- Totally with you on the install mattering more than the material half the time. I’ve seen some “premium” composite jobs where water still found its way in because someone skipped flashing or got lazy with the caulk. Doesn’t matter what you use if you leave a gap for the rain to party.
- I get the appeal of keeping the original wood vibe, especially on an older home. There’s just something about being able to sand out a scratch or slap on a new color when you feel like a change. Composites are kind of a one-and-done deal—if you get tired of the look, you’re out of luck unless you want to replace it all.
- I’ve been experimenting with wood hardener and epoxy on some of my old sills, just to see if I can squeeze a few more years out of them. Not a perfect fix, but it’s cheaper than replacing everything right away.
- Costs definitely add up either way. Composites hit your wallet up front, but messing with repairs and repainting wood isn’t exactly free either.
- Kind of funny… I used to think composites would solve all my problems, but now I’m more in the “whatever works and keeps water out” camp. If that means a Frankenstein mix of wood, composite, and buckets of caulk, so be it.
Yeah, I’m totally with you on the “whatever works” mentality. I used to be all about the composite hype too, but after seeing a supposedly watertight install leak like crazy during a nor’easter, I’m not convinced any one material is magic. Honestly, the only thing that’s made a real difference for me was going overboard on sealing and insulation around the sills—air leaks are just as bad as water sometimes. Not the prettiest solution, but it keeps things drier and my heating bills a bit saner. Guess it’s always a bit of a patchwork job on these old places...