I get the appeal of composite, but honestly, I just couldn’t swing the upfront cost when I redid my deck last year. Ended up going with cedar—yeah, it’s not as bulletproof as composite, but it’s held up better than I expected. I just make sure to seal it every year and keep an eye out for any trouble spots. Maybe it’s more work, but for me, the savings made it worth it.
One thing I noticed is that composite can look a bit “plastic-y” up close, especially the cheaper brands. Not a dealbreaker for everyone, but it bugged me a little. Also, like you said, that stuff gets HOT in the sun. My kids learned that the hard way last summer.
If money was no object, I’d probably go composite too. But for folks on a tighter budget, there are still ways to make wood last a while if you’re willing to put in some elbow grease. Just my two cents.
“One thing I noticed is that composite can look a bit ‘plastic-y’ up close, especially the cheaper brands.”
You’re not wrong about some of those budget composites looking like melted milk jugs. But I gotta say, after fixing up way too many splintered cedar decks by the coast, I’m a composite convert—at least for salty air. The maintenance-free part is real. My knees thank me every year I don’t have to sand or stain. And yeah, it gets hot, but so does dark-stained wood. If you go barefoot in July, you’re playing with fire either way...
I get what you mean about the “plastic-y” look—some of those cheaper composites really don’t do themselves any favors. But if you go with a higher-end brand, the texture and color variation can actually look pretty convincing, especially after a season or two. For coastal spots, I’ll take that over warped boards and rusty fasteners any day. Just gotta watch for brands that use recycled fillers—they sometimes fade faster in all that sun and salt.
I hear you on the composites—some of the early stuff looked like shiny plastic deck chairs, but the newer high-end boards are a different story. I swapped out the old porch floorboards on my 1920s place a few years back, right on the bay. Went with one of the pricier composite brands after fighting with warped cedar and rusty nails for way too long. Honestly, it’s held up better than I expected. No splinters, no rot, and the color’s faded a bit but nothing too dramatic.
One thing I did notice: the cheaper fasteners that came in the kit started to corrode after just one winter. Ended up replacing them with stainless steel, which was a pain but worth it. If I had to do it again, I'd still go composite, but I'd skip the “eco” lines with recycled fillers—my neighbor’s deck went chalky in two summers. Sometimes “green” isn’t always better, at least not with all this salt in the air.
I get the hesitation with the “eco” composites, but I’ve actually had the opposite experience with a recycled-content brand—maybe it’s just luck or a different microclimate? My deck’s about five years old, still looks decent, and I’m right on the coast too. I do agree on the fasteners, though. Stainless is the only way to go near saltwater, even if it’s a pain to swap them out. Did you ever try hidden fastener systems? I’ve found they hold up better and look cleaner, but I’m not sure how they’d fare long-term in heavy salt air.