A lot of people underestimate the importance of choosing the right material for their window shutters, but they shouldn’t. First, this is the home you’re talking about, and you should care about what it’s made out of. Second, you’re spending money on everything in here – might as well have the best you can get, right?
Most window shutters are made from wood and even the ones that aren’t being given a wood-like finish. We call them faux wood shutters, and a lot of people have been asking the question, “are faux wood shutters more durable than real wood?”
Well, the answer depends on what kind of real wood you’re talking about. If you want the answer, how about you read some more about both types, and then decide for yourself what’s better?
Easy Maintenance?
Wood isn’t an easy element to deal with – you’ll need to keep it clean and safe from the elements, and you can’t even be careless when using a wet rag over it, which begs the question – is it really the best option out there to protect you from the elements?
Window shutters need to shield you from sunlight and rain and wind, and all of these things would be devastating for any kind of wood that isn’t treated properly. Even then, it might not last long. On the other hand, there are options made out of vinyl and plastics that aren’t nearly as hard to maintain.
With high-quality faux wood shutters, you might not even have to compromise on the look. There certainly are options out there that look like the real thing.
Which Ones Last Longer?
Obviously, you’ll want window shutters that last as long as possible. Hardwoods like oak and walnuts are harder to break down, but softwoods like Juniper are prone to breaking down easily. They’ll be damaged by the sun, by humidity, and might even rot on the inside or become home to insects like termites.
Faux wood shutters are inorganic, so they’ll definitely weather most of these challenges better than real wood shutters. Plastic and its derivatives are, in fact, notoriously hard to break down.
It also comes down to the quality of the wood – some wood is treated better than others with chemical and physical agents that help it age better and resist most of these factors. On the other hand, faux wood shutters might still deteriorate a bit because of sun damage.
Consider Water Resistance
If you want to buy external shutters, or if you think your window shutters will be exposed to the rain often, make sure that you choose shutters with this in mind.
Faux wood shutters are usually more water-resistant than real wood shutters, and experts would usually advise against using real wood in external shutters. If you still want to opt for real wood, invest in waterproof coatings and certain materials that would keep it safe for as long as possible.
Remember though, that the water can still get to the wood through cracks and breaks in the shutters.
How Heavy Are They?
Shutters need to be installed and operated later too. Wooden shutters might be heavy enough that they would become hard to operate and maintain the moment the smallest things go wrong in your window mechanisms.
Faux wood shutters are usually made of a lighter material and are hollow on the inside. This makes installation and use pretty easy, and you don’t have to constantly deal with the maintenance and jamming.
In the end, all that matters is whether you prefer real wood, for its feel and superior looks, or something that’s more long-lasting and cheaper. Even if you’re conscious about the environment and want to avoid plastics, unethically obtained wood can hurt the environment just as much. In that case, make sure you’re buying from a company that gives back to the environment they take the wood from, and that they make all their products ethically.
