Approval [FL8637] and are engineered to meet Florida's high-wind building-code requirements. Product approval means the system has been tested and certified for use in Florida's hurricane zones — we'll provide the approval details for your specific configuration at consultation.

Our hurricane screens carry Florida Product Approval, which certifies them for use in Florida's high-wind building-code zones. Miami-Dade County maintains its own separate approval (an NOA). If your project is in Miami-Dade specifically, we'll confirm the exact approval status for your configuration before we quote it — we won't install anything that isn't properly rated for your location.

No — we don't build screen-cage pool enclosures. We specialize in motorized retractable screens that open and close at the touch of a button, so you get protection when you want it and an open view when you don't. If you're looking to screen a lanai, patio, or pool deck opening (rather than cage the whole pool), that's exactly what we do.

That's not our specialty — we don't rescreen or repair traditional pool cages. Our focus is motorized retractable screen systems for lanais, patios, and openings. If that's what you're after, we'd be glad to help.

Sometimes. We prioritize the systems we've installed, but we can often help with existing motorized screens depending on the make, condition, and availability of parts. Reach out with a few photos, and we'll let you know honestly whether we're the right fit for the repair.

We design and install premium aluminum pergolas built for Florida's climate. Options include louvered roofs that let you dial in sun or shade, integrated drainage systems that keep water off your space, and clean, fastener-free finishes. Aluminum won't rot, warp, or fade like wood or vinyl, so it holds up beautifully year-round. We'll walk you through roof styles, sizes, and finishes to match your home.

Every pergola we install is engineered for its specific site — we don't drop a one-size-fits-all kit on your slab. The structure, footings, and attachment are designed around your location's conditions and must meet local building codes and wind-load requirements for that area. That engineering is exactly what determines how a pergola performs when Florida weather turns. Because those requirements vary by county and even by property, we confirm the right specification for your site before installation — so what goes up is built for where you live.

There are three colors to select from such as black, white, and grayish bronze. 

It depends on the roof style. As a general guide, louvered-roof sections span up to roughly [23′ × 15′] per zone, and solid-roof pergolas up to about [22′ × 22′] — larger areas are covered by combining zones. Because spans depend on the specific system and your site's wind-load requirements, we confirm the exact maximums for your project during design.

We've installed and serviced magnetic-tension motorized screens for years and know them inside and out. Today, for new installations, we install Fenetex motorized screens — MaxForce for hurricane-rated protection and One-Track for everyday shade, insect, and privacy screens — which we've found deliver the performance and support our customers expect. If you have questions about your options, we're glad to walk you through them.

In many cases, yes. We've serviced magnetic and other motorized screen systems for years, so reach out with a few photos or book a service visit and we'll tell you honestly what we can do. If a repair is covered under a manufacturer warranty, we'll help you understand how to pursue it.

We install what we can stand behind. After evaluating the market, we chose Fenetex for its engineering, fabric quality, warranty, and support — MaxForce for hurricane-rated openings and One-Track for everyday use. Our job is to match the right system to your home and install it precisely, and Fenetex lets us do that with confidence.

Because even the best-engineered motorized screen underperforms if it isn't measured and installed precisely. A system has to be manufactured to exact tolerances and installed to match the opening — when those line up, you get years of quiet, trouble-free operation; when they don't, that's where service calls and premature wear come from. We've built our reputation on getting that right.