Anyone else fighting window rot near the ocean?

The struggle with wood windows near the coast is real—humidity and salt just speed up the rot, no matter how careful you are. I’ve seen plenty of clients go through this cycle. Fiberglass does hold up much better in these conditions; it won’t swell or rot, and the paint sticks way longer since the substrate doesn’t move as much. That said, you’re right, nothing’s truly maintenance-free. You’ll still want to check seals and touch up paint every so often, but it’s a lot less hands-on than wood.

The upfront cost can sting, but over ten years, most folks end up spending less on repairs and repainting. If you’re planning to stay put for a while, it might actually make sense financially. Just make sure whoever installs them knows what they’re doing—bad installation can mess up even the best materials.

I get the appeal of fiberglass, but I’ve actually had decent luck with wood by using a marine-grade varnish every couple years. It’s a pain, but it’s held up surprisingly well.

“The struggle with wood windows near the coast is real—humidity and salt just speed up the rot, no matter how careful you are.”

I hear you on being stubborn about wood. I’m in my first place and honestly, I was dead set on keeping the old wood windows—partly for the look, partly because I thought I could “outsmart” the salt air with enough sealant. I tried marine varnish too, plus caulking every little gap, even did some weird homemade beeswax thing a neighbor swore by. It definitely slowed things down, but after two years, there’s still that soft spot creeping in around the sills.

I get why people switch to fiberglass or vinyl—less hassle, less worry. But there’s just something about real wood that feels right, especially in an old house. I totally get not wanting to give up yet. If you’re willing to keep up with the maintenance, it seems doable... just a lot of work. Sometimes I wonder if I’m fighting a losing battle, but for now, I’m sticking with it too.

I replaced about half my windows with fiberglass two years ago after giving up on patching and repainting the old wood ones. Structurally, they’ve held up way better—no soft spots or swelling, even after a couple brutal winters and the usual coastal storms. That said, the up-front cost was a gut punch, and installation took longer than I expected. They’re definitely not “set and forget”—I still have to clean off salt buildup now and then, and the frames can fade a bit if you don’t keep an eye on them. Still, it’s less hassle than sanding and repainting every summer. If you really love the look of wood, though, it’s a tradeoff.

- Totally get what you mean about the up-front cost. Felt like a punch to the gut when I did mine too.
- The salt buildup is annoying, but I agree—way less hassle than scraping and repainting every year.
- Fading frames are a thing, but a bit of UV protectant spray helps slow it down. Not perfect, but better than nothing.
- Miss the look of real wood sometimes, but honestly, the peace of mind during storm season makes up for it. Just feels good not worrying about rot for once...

Honestly, after years of patching up rotten sills, I finally bit the bullet and swapped to composite frames. Not as pretty as wood, but I haven’t had to break out the putty knife since. Salt’s still a pain, but at least it’s just a wipe-down now. Worth it for less stress, even if the look isn’t perfect.

- Did the same thing last year. Wood looked great for about two seasons, then the bottom corners just kept getting mushy.
- Composite isn’t winning any beauty contests, but I’ll take ugly over scraping and repainting every spring.
- Salt air here chews through everything. Even the old storm windows rusted out.
- Only downside with composite—noticed they get a little chalky looking after a while, but it’s nothing a quick rinse can’t fix.
- Miss the look of the original trim, though. Tried painting the composite to match, but it’s not quite the same.
- Install was a pain. Had to cut back some old siding to get the new frames in. Not a fun weekend.
- On the plus side, haven’t seen a single spot of rot since. No more surprise soft spots when you lean on the sill.
- If I ever do another place near the water, I’m skipping wood from day one. Just not worth the headache.

Composite isn’t winning any beauty contests, but I’ll take ugly over scraping and repainting every spring.

Yeah, totally get that. I swapped out the original wood frames on my place two years ago—salt air just ate them up, and I got tired of dealing with soft spots and peeling paint. Went with composite too. Honestly, the install was a headache (had to trim some siding and mess with old caulking), but at least now I don’t have to worry about rot sneaking up on me.

I do miss the look of real wood, though. Tried painting the composite to match the old trim, but it’s just not quite right—there’s something about the texture that gives it away. On the plus side, maintenance is basically a quick hose-down when they start looking chalky.

One thing I noticed: composite seems to hold up better against the salty wind than aluminum or vinyl. No rust, no weird warping. Not perfect, but definitely less hassle overall. If I ever move closer to the water again, wood’s off my list for sure.

Funny, I thought I could outsmart the ocean with “marine-grade” paint on my old wood sills—turns out, salt air just laughs at that stuff. After patching and repainting every year (and still finding soft spots), I finally gave in and went composite last summer. Not the prettiest, but I’ll take a little bland over the annual rot lottery. The install was a bit of a puzzle, especially around my 1950s siding, but now I just rinse them off when they start to look grimy. Honestly, I’d rather deal with a hose than a paintbrush any day.