Different Faux Wood Plantation Shutters In Tampa

While there are many faux wood plantation shutters available in Tampa, they all won’t age the same.  While some faux wood shutters will last a lifetime without warping, cracking, or yellowing, other faux wood coverings will begin to wear down in just a few year’s time.

It might be tough to tell the different faux wood plantation shutters apart.  But as you learn about the different kinds of faux wood, it will be easier to see which interior shutter is built to last.

The following list details the different kinds of faux wood shutters in Tampa and rates them from the worst to the most durable and stylish:

Vinyl Shutters:

Some plantation shutters that use vinyl want you to think that they are using faux wood.  But make no mistake, vinyl is different from faux wood. Vinyl’s plastic look and shiny coating is hard to match to a your decor, unlike quality faux wood or hardwood shutters.  Vinyl may be one of the cheapest plantation shutter products around, but they also are the least durable of the non-wood treatments.

Vinyl is also easily affected by heat. It’s not abnormal to see vinyl window treatments melt or discolor due to the sun’s rays. Because of their habit of warping or cracking and their poor insular characteristics, vinyl shutters do not give much energy-efficiency to your windows -- especially if the shutter uses hollow shutters.

• Benefits:

  Cheapest of the non-wood shutters.

• Drawbacks:

  Looks like plastic; frail materials; hollow louvers; low energy efficiency; will warp, chip or yellow.

Synthetic Wrapped Product:

A step up from vinyl shutters are synthetic plantation shutters.  These coverings are constructed from pressed wood, wood chip components, or glued MDF, and then bound with a synthetic, vinyl, or plastic coating. The shutters are heavier and can appear much more like a real wood plantation shutter than their less durable counterparts.

Unfortunately, synthetic wrapped shutters have some problems. The pressed material under the wrapping can be extremely permeable, leaving the treatment to be sensitive to humidity and moisture. It’s not unusual to find a warped or cracked louver or learn that the synthetic wrapping has split or peeled away.  Also, wrapped shutters won’t be custom-fitted for specialty shaped windows like arches or octagons.

• Benefits:

  Thicker than vinyl shutters; may resemble real wood.

• Drawbacks:

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

Solid Extruded Faux Wood Shutters:

Plantation shutters made from solid extruded faux wood give you more durability than all of the other faux wood plantation shutters.  As the synthetic material infuse themselves throughout the product, they have durable, solid louvers that are more protected from warping.  You will also find that these treatments are more durable and will function much more like hardwood plantation shutters. Solid extruded faux wood shutters are also able to be custom-fitted to fit any window shape and size -- even ovals.

But a solid extruded window treatment is only as durable as its synthetic recipe.  Some formulas create a brittle product, which can be broken during installation. If the mixture doesn’t include a UV inhibitor, then your window treatments will fade and yellow over time. Some manufacturers need to paint their products, which also invite chipping and yellowing over time.

• Benefits:

  More substantial shutter that compares favorably to a basswood plantation shutter. 

• Drawbacks:

  Quality depends on the formulation of the faux wood composite.

Polywood® Shutters Are The Most Durable Composite Faux Wood Shutters

Polywood plantation shutters are made from an extremely 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 resists moisture. We add a UV inhibitor with the faux wood mixture so that the plantation shutter will still look nice for year after year.  They are even simple to clean -- only use a duster for weekly work, and a wet cloth for deeper cleaning.

Our Polywood shutters are also constructed 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 advantages come with a lifetime warranty.  Those are benefits no other shutter offers.

• Benefits:

  Lifetime warranty against splintering, fading, and warping; most energy-efficient plantation shutter available; looks great in any decor.

• Drawbacks:

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

Contact Sunburst Shutters Tampa Today To Get Long-Lasting, Beautiful Polywood Plantation Shutters

When comparing the pros and cons of the numerous faux wood plantation shutters, you can definately tell that Polywood is the most durable and stylish faux wood. Our Sunburst Shutters Tampa representatives will show you the benefits of our Polywood plantation shutters, and how they will work in any window in the house. To book a complimentary in-home consultation, call 813-580-7288 or send in the form below today!