Without the maintenance and what sounds like a longer life expectancy, I'd spend the additional $3500.

Be sure to talk to other owners about the material you're considering, and see it in real life. Some have been disappointed with the no-maintenance vinyl fencing materials as they aren't wearing/aging very nicely for them. Just be sure and clear about the alternative product you're considering.

That's a tough call! Time, effort, paint costs vs little maintenance over the next ?? years. The price seems high for that size porch but I don't know what style you're considering. If money is really tight then do the cedar but make sure the paint job is done right the first time. Prime and at least 2 coats of paint. If you can spray paint it you'll get a much better finish.

Have you gotten online prices for the composite railing? I'd compare those and then see if the builder is willing to install it if you supply the materials. He may increase his labor costs but the total cost could end up being less in the long run.
My DS used online suppliers for most of her flooring. Saved a huge amount of money!

Thanks for the speedy response. I have a sample here and it's beautiful. It looks like enameled wood, not plasticky. The web site shows lots of beautiful pictures and our contractor (who I trust)has great things to say about it.

It's just the $$$$....

I also want to add that committing to a higher priced railing system will affect our future deck to be built a few years down the road...which will have much more rails! The cost could be very dear...

P.S. It doesn't help that I am seeing all this bad news about the economy right now. It's adding importance on $ decisions for me.

Honestly, to me, an additional $2500 actually, overall, isn't that big a difference, though it may seem a lot for what it is or the amount of materials involved. I know someone who didn't put out another $4K on their enclosed porch, probably about the same size, and has paid for it royally in the end with one that has not worked out or worn well over time and as a result will need replacement when it could have been fine with the additional expenditure. It was an expensive undertaking and they wish they'd just done it right.

That is a lot of money for a small porch, though things like that are always amazingly expensive.

Is that price firm or could it change for some unknown reason? Is it a proven product with years of history on the market? I wouldn't base a decision on how great it looks when newly installed.

Personally, I'd probably go with what I felt to be a better quality product since it is something built in to the house, though I would try to ask if that is their absolute best price they can give you. Having a product that is impervious to dry rot, termites, etc. is always a plus.

Things like furniture you can always shop on Craigslist for either a temporary set until you get what you really want or perhaps even find something you love for less. Keep in mind also we are heading into fall/winter and you probably may not use the porch furniture too much until spring anyway.

As I have no experience with the particular product you are considering I did a search and came up with the following. Perhaps that may help you in your deliberations.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trek decking

Since the composite is an expense you're squeamish about now, the outlay for the deck will be much more disconcerting. Consider using Fine Paints of Europe which will add a much smaller upfront cost and last for years which proper priming and application. You can do a GW search but check all sites as I know there's a ton of helpful info on this brand on the Painting Forum. Or if your heart is set on the composite for the screened area, you can use wood and FPE on the deck if the future budget doesn't provide for composite.

ok, so then it's not $2500 overall! How much maintenance vs. expense are you really up for. You need to roughly gauge the additional cost (and maintenance, life expectancy) on the decking as well -- total project -- to make a clear, informed decision. (No head in the sand : )

Do you really need a deck? You can still have a sitting area/patio off the porch. What's the lag time between the two projects, also, with regards to where you are on maintenance or replacement between the two.

For some reason, I think you are in CA. Am I right? When we lived in Florida, the sun and elements were very hard on things. We found that paying for better quality paid off.

Do you have to paint the cedar? Is letting it "go natural" an option? Or could you use a white opaque stain instead of paint?

I think I might post to the Paint Forum and see if there is a way to get the lower cost material and reduce the maintenance using the right materials (like stain.)

Remember, if the company selling you the goods is talking about how difficult the cedar is to take care of, painting the worst picture possible is what will allow them to sell you the higher priced option.

Check out the Porches and Deck forum. I am also looking into putting up a new deck and wanted composite material so I wouldn't have to do any maintenance. I was shocked to find out about mold and other problems along with some companies having law suits against them. My brother has composite and it looks great, but know I'm considering cedar.

We had the same dilemma, and ended up using opaque white stain on all the porch railings. We did it about seven years ago, we live in a very harsh climate, and it is just now starting to need a touch-up.
High quality composites are great, but so expensive. We just couldn't do it.
Good luck with your decision,
Jen

If it were me, I'd stay as close to budget as possible and away from the debt. After reading your comments, it sounds like you know that's pretty much what you want to or should be doing too. It's very clear and simple, don't spend what you don't have.

I understand wanting maintenance free and all that, but to us natural decks are just so much nicer, but my dh & I tend to lean towards natural earthy products any way not the prefab stuff even if it does require a little extra exercise to take care of it.

I have a Trex deck that is 2 years old and is full of mold. It looks terrible. Black spots everywhere. Look into some of the other composite woods. Maybe Trex has solved the problem by now though.

Dear Sassymnmom,

I am a Representative of Trex and wanted to address your question.

Trex, with over 16 years of experience, is the leading brand of alternative decking, railing and fencing products, designed to maximize the outdoor living experience. Our Trex Artisan Series Railing offers the look of painted wood as well as classic beauty. And with our new modular construction, the system now lets you mix and match colors and styles from Trex Designer Series Railing.

All our products carry the Trex 25 year Residential Warranty.

If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me at question@trex.com or 800-BUY-TREX.

Pat M

I would want cedar, but not painted, maybe something to maintain the pretty natural color.

denali, we are experiencing the same problem. Dh used a power washer to clean it off, but it came right back. I'm wondering if this stuff can be stained darker and then resealed.

Is this happening in shady areas?

... and with the green algae stuff from trees?

I have a composite deck and the only place I've had mold (very small spots) is where the sprinkler hits it. Every spring I treat it with a solution of bleach and so far it has taken care of the problem.
Don't know why I wait until spring! Think I'll treat it next month for a change!

If you plan to stay in the house for many years, maybe go with the less maintenance. We stained our deck railing the color of the trim (we had the paint store make up the color in stain) of the house and it requires very little maintenance compared to painting with a heavy paint.