Went with a plastic deck box over a wooden one for the patio, and 2 winters later here's where I landed

Simon Kim · 2026-11-03T15:55:05.265375+00:00

When I moved into my place in Spokane about 2 years ago, I had to pick between a $90 plastic deck box from the hardware store and a $220 cedar one a neighbor was selling used. I went with the plastic one because I told myself it was cheaper and I could just replace it later if it broke. The first winter was fine, it kept my patio cushions and a bag of charcoal bone dry even with all the rain and snow we get here. But by month 14 the lid started to sag in the middle when I sat on it, and the latch got stiff enough that I had to yank it with two hands. The cedar one would have needed a fresh coat of stain every couple years but my neighbor's is still holding up fine with zero cracks. What bugs me is the plastic one now takes up space I can't really use for anything heavy, so I'm stuck with a box that only sort of works. Anyone here run a wooden deck box through a few wet winters, and did the staining really turn into a yearly chore or was it more like every 3 years?

Vivisector

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Went with a plastic deck box over a wooden one for the patio, and 2 winters later here's where I landed | Backyard Storage - Vivisector