quality wood shutter
When considering plantation shutters, one of the first choices a homeowner must make is “From what material do I want my shutters built?” There are many reasons that wood makes the best choice for a plantation shutter. We want to take a moment to help you identify what to look for in a quality wood shutter.
different types of wood
There are many different types of wood used in the plantation shutter industry. The popularity will often vary from region to region. For instance, incense cedar, alder, basswood, and even saguaro cactus wood are used in the Southwest and Northwest regions. In the Western regions, window openings tend to be larger, calling for a lighter wood to maintain structural integrity once the shutters are installed. The woods must also hold up to the intense sun, dry heat, and lack of shade. In the Midwest, aspen and maple are commonly used. In the North and Southeast regions, basswood and poplar are widely used. Cottonwood, which is a species of poplar, is also used. Even though it has some distinct characteristics, such as a strong, musty fragrance, those who use it just call it poplar, which can be confusing. While many kinds of wood are suitable for plantation shutters, these are the most cost-effective and sustainable.
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Another trick to remember is not all grades of wood are equal. A common practice in the industry is to substitute a cheaper grade of wood. A company may tell you they use poplar and promote it as superior but then use the #1 common grade, which is cheaper for them. The #1 & #2 common grades will have more knots, imperfections, and curvature. It may also not be properly pre-treated to prevent further movement in the wood, which can later translate into warping. We promote and actually use FAS and Select grades of North American kiln dried woods. Chances are, if you base your purchase on who has the lowest estimate, you will get what you pay for, which is the lowest grade of the wood.
At Elite Shutters
You always get the REAL wood you order!
Additionally, there are suppliers within the industry selling companies, designers and builders imported, untested woods and claiming that they are real poplar or basswood, both in ready-to-assemble components and ready-to-install form. How do we know? Because they’ve approached us. This means that companies are telling you they use American wood and have no clue that they are really giving their customers an unknown type of imported wood instead. Or maybe they do? At Elite Shutters, you always get the REAL wood you order!
Here’s a tip:
If you receive a delivery time of six to eight weeks or more, there is a good chance the product is arriving via cargo ship from the pacific rim, either in the component form to be assembled and painted here or already manufactured and ready to install. We quote delivery time three to five weeks from the order date.
Awards & Certificates
Best of Houzz 2014 – 2019 – Customer Service. We were rated at the highest level for customer service by the Houzz community for six years running, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019.
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