Yeah, salt air is brutal. I tried powder coating some railings once—looked great for about a year, then started bubbling and peeling in spots. Ended up just going with stainless steel hardware wherever I could. Fans, too... even the “outdoor” ones seem to get crusty after a while.
Yeah, salt air is brutal. I tried powder coating some railings once—looked great for about a year, then started bubbling and peeling in spots.
That’s exactly what happened to the porch railings on our old place—looked perfect at first, then the finish just gave up in patches. I was surprised it happened so fast, honestly. Have you had any luck with marine-grade paints or sealers? I’ve heard mixed things, but I’m tempted to try it on the next round.
We ended up swapping out a bunch of old hardware for stainless too, but even then, I’ve noticed some of the cheaper “stainless” stuff still gets little rust spots. Maybe it’s just the constant wind and moisture here, but nothing seems to last as long as you’d hope.
Curious if anyone’s found a fan that actually holds up near the ocean? Ours always seem to get that weird chalky buildup after a couple seasons. Is there really any way around that, or is it just part of the deal living by the beach?
Yeah, the salt air just eats through everything, doesn’t it? I’ve tried those “marine-grade” paints—mixed results, honestly. Some brands held up better than others, but nothing’s totally immune. The chalky buildup on fans is just relentless. I haven’t found a perfect solution either, but swapping to plastic blades seemed to help a bit. Sometimes I wonder if it’s just the price we pay for living near the ocean… worth it most days, though.
Yeah, that salty air is brutal—no matter what you do, it finds a way in. I tried switching to stainless hardware everywhere, but even that gets a weird patina after a while. The whole “marine-grade” label seems hit or miss, honestly. Have you looked into powder-coated fixtures? I swapped a few light fittings to those and they seem to hold up better, but who knows for how long... Sometimes I wonder if just budgeting for more frequent replacements is smarter than hunting for the perfect product.
Yeah, the whole “marine-grade” thing is a bit of a marketing gimmick sometimes. I’ve gutted and redone more than a few beach houses, and even the so-called best hardware eventually starts looking rough. Powder-coated stuff does seem to last longer—at least with exterior lights and railings—but nothing’s invincible out here. Honestly, I’ve started telling clients to just factor in a little extra for touch-ups or replacements every couple years. It’s less about finding the perfect product and more about accepting the environment’s gonna win some battles.
