3 Ways Polywood Shutters Are Better Than Hollow Vinyl And Composite Shutters In Clearwater Florida
December 15, 2015
Plantation shutters in Clearwater come with different options. And when you’re researching which non-wood shutter is best for you, it might be hard to discern the differences. You can unknowingly choose the wrong type and wind up purchasing shutters that won’t last. Wondering if Polywood® shutters - our best-selling solid polymer shutters - are worth more than MDF (multi-density fiberboard) or hollow vinyl shutters? Learn about the three ways Polywood shutters are better than composite shutters in Clearwater Florida to help you decide.
1. Polywood vs Composite Shutters Durability
Polywood shutters are made from a first class solid polymer that ensures the most durability, rigidity, and color-retention than any other shutter you can find. This means the shutter louvers will not chip over time. On the other hand, composite shutters are constructed from a pressed-board core, enveloped in poly-vinyl. The vinyl encapsulating the pressed board also peels away from the core material quickly. And this peeling is accelerated in wet, hot, and humid surroundings. Hollow vinyl shutters are another option for non-wood shutters. But they degrade the fastest in large part due to the elements.
Both types of non-wood shutters are susceptible to deterioration and warping when exposed to the different environmental conditions in Clearwater. Polywood is built with UV inhibitors that divert heat. And since heat is the main culprit in splitting the shutter louvers, Polywood is absolutely the highest quality plantation shutter you can buy.
2. Polywood vs Composite Shutters Color Fastness
Polywood shutters are available in three exceptional white paints. We bake our paint finishes on each component at temperatures hotter than it will ever get in Clearwater Florida. This patented finishing process includes UV inhibitors to make sure the color doesn’t fade.
Other types of non-wood shutters finishes are limited to low quality paint finish. And some composite shutters won’t even have any paint finish at all. In a lot of cases, the vinyl wrap is the final color. Yes, this finish appears to be adequate at first. But it fades as time goes by. And as to hollow vinyls, some are painted. With the vinyl being a heat conductor, this negatively influences the finish day after day.
3. Polywood vs Composite Shutters Energy Efficiency
Third party tests illustrate that Polywood shutters lead to reduction of heat transfer by up to 45% and insulate against 30° of temperature. That’s how Polywood insulates up to 70% better than even the best solid wood shutter.
It’s the heat blocking properties of the solid polymer material Polywood’s made of that make these plantation shutters so energy efficient. Yet what makes Polywood stand out even more from composite shutters is the weatherstripping on the louvers and panels. All you have to do is interlock the pieces of weatherstripping as you close the panels to get a very tight seal against the effects of the weather outside. No matter how far and wide you look, there isn’t a composite shutter that can give you the energy savings close to that of Polywood.
Our Vegas Team Experiences The Durability Of Polywood Shutters First Hand
In 2004, Sunburst Shutters Las Vegas had Polywood shutters fastened to the sides of their trucks as part of the graphics. The trucks were parked outside and withstood the climate Vegas is infamous for. We’re talking excessive heat for more than five months a year!
Those shutters had been attached to our trucks for almost 7 years. That’s when our team conducted a test on the color retention value of Polywood. The team dusted off the Polywood shutter that was on the truck. And we compared it side by side to a new Polywood. We found the color to be unchanged. There was no fading or discoloration. It was further validation for our team that the Sunburst paint finish is indeed the best around!
And with Polywood withstanding so much abuse and heat on the road for over 7 years, it’s without a doubt the long lasting shutter for your home in Clearwater Florida.
