I'm honestly fed up with replacing windows every few years. We moved closer to the coast about 6 years ago, and I swear the salty air just eats through everything. Thought aluminum frames would hold up, but nope—rust city. Vinyl was better, but still not great. Anyone found a brand or material that actually survives coastal living long-term? Or is this just one of those "welcome to beach life" kinda things we gotta live with?
We moved near the beach about 12 years ago, and honestly, I feel your pain. Went through aluminum windows first—big mistake, rusted out in no time. Vinyl was okay-ish, but after a few storms and salty summers, they just started looking worn and brittle. Eventually, we bit the bullet and went with fiberglass frames. I was skeptical at first (pricey!), but they've genuinely held up way better than anything else we've tried. They're still going strong after about 7 years now, no rust or noticeable wear yet. Granted, nothing's truly "maintenance-free" near the ocean—salt air is relentless—but fiberglass has definitely been our best experience so far. Might be worth checking out if you're tired of the constant replacements.
Fiberglass sounds like a solid choice, but honestly, I've had pretty decent luck with vinyl. Maybe it's just dumb luck or the brand I picked, but mine have held up surprisingly well for about 5 years now. Granted, they're not exactly showroom-new anymore—there's some fading and minor brittleness—but nothing catastrophic yet. Aluminum was a disaster though; I swear those things started rusting before the installers even left my driveway...
I do agree that nothing near the ocean is ever truly maintenance-free. Salt air is basically nature's sandpaper—it'll wear down anything eventually. Fiberglass might be my next move if (or when) these vinyl ones finally give up the ghost. Good to hear they've lasted you this long without major issues; makes the price tag seem a little less painful.
Vinyl's been decent for me too, but honestly, wood windows surprised me the most. Yeah, I know—wood near the ocean sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? But my neighbor swore by them, so I gave it a shot. With regular sealing and a bit of TLC every couple years, they've held up way better than expected. Sure, it's not exactly "maintenance-free," but hey, neither is anything else around here. Plus, they look pretty nice...at least until I slack off on upkeep again.