In Dothan AL I just saw 4 very mature Livenstonia Chinensis (12-15ft clear trunk) that saw temps near 20 and suffered about 80 percent leaf burn. The other 20 percent or so of the foliage is still nice and green. Apparently these get burned but are still a solid species for zone 8. Also, at my house I had a low of 19.8 and had two queens that had been in the ground over a year. Both of them were covered...both of them are now toast. I am replacing them with mule palms. Phoenix Canariensis, Phoenix Dactylifera, Trachys, Butia Capitatas had no damage at all. For some strange reason, my small Sabal Palmetto had a new spear coming out that fried and then pulled...I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Sallen...I'm cheap. I picked out what I wanted and then checked on eBay for better prices. I paid more for the Ellington Knightsbridge that we used on the screened porch than I normally would have ($189), but still saved a bundle compared to retail. We also bought our Ellington Palladian fans on eBay from a seller that had them listed only as "Paladian Fan". The only thing the description said was "Unopened box" and the fuzzy picture showed the side of the box, but you couldn't make anything out on it. Took a gamble and paid $24.99 each for two of them. When they arrived they were brand new and just as the seller said, the seal on the boxes had not been broken. Found another one on eBay the following week for $49.99. I walked into the lighting gallery last week and they are selling them for $479 each! Here is a link that might be useful: Ellington Knightsbridge

I am building a 32 x 21 screened porch with a fully shingled roof. I was considering adding two 30x40 skylights. I am now thinking that when the sun is strong in the summer, it will heat up the porch. I live in SC where I get full sun in the am until 3:30 pm. I do not want to sit in the screen room with the sun blasting in from the skylights. This could be pretty hot. On the other hand, will the screened room as well as my adjacent living room be too dark without the skylights? Confused...please help with suggestions on which way to go. Thanks

I would not recommend fans with metal blades, they will rust and typically require ceilings over 10 feet because they are not considered safe in residential applications. You are best off with fans that have special UV protective ABS plastic blades or thicker solid wood blades that are rated for outdoor wet or damp locations. Wet rated fans have the highest tolerance for abuse from the elements and are the best choice, but a covered porch like yours can use a damp rated or wet rated fan. Also, in outdoor locations it is critical to consider the amount of airflow that the fan produces because open outdoor locations do not allow the air to escape on the sides and the breeze you feel from a fan is a lot less than what you feel in an enclosed area indoors. So you need more powerful fans than those listed above. The Donaire fan recommended below has a wind speed factor of about 3.8 MPH, which is over 50% more breeze than the Westinghouse fan above. The ultimate outdoor fan is made of marine grade 316 stainless steel and has ABS blades. It is the Donaire by Matthews Fan Company and is available in brushed nickel or bronze stainless steel. Here are some pictures of the fan taken from the product detail pages using the Room Settings Viewer at Hansen Wholesale. This feature allows you to add your own room setting so you can see how any fan on the website looks in your own setting, so you may want to give that a try. Donaire in Brushed Nickel Donaire in Bronze There are many other high quality outdoor ceiling fans available from Hansen Wholesale. To add your photo to use the room settings viewer email some pictures to: DesignService@hansenwholesale.com with the subject "Room Settings Viewer - Houzz" Response provided by: Hansen Wholesale https://www.hansenwholesale.com 1-800-201-1193