exterior FAQS

  • Longevity?

    Will there be maintenance required?

    The nice thing about our cedar shutters is the fact that they CAN be repainted. Unlike other products on the market (vinyl, composites, fiberglass) wood shutters can be refinished if they start to fade or get damaged. And we make it as painless as possible when it comes time to refinish by using hinges & pintels or an L-bracket installation system.

  • Cost?

    Are exterior wood shutters affordable?

    Exterior wood shutters are an investment. They will cost more than the products you can buy off the shelf at a hardware store, but the look and durability of a good western red cedar or mahogany shutter can't be beat. You might be able to save money on pine or lesser wood products, but you'd be throwing your money away because they will fail. Remember, you get what you pay for.

  • Vinyl?

    Do you sell vinyl shutters?

    No. Of all the shutter products out there, vinyl is definitely the cheapest. Builders use it because it's low cost, and it does the trick for the time being. Of course, it only comes in standard sizes and the color choice is limited. Unfortunately, if your vinyl gets damaged or cracked you will just have to live with it. There's no real way to repair it. And vinyl's biggest problem is that it fades in the sun. Once it fades repainting isn't recommended because adhesion is poor and the paint chips off easily in a short amount of time.

  • PVC?

    Do you sell PVC shutters?

    No. On multiple occasions, we have seen PVC shutters warp so bad that they pull themselves off the house and fall to the ground. They are terrible.

  • Fiberglass?

    Do you sell fiberglass shutters?

    No. Nothing is truly "maintenance free" and fiberglass shutters are no exception. But it is our experience that when fiberglass swells with age it begins to separate to the point of complete disrepair. The porous fiber makes the material susceptible to a mold problem. The sun, water and temperature change are just too much for fiberglass shutters to handle for a lifetime. The high cost coupled with poor physical attributes make fiberglass shutters a poor choice for shutters. Remember, a warranty is only as good as the history of the product.

  • Composites?

    Do you sell composite shutters?

    No. Composite exterior shutters are made from a combination of plastic resins and wood waste. Like fiberglass, these shutters also tend to have mold problems. They are the heaviest of all the materials which makes them very difficult to install or service on a high ladder. We will not sell them because the finish cracks, peels, and is scratched too easily and we would not be able to warrant them.

  • Pine?

    Do you sell pine shutters?

    No. We have had to remove pine shutters that a competitor installed the previous year that were falling off the house because they were so heavy from being full of water. Even with a good coating, pine will fill with moisture through the louver mortises and/or raised panel dados that cannot escape through the finish. Pine shutters rot from the inside out.

  • Mahogany?

    Do you sell mahogany shutters?

    Yes. When someone wants to simply "oil" a panel for a rich, stained look we will recommend mahogany. It is similar to cedar for longevity but it doesn't paint as nicely because it has an open grain. Also, mahogany costs 30% more for the millwork alone.

  • Oil or acrylic paint?

    Do you paint with oil or acrylic?

    We prefer a self-priming 100% alkyd industrial oil enamel for high gloss black and custom colors. We have had various issues with acrylics and prefer not to use them. They stay soft, they are difficult to re-coat, and they are slow in manufacturing because the oil primer which is used as a substrate must be 100% dry or the top coat may bubble. If you want an acrylic finish we will sell you raw panels and you can have a painting contractor finish them for you.

  • Hardware?

    How do you install exterior shutters?

    We can mount shutters to masonry or wood. Stainless steel powder coated hinges and pintles are the very best way to install an exterior panel because of the ease of removal. This hardware holds the panel off wall and makes your job look completely authentic. When installing your shutters we always support both sides so there is no possibility of sagging. If you don't want to buy hardware, we offer an innovative aluminum L-bracket system that mounts to the top and bottom of the panels. With this application there are no screws that deface the front of your new shutter panels. It's discreetly camouflaged so that you have a nice clean look when we're finished. This system also holds the panel away from the house, allowing water to pass behind it. Check out our line of hinges and various mounting styles to see what works best for your home.

  • Longevity?

    Will there be maintenance required?

    The nice thing about our cedar shutters is the fact that they CAN be repainted. Unlike other products on the market (vinyl, composites, fiberglass) wood shutters can be refinished if they start to fade or get damaged. And we make it as painless as possible when it comes time to refinish by using hinges & pintels or an L-bracket installation system.

  • Cost?

    Are exterior wood shutters affordable?

    Exterior wood shutters are an investment. They will cost more than the products you can buy off the shelf at a hardware store, but the look and durability of a good western red cedar or mahogany shutter can't be beat. You might be able to save money on pine or lesser wood products, but you'd be throwing your money away because they will fail. Remember, you get what you pay for.

  • Vinyl?

    Do you sell vinyl shutters?

    No. Of all the shutter products out there, vinyl is definitely the cheapest. Builders use it because it's low cost, and it does the trick for the time being. Of course, it only comes in standard sizes and the color choice is limited. Unfortunately, if your vinyl gets damaged or cracked you will just have to live with it. There's no real way to repair it. And vinyl's biggest problem is that it fades in the sun. Once it fades repainting isn't recommended because adhesion is poor and the paint chips off easily in a short amount of time.

  • PVC?

    Do you sell PVC shutters?

    No. On multiple occasions, we have seen PVC shutters warp so bad that they pull themselves off the house and fall to the ground. They are terrible.

  • Fiberglass?

    Do you sell fiberglass shutters?

    No. Nothing is truly "maintenance free" and fiberglass shutters are no exception. But it is our experience that when fiberglass swells with age it begins to separate to the point of complete disrepair. The porous fiber makes the material susceptible to a mold problem. The sun, water and temperature change are just too much for fiberglass shutters to handle for a lifetime. The high cost coupled with poor physical attributes make fiberglass shutters a poor choice for shutters. Remember, a warranty is only as good as the history of the product.

  • Composites?

    Do you sell composite shutters?

    No. Composite exterior shutters are made from a combination of plastic resins and wood waste. We have seen this material completely fall apart after just a few years. Like fiberglass, these shutters also tend to have mold problems. They are the heaviest of all the materials which makes them very difficult to install or service on a high ladder. We will not sell them because the finish cracks, peels, and is scratched too easily and we would not be able to warrant them.

  • Pine?

    Do you sell pine shutters?

    No. We have had to remove pine shutters that a competitor installed the previous year that were falling off the house because they were so heavy from being full of water. Even with a good coating, pine will fill with moisture through the louver mortises and/or raised panel dados that cannot escape through the finish. Pine shutters rot from the inside out.

  • Mahogany?

    Do you sell mahogany shutters?

    Yes. When someone wants to simply "oil" a panel for a rich, stained look we will recommend mahogany. It is similar to cedar for longevity but it doesn't paint as nicely because it has an open grain. Also, mahogany costs 30% more for the millwork alone.

  • Oil or acrylic paint?

    Do you paint with oil or acrylic?

    We prefer a self-priming 100% alkyd industrial oil enamel for high gloss black and custom colors. We have had various issues with acrylics and prefer not to use them. They stay soft, they are difficult to re-coat, and they are slow in manufacturing because the oil primer which is used as a substrate must be 100% dry or the top coat may bubble. If you want an acrylic finish we will sell you raw panels and you can have a painting contractor finish them for you.

  • Hardware?

    How do you install exterior shutters?

    We can mount shutters to masonry or wood. Stainless steel powder coated hinges and pintles are the very best way to install an exterior panel because of the ease of removal. This hardware holds the panel off wall and makes your job look completely authentic. When installing your shutters we always support both sides so there is no possibility of sagging. If you don't want to buy hardware, we offer an innovative aluminum L-bracket system that mounts to the top and bottom of the panels. With this application there are no screws that deface the front of your new shutter panels. It's discreetly camouflaged so that you have a nice clean look when we're finished. This system also holds the panel away from the house, allowing water to pass behind it. Check out our line of hinges and various mounting styles to see what works best for your home.

© 2017 St. Louis Shutter Co.