Those salty breezes are a double-edged sword, huh? On one hand, you get that fresh ocean air. On the other, your deck hardware ages faster than a banana in July. I’ve been down the same road—tried leaving things open for airflow, only to find my brackets looking like they’d been through a shipwreck after a few months.
Here’s what’s worked for me (and what hasn’t, because let’s be honest, nothing’s perfect near the coast):
1. **Airflow helps, but only so much.** If you’re getting a ton of salty grime, it might be worth adding some kind of barrier—like lattice or even landscaping fabric—to cut down on direct spray without totally blocking the breeze. It won’t stop everything, but it can slow down the buildup.
2. **Coatings are a mixed bag.** I used to think those “marine-grade” sprays were just marketing fluff, but after trying a few, I found that the thicker, waxy ones actually do buy you some time. Not forever, but enough to stretch out the scrubbing intervals. The trick is reapplying before you see rust, not after.
3. **Stainless steel is pricey, but…** If you’re replacing hardware anyway, stainless is less hassle long-term. Galvanized stuff just doesn’t hold up as well when you’re this close to the ocean. I swapped out a few brackets last year and haven’t seen a speck of rust yet (knock on wood).
4. **Regular rinse-downs help more than you’d think.** Every couple weeks, I hit the brackets with a hose to wash off salt before it can settle in. It’s not glamorous, but it’s easier than scrubbing rust later.
Honestly, I’ve come to accept that living near the ocean means picking your battles. You can slow rust down, but you’ll never stop it completely. At least you get killer sunsets as compensation...
That salt air is relentless. I tried one of those “miracle” rust sprays last year—honestly, it slowed things down, but didn’t stop it. Stainless hardware’s been the only thing that hasn’t let me down, but my wallet definitely felt it. Still, worth it for less hassle.
I’ve had similar luck with those rust sprays—some of them seem to buy you a little time, but nothing really stands up to the salt air for long. I tried a few different brands on my gate hinges and outdoor light fixtures, and while the finish looked decent for a few months, the rust crept back in by the end of the season. Stainless hardware has definitely been more reliable, but I hear you on the price. I ended up swapping out all my deck screws for marine-grade stainless after a couple years of chasing rust stains... not cheap, but at least I’m not constantly sanding and repainting.
One thing I’m still not sure about is whether those zinc-coated fasteners are worth it near the coast. They’re cheaper than stainless, but I’ve seen mixed results—sometimes they last, sometimes they pit and flake pretty fast. Maybe it depends on how exposed things are? Either way, seems like there’s no perfect answer unless you want to shell out for the good stuff every time.
I’ve wondered the same about zinc-coated stuff. I used them on a couple of fence panels that get hit with salt spray, and they started showing rust after maybe a year. But on the porch, more sheltered, they’ve held up better. Has anyone tried those ceramic-coated screws? I keep seeing them at the hardware store but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
Ceramic-coated screws have actually surprised me. I used them on a set of deck stairs right by the dunes—constant salt spray, wind, you name it. Two years later, barely any rust. They cost a bit more, but for spots that get hammered by salt, I’d say they’re worth it. Zinc just doesn’t cut it near the ocean, at least not in my experience.
