Composite definitely saves headaches, but I gotta say, real wood has its charms too. We redid our beach house porch with cedar—yeah, it's more upkeep, but the patina it develops over time is pretty awesome. Plus, sanding and staining every couple of years gives me an excuse to escape the in-laws for a weekend...so there's that.
"Composite definitely saves headaches, but I gotta say, real wood has its charms too."
True, cedar looks great, but after restoring our historic home's porch twice, I'm leaning toward composite next time. The sanding and staining weekends were fun at first, but honestly, the charm wears thin after a few cycles. Maybe I'm just getting lazy, but I'd rather spend that time relaxing on the porch than working on it...
Totally get where you're coming from—those weekend projects start off feeling rewarding, but after a while, they just feel like chores, right? Have you thought about mixing materials? Maybe composite for the main decking and cedar or another wood for accents or railings? Could give you that charm without all the upkeep. Either way, sounds like you've earned some porch relaxation time...
I hear you on the composite decking—it's definitely practical, but honestly, I tried it once and missed the feel of real wood underfoot. A few years back, I redid our deck with composite thinking I'd save myself some headaches. Sure, maintenance was easier, but every time I walked out there barefoot, it just felt...off. Ended up swapping back to cedar boards after a couple seasons (yeah, my wife still teases me about that one).
But mixing materials could be a good compromise. Maybe composite for the main areas and real wood for railings or benches? That way you get durability where it counts and still keep some of that natural charm. Budget-wise, though, brace yourself—beach house renovations always seem to cost more than you think. Salt air and moisture mean you'll probably need higher-quality fasteners and finishes too. Learned that lesson the hard way when my "budget-friendly" hinges rusted out in less than a year.
Whatever you decide, just make sure you leave room in the budget for a comfy chair and cold drinks...you'll need 'em after all that work.
Haha, your wife teasing you about the cedar swap sounds exactly like something mine would do. Totally get what you're saying about composite feeling "off"—it's like walking on plastic patio furniture. Mixing materials is a smart move though, best of both worlds. And yeah, beach houses are sneaky money pits...but hey, at least the view makes the wallet pain a little easier to swallow, right?
