We went composite on our last beach house project after years of stubbornly sticking to wood—honestly, best decision ever. I get the historic charm thing, though. Did a renovation for a client last summer who was dead set on keeping everything authentic. Beautiful place, but man... watching him spend weekends sanding and staining while his neighbors lounged around grilling burgers made me cringe a little.
Funny enough, he ended up compromising by using composite decking in hidden spots like outdoor showers and side porches, where authenticity wasn't as noticeable. Maybe that's an option for you next time?
Curious—aside from decking, have you found other ways to balance historic charm with modern convenience? Always tricky finding that sweet spot without losing character.
We did something similar on a recent project—kept original windows facing the street for curb appeal, but swapped out side and back windows for energy-efficient ones. Nobody noticed, and the homeowners loved their lower utility bills... win-win.
Did you notice a significant difference in cost between keeping the original windows and replacing them all? I've been debating something similar for our beach house reno—balancing curb appeal with energy efficiency. Also curious if the salt air near the beach affected your choice of window materials... I've heard vinyl holds up better, but wood looks so much nicer. Decisions, decisions.
We went through something similar with our place near the coast. Honestly, the upfront cost of replacing windows was definitely noticeable, but the energy savings and lower maintenance have been worth it for us. We ended up going vinyl because of the salt air—wood looks gorgeous, but I've seen neighbors constantly sanding and repainting theirs. Still, if you're really set on wood, there are some marine-grade finishes that hold up better. Either way, your beach house is gonna look amazing...trust your gut on this one.
"wood looks gorgeous, but I've seen neighbors constantly sanding and repainting theirs."
Yeah, totally agree with this. My parents went with wood initially, and every summer turned into a sanding-and-painting marathon. Vinyl might lack that classic charm, but practicality wins out near the coast...especially long-term.
