Been there, done that—my “weather-resistant” screws lasted about as long as my New Year’s resolutions. Here’s what I learned (the hard way):
- Stainless steel or GTFO. Anything less and you’re just inviting rust to the party.
- It hurts up front, but replacing rusty hardware every year is way pricier in the long run.
- If you’re budgeting for a beach house reno, just assume everything will cost 20% more than inland. Salt air is relentless.
My wallet whimpers too, but at least my deck isn’t bleeding orange streaks anymore...
Yeah, learned that lesson the hard way too—thought “galvanized” was good enough for my porch railings. Nope, rust city within a year. Stainless costs more up front, but it’s the only thing that survives the salt air. I’d say 20% extra is conservative if you’re right on the water.
I get where you’re coming from, but I wouldn’t write off galvanized just yet. Sure, stainless is the gold standard for salt air, but it’s not always in the budget, especially if you’re doing a full reno. Here’s how I usually look at it:
1. If you’re right on the water, yeah, stainless is best for anything exposed. But for stuff that’s a little more sheltered—think under eaves or covered decks—I’ve had decent luck with hot-dipped galvanized, especially if you hit it with a good marine-grade paint.
2.
True for direct exposure, but I’ve stretched budgets by mixing materials based on exposure. Not everything needs to be top shelf.“Stainless costs more up front, but it’s the only thing that survives the salt air.”
3. On the 20% extra—depends how much demo you’re doing and what you’re replacing. Sometimes you can save by reusing or refinishing stuff that’s still solid.
Just my two cents. I’ve done a few flips where picking my battles with materials made a big difference to the bottom line.
Mixing materials is honestly the only way I’ve managed to keep costs in check on my own projects. Stainless everywhere just isn’t realistic unless you’ve got a bottomless wallet. I’ve also had good results with galvanized under cover—just gotta stay on top of maintenance. You’re right about reusing what you can, too. Sometimes a little elbow grease goes further than people think. It’s all about picking your battles and not getting hung up on perfection.
Mixing materials is definitely the way to go, especially with salty air eating away at everything. I’ve been spreadsheet-obsessed trying to figure out what really needs stainless and where I can get by with treated wood or galvanized. I do wonder sometimes if I’m being too cautious—like, is it overkill to use marine-grade on window hardware? My budget’s already stretched thin just dealing with the basics. Reusing stuff has saved me more than once, though... sanding down old doors is weirdly satisfying.
