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Different Faux Wood Plantation Shutters In Clearwater

March 02, 2020

While there are many faux wood plantation shutters on the market in Clearwater, they are not all the same.  While some faux wood window treatments will last virtually forever without warping, cracking, or yellowing, other faux wood treatments will start to degrade in just a short amount of time.

It may be hard to figure out what’s best about the different faux wood plantation shutters.  But after you learn about the different types of faux wood, it will be much easier to tell which interior shutter is built to last.

The following list looks at the different kinds of faux wood shutters in Clearwater and orders them from the least ideal to the most durable and stylish:

Vinyl Shutters:

Some shutter products that use vinyl are disguised as a faux wood treatment.  But make no mistake, vinyl is different from faux wood. Vinyl’s plastic look and slick finish can be difficult to match to a decor style, unlike quality faux wood or real wood shutters.  Vinyl may be one of the cheapest plantation shutter products on the market, but you get what you pay for.

Vinyl can also be affected by heat. It’s not uncommon to see vinyl window treatments melt or fade due to extensive exposure to the sun. Since these covering warp, yellow, and have poor insular traits, vinyl shutters don’t grant much energy-efficiency to your home -- especially if you have hollow louvers.

Different Faux wood plantation shutters in Clearwater
  • Benefits:

    Lowest cost of the non-wood shutters.

  • Drawbacks:

    Appears plastic; thin materials; hollow louvers; low energy efficiency; can quickly warp, chip or fade.

Synthetic Wrapped Product:

A step up from vinyl shutters are wrapped plantation shutters.  These coverings are constructed from pressed wood, wood chip materials, or glued MDF, and then wrapped with a synthetic, vinyl, or plastic coating. The shutters have more weight and can look much more like a traditional wood plantation shutter than their hollow louvered counterparts.

However, synthetic wrapped shutters have some problems. The pressed material under the outer layer can be extremely porous, leaving the window treatment vulnerable to humidity and moisture. It’s commonplace to find a warped or cracked louver or find that the vinyl wrapping has split or peeled away.  Also, wrapped shutters aren’t custom-fitted for non-standard shaped windows like arches or ovals.

  • Benefits:

    Thicker than vinyl shutters; might resemble real wood.

  • Drawbacks:

    Not preferable for high humidity or high moisture rooms. Will take in moisture and humidity. Aren't moisture resistant; synthetic wrap can chip away; warps or splits easily; no specialty shapes.

Solid Extruded Faux Wood Shutters:

Plantation shutters made from solid extruded synthetic materials give you more durability than most of the alternative non-wood plantation shutters.  Because the synthetic fibers permeate throughout the product, they create more substantial, solid louvers that are more resistant warping.  You will also discover that they last longer on average and will function much more like basswood plantation shutters. Solid extruded faux wood shutters also can be custom-crafted to fit every window shape and size -- even semi-circles.

But a solid extruded window treatment is only as good as its synthetic recipe.  Some formulas create a frail shutter, which can be split by nails or screws during installation. If the mixture doesn’t include a UV inhibitor, then the shutter will fade and yellow when exposed to sunlight. Some manufacturers need to paint their louvers, which also brings about chipping and yellowing over time.

  • Benefits:

    More durable product that works like a basswood plantation shutter. 

  • Drawbacks:

    Quality depends on the formulation of the faux wood composite.

The Most Durable Composite Faux Wood Shutter Is A Polywood® Shutter

Different Faux wood plantation shutters in Clearwater

Polywood plantation shutters are comprised from an very durable extruded faux wood mixture that will never warp, chip, crack, or fade.  Its proprietary formula gives it a feel like real wood, but with a material that repels moisture. We mix in a UV inhibitor with the faux wood composite so that the entire shutter will still look like new for decades to come.  They are even simple to clean -- just a duster for routine work, and a wet cloth for deeper cleaning.

Our Polywood shutters are also made to be the most energy-efficient window treatments available.  In fact, Polywood shutters are made to be 70% more energy-efficient than traditional wood shutters, and 1600% more efficient than aluminum blinds. And these shutters include a lifetime warranty.  Those are benefits no other shutter company offers.

  • Benefits:

    Lifetime warranty against warping, cracking or yellowing; most energy-efficient window treatment available; looks wonderful in any decor.

  • Drawbacks:

    Higher cost than flimsier vinyl interior shutters -- but worth it!

Call Sunburst Shutters Clearwater Today To Get Your Long-Lasting, Elegant Polywood Plantation Shutters

When looking at the pros and cons of the available faux wood plantation shutters, you can definately tell that Polywood is the most durable and stylish faux wood. Our Sunburst Shutters Clearwater reps will be happy to show you the advantages of our Polywood plantation shutters, and how they will work in any window in the house. To get a no cost in-home consultation, call 813-580-7288 or fill out the form below today!