“Salt air and humidity just chew through materials, no matter what the brochure says.”
Couldn’t agree more. Here’s my quick take after flipping a few places on the coast:
- Composite: If you go this route, don’t cheap out on brand or install. The “maintenance-free” promise is a stretch—seen plenty of faded, warped boards after a few seasons.
- Wood: More work, but easier to fix when something goes sideways. If you’re handy (or know a guy), you can keep it looking sharp for years.
- Budget: Don’t forget to pad your numbers for repairs and surprise rot. Beach houses love surprises.
End of the day, the view really does make up for a lot of headaches... but I’d still budget extra for deck touch-ups every couple years.
That “maintenance-free” claim always cracks me up—nothing on the coast is ever truly low-maintenance. I’ve tried both composite and wood, and honestly, even the pricier composites faded faster than I expected. Wood’s more forgiving if you’re willing to put in the elbow grease, but yeah, it’s a commitment. I’d say whatever your initial reno budget is, tack on at least 15-20% for those “surprise” repairs... because salt air doesn’t care about your spreadsheet.
Yeah, that “maintenance-free” label is a bit of a myth, especially near the ocean. I’ve had similar experiences—composite looked great at first, but the sun and salt did a number on it way faster than I’d hoped. Still, I’ve found if you budget for those curveballs and stay proactive, it’s totally doable. The extra 15-20% is smart, but sometimes I’ve gotten away with less by tackling small issues early. It’s a balancing act, but the payoff of a beach place is worth it.
That “maintenance-free” thing totally got me too—felt like a cruel joke after my first winter. I swear, the salt air finds ways to destroy stuff I didn’t even know could rust. I tried to cheap out on the “extra” budget and, yeah, ended up paying more later when the deck boards warped. If you can swing that 15-20% buffer, do it. Otherwise, just be ready for some surprise projects... and maybe keep a stash of paint and patience handy.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve managed to get by with a much tighter buffer—maybe 10%—by being super picky about materials and doing a lot of the grunt work myself. The trick for me was splurging on the stuff that really takes a beating (like stainless fasteners and composite decking) and going budget elsewhere. Not saying it’s foolproof, but if you’re willing to put in the sweat equity, you can sometimes dodge those surprise costs... at least for a few seasons. Salt air is relentless, though, no arguing that.
