Oak wood is another hardwood that is known for its elegant looking color shade. However though, it has a characteristic grainy texture which may not be appealing to some house owners. One reason that made it popular is the fact that there is an abundance of oak trees where timber used to make shutters can be sourced.

Bass wood, perhaps, is the most durable type when it comes to wooden window shutters. It possesses an inherent temperature resistant characteristic which makes it ideal for exterior applications. In addition, its toughness makes it highly resistant to dents and major scratches. However though, it can also be used as an interior wood house shutter. Its natural shade and fine texture are suited to most interior house window settings. Although it may cost more compared to other types of wood, it certainly has been a consistent hot selling type in the window shutter world.

Maple wood shutter – As we all know, maple trees grows in abundance; hence, another reliable source of timber products. Maple wood shutters are naturally yellowish to golden in their color shades. Although maple wood products are also characterized by their heavy weight, they have found their form in many shutter products too.

Cedar wood is another hardwood that has color shade that can blend well with its surroundings. However, most nice looking shutters made out of cedar are either painted with a glossy finish or stained with a more appealing color. Although it is lightweight and easy to carry around, cedar wood can easily get dented.

Just to share a few facts, basswood belongs to the tree genus of tilia who has the inherent characteristic of very sturdy trunks. Some other names which basswood is known are lime and linden. One factor which makes this wood highly suitable for shutters is its fine texture. Other types of trees possess a coarse and porous texture which. The advantage of having a fine texture is that a uniform and smooth finish will be achieved; hence, giving much positive impact to the overall texture of the shutter frame.

Because of its sturdy nature, basswood is highly resistant to warping. Other kinds of wood are not as resilient when it comes to warping. Warping can occur when lumber or wood is commonly exposed to heat and water. That is, deformation can occur which makes a shutter appear incongruous and out of shape. Certainly, a warped wood shutter hanging out of the window gives out a negative look. It sticks out like a sore thumb affecting the general appearance of the windows and the house in an external view perspective. Although no wood is immune from heat and moisture, basswood has a high endurance against those. But nevertheless, basswood shutters may also warp over time. However though, it would probably take very much longer than other types of wood and timber. In addition to being a sturdy wood material, basswood are easy to work around with adhesives. Why is this so? It is because of its non-porous nature making. With porous wood, adhesives would have a hard time sticking on both surfaces due to less surface contact.

Interior and exterior wooden shutters made out of basswood may cost more than those made up of other types of wood or timber. However, the benefits of using one can be much worth than its money value.

The most common adversaries of most wood products are sunlight and water. Sunlight can be destructive to wood because, of course, it brings heat that may cause the wood material to warp and get deformed in some way. Furthermore, during rains, some rainwater might be able to seep through the pores of the wooden shutters which might cause them to rot from the inside. That being said, your shutters, especially if installed on the window exteriors are exposed to intense heat during the dry months and exposed to rain during the wet months. Fortunately, there are some solutions, aside from routine window cleaning, that can be applied that can, at least, give some extent of protection against the scorching sun and rain that might cause some damage to the overall structural integrity of the shutter. In addition, burrowing insects can also cause some damage to the shutter frame itself as they burrow deep inside the wood material. However, this can be addressed already as most lumber used for shutter construction are already treated.

One noted solution is to apply a protective coating to the shutters or reinforce the coating (if already coated) at regular intervals. Keep in mind that any applied protective coating to a wood product can get faded or worn out when exposed to direct sunlight and rain. This can lead to possible areas of penetration by the heat and rain. Hence, a yearly application of fresh protective coating can work in most cases. It would not cost much though. You won’t need large amounts of paint anyway. However, light colored coating is the better bet because dark colors of paint tend to absorb large amounts of heat from the sun. Furthermore, there are paints and lacquers that have glossy characteristics. It would probably be nice to use those. Their glossy surface will most likely result in the reflection of much of the sunlight thereby reducing the heat on the wood shutter surface.

There are various arrays of designs and colors of wood plantation shutters. This is due to the different types of wood and synthetic wood materials being used in their construction. Here are some of the popular ones:

Satinwood Plantation Shutters 16″x20″

These elegant shutters are made from synthetic satin compounds that have the ability to screen ultraviolet rays that normally goes with sunlight. Even though they are synthetic, they are coated with a finish to make them look like they’re made up of wood material. One good thing about these satin compounds is that they are highly resistant to warping and fading. More so, they are also proven to be durable and chipping is a rarity with these materials. Aluminum frames are used to reinforce these satin wood plantation shutters adding which adds to their stability. Installation of these shutters can be a breeze because they are designed for that. Any do-it-yourself type of person can have them installed. These plantation satin wood shutters can be available white, silk and ivory. A standard feature that comes with them is the No-Magnet Lock System which can be quite useful. Louvers are shaped in such a manner so as to achieve better visuals.

Stained Wood Plantation 34″ x 61″, Shutters

Stained plantation wooden shutters such as the one above are made with high quality craftsmanship. By looking at the overall appearance, one can already gauge how elegant they can be as a window treatment. It can also blend well with other furniture pieces such as cane conservatory furniture and a wide range of other wooden furniture products as well.  The color shade of this shutter reflects the artistic creativity of the manufacturer. This is made from the finest woods such as the basswood.

There are two common uses for the wooden window shutter. One is for decoration purposes and the other is for protective or functional purposes. In most cases, these purposes would depend on the location of the houses or buildings in which they are to be installed. Their designs and styles can vary with their intended purpose. Shutters made for decorative purposes are plainly designed and may cost much less than their functional counterparts which are most likely with some other components such as locks and hinges.

Decorative wooden window shutters have non-functional designs in most cases and are mostly of the exterior type. They are just installed on the window exteriors just to provide some enhancement to the overall appearance of the windows from the outside and not as a protective cover for the windows. They may not have any hinges that make it possible to close them. They are most likely to end on locations where all year weather is calm and cozy.

On the other hand, the functional wood shutters are those that have hinges and locks that make them possible to close or open when the situation warrants it. They can be either the exterior types or the interior types. One notable situation is during hurricanes or snowstorms where these exterior shutters are highly necessary to give ample protection to the windows against the high velocity winds and the debris that might come flying unnoticed. In states and places where hurricanes are most likely to come by every year, functional exterior window shutters are most likely used. In addition, functional shutters can also be used to provide privacy or shut out the sunlight if the home or building occupants would want such. When used this way, interior shutters function similarly with wood venetian blinds. During summer or the warm months, these shutters can also be closed to prevent the scorching sunlight from coming in thereby conserving air-conditioning energy.