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Different Faux Wood Plantation Shutters In Salt Lake City

March 02, 2020

While there are plenty of faux wood plantation shutters on the market in Salt Lake City, they all won’t age the same.  While some faux wood coverings will last forever without splitting, warping, or fading, other faux wood coverings will start to break down in just a few years.

It can be tough to understand the pros and cons of the different faux wood plantation shutters Salt Lake City.  But once you know about the different varieties of faux wood, it will be much easier to figure out which interior shutter will stand the test of time.

The following list examines the different kinds of faux wood shutters in Salt Lake City and orders them from the least ideal to the most durable and stylish:

Vinyl Shutters:

Some shutter products that use vinyl show themselves as faux wood.  But don’t fall for it, vinyl is different from faux wood. Vinyl’s plastic look and slick coating is tough to blend with a your decor, unlike other faux wood or real wood-based shutters.  They may be one of the most inexpensive plantation shutter products on the market, but they also may be the least durable of the non-wood coverings.

Vinyl can also be easily affected by heat. It’s not unusual to see vinyl plantation shutters melt or yellow due to sunlight exposure. Because of their tendency of warping or splintering and their poor insular nature, vinyl shutters won’t provide much energy-efficiency to your windows -- especially if the shutter uses hollow shutters.

Different Faux wood plantation shutters in Salt Lake City
  • Benefits:

    Cheapest of the non-wood shutters.

  • Drawbacks:

    Looks plastic; flimsy materials; hollow louvers; low energy efficiency; can quickly warp, chip or yellow.

Synthetic Wrapped Product:

A step up from vinyl shutters are wrapped plantation shutters.  These coverings are made of pressed wood, wood chip components, or glued MDF, and then bound with a synthetic, vinyl, or plastic coating. The shutters have more weight and can seem much more like a normal wood plantation shutter than their hollow louvered alternatives.

However, synthetic wrapped shutters have some problems. The pressed grain under the wrapping can be extremely absorbent, leaving the window treatment vulnerable to humidity and moisture. It’s not unusual to see a warped or cracked louver or find that the synthetic wrapping has split or peeled away.  Also, wrapped shutters cannot be custom-fitted for odd shaped windows like arches or octagons.

  • Benefits:

    Thicker than vinyl shutters; may resemble real wood.

  • Drawbacks:

    Not preferable for high humidity or high moisture climates. Will take in moisture and humidity. Aren't moisture resistant; wrapping can chip away; warps or splinters easily; no specialty shapes.

Solid Extruded Faux Wood Shutters:

Plantation shutters made from solid extruded synthetic materials give you more durability than all of the other faux wood plantation shutters.  Because the synthetic fibers permeate throughout the product, they create durable, solid louvers that are more resistant warping.  You will also discover that these treatments last longer on average and will act much more like real wood shutters. Solid extruded faux wood shutters are also able to be custom-crafted to fit every window shape and size -- even semi-circles.

But a solid extruded plantation shutter is only as durable as its faux wood formula.  Some formulas create a fragile treatment, which can be broken during installation. If the mixture doesn’t have a UV inhibitor, then your plantation shutter will fade and yellow when exposed to sunlight. Some companies need to paint their louvers, which also leads to chipping and yellowing over time.

  • Benefits:

    More substantial treatment that is most comparable to a basswood plantation shutter. 

  • Drawbacks:

    Quality depends on the mixture of the faux wood composite.

The Best Composite Faux Wood Shutter Is A Polywood® Shutter

Different Faux wood plantation shutters in Salt Lake City

Polywood plantation shutters are comprised from an extremely durable extruded faux wood formula that will never crack, warp, or yellow.  Its proprietary formula makes it seem like real wood, but with a density that resists moisture. We mix in a UV inhibitor with the faux wood mixture so that the plantation shutter will always stay looking great for year after year.  They are even simple to clean -- you only need a duster for weekly work, and a wet cloth for deeper cleaning.

Our Polywood shutters are also designed to be the most energy-efficient window treatments you can buy.  In comparison, Polywood shutters are constructed to be 70% more energy-efficient than traditional wood shutters, and 1600% more energy-efficient than aluminum blinds. And all these benefits accompany a lifetime warranty.  Those are benefits no other shutter company offers.

  • Benefits:

    Lifetime warranty against splintering, fading, and warping; most energy-efficient window treatment on the market; looks wonderful in any style and decor.

  • Drawbacks:

    More expensive than flimsier vinyl interior shutters -- but worth it!

Call Sunburst Shutters Salt Lake City Today To Install Long-Lasting, Charming Polywood Shutters

When looking at the benefits and drawbacks of the numerous faux wood plantation shutters, you can plainly see that Polywood is the most durable and stylish faux wood. Our Sunburst Shutters Salt Lake City representatives will be happy to show you the perks of our Polywood shutters, and how they will enhance any room in your house. To book a free in-home consultation, call 801-515-3598 or send in the form below today!