interior FAQS

  • Cost?

    Are shutters expensive?

    It depends on what you are comparing them with. They are more expensive than blinds and shades but can be less expensive than many fabric treatments. Our standard pricing is comparable to other products of lower quality with a lesser installation. We are able to keep our costs to a minimum because we own our equipment and don't pay rent on a store-front. And because we don't use subcontractors, we can give you a superior product with a custom installation at a fair price.

  • Repainting?

    Will they require repainting?

    They should not. Our finish will last as long as any other type of coating used in shutter, cabinet and furniture manufacturing. We use a three-step "coating system." First, the wood is sand-sealed to lock in the moisture content and prepare the surface for good primer adhesion. Next we apply the primer, sand and buff to completely fill the grain and make the surface free from blemishes. Then, the units are finished with an extremely hard and smooth polyurethane modified-acrylic coating.

  • Yellowing?

    Will sunlight discolor them?

    Our product is the best thing we have found to hold its color over the years. Cheap paint will yellow in the sun. All coatings react differently to UV rays and many finishes will actually fade in the sunlight instead of yellow. Our polyurethane modified-acrylic conforms to the K.C.M.A. (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn.) as a non-yellowing finish. This does not mean that in thirty years it will be the exact same color, because everything ages.

  • Heat?

    What about extreme heat?

    Heat can warp poly, vinyl, or basswood shutters, but not our engineered poplar. Our vendor, O’Hair Shutters, is a mill in Lubbock, Texas that is over 75 years old. In their extreme climate, they start the drying process by “baking” the lumber in the Texas sun. But the most important thing O’Hair Shutters has been doing for over twenty years is “joining” their wood with radio-frequency gluing equipment. This creates strength in every component and keeps the materials from warping (even the louvers are made from joined wood). All the strengths of these components add up to the ability to build a 50” wide panel and warrant it for life. We know of no other wood shutter that is built like this.


    Unlike our shutters, basswood and composite shutters are susceptible to warping, but this is not entirely from the sun. And with poly and vinyl shutters, the softening of plastic in the heat makes warping very likely. Plastic and the sun don't mix!


    If you still don’t believe engineered solid wood is the best material for shutters, get online and search for shutter companies in the cities with desert climates such as Tucson, Phoenix, El Paso, San Antonio, Palm Desert or Las Vegas. Call the shutter companies in these markets and ask them what type of material they use to build their shutters. They all use wood for good reason!

  • Humidity?

    Will humidity damage them?

    No. Humidity from open windows, bathrooms and kitchens will not damage interior wood shutters. Just like the wood cabinets in your bathrooms and kitchen, wood shutters do fine in these environments. In fact, just like fine wood furniture, our shutters and coatings require humidity. If a wood finish gets too dried out it will shrink and crackle. A good example of wood needing moisture is using a humidifier on a furnace to preserve antiques. To protect against extremes, our panels have a sanding sealer which is applied by O’Hair Shutters after kiln drying. This locks down the moisture content in the wood between 5% and 7%. Then they’re coated with three coats: sealer, primer and a polyurethane modified-acrylic topcoat. All these coatings help to maintain the moisture content in the wood.

  • Estimates?

    Do you give free estimates?

    Yes. We give FREE estimates in the St. Louis metro area.

  • Color?

    Do you match paint?

    Yes. One benefit of real wood shutters is the ability to choose any color you wish. For the best match, we take a sample of your paint, create a chip, and work diligently to get your match as close as possible. Whether it’s off-white, a deep color, black or stain, St. Louis Shutter Co. can custom match the color of your trim. Or, we have over 40 standard paint colors for you to choose from. This customization will be the finishing touch that will make your new shutters look like an original part of the house. And, our polyurethane-modified-acrylic coating has a color-fastness rating that outranks almost all standard trim paints, which ensures excellent color retention for years to come.


    Do you offer standard colors?

    Yes. We offer FREE colors form the Sherwin Williams Whites and Lights deck.

  • Composites?

    Do you sell composite shutters?

    No. Composites are made with sawdust and epoxy resins so they're heavy, porous, soft, and almost all of these products comes from China. It is basically MDF with a nice finish. The number one problem with the material is that it is heavier than it is strong. The louvers have a tendency to warp because they sag on their own weight. The panels themselves have a tendency to sag towards the sill, opposite the hinge side, causing the panels to rub. With weight problems come limitation on panel widths, mandated divider rails and T-posts (bi-fold limitations) which all lead to design limitations. Couple these limitations with having a minimal choice of color and you are left with a product that is not very custom. We believe that design should be dictated by the customer's wants and needs, not by product limitations. To top it off, if the porous MDF material gets wet it will soak up the water and swell; ruining the surface and the finish. Although they cost a little less than our solid poplar panels, they are by far a cheap reproduction of a fine wood shutter. Be careful, buy American.

  • Poly/faux?

    Do you sell poly/faux shutters?

    No. In our first two years of business we installed hundreds of poly shutters and since then, we have seen the product fail on many occasions for many different reasons. Over the years we have also replaced hundreds of failed poly shutters that were installed by our competitors.


    The number one problem with the material is that it is heavier than it is strong. Poly shutters are extruded, dense cellular foam shapes, and with added density comes added weight. The louvers warp, and because the panels are so heavy they sag and literally pull themselves apart over time. This sagging and warping causes unsightly light gaps, rubbing, and problems with operation. Hot summer sun can take its toll on poly as the plastic softens up in the heat. Because of the weight problem, poly manufacturers have to put size and design limitations on each panel. In order to be warranted the panels must stay relatively small on width and mandates a divider-rail in tall panels. As with composite shutters, we believe that design should be dictated by the customer's wants and needs, not by product limitations.


    Overall, poly shutter units are not durable. The paint (which is simply "wrapped" onto a glass-like surface) and the substrate scratch and dent VERY easily. And, the unfinished exposed foam edges collect dirt and oils over the years, leaving them looking "gray around the edges." We have also removed competitors' poly jobs which have completely lost their louver tension. Couple all these facts with poor strength-to-weight and you'll see that poly shutters are not practical for a "busy family" environment. Be careful, buy American.

  • Trim?

    Should I trim my drywall first?

    No. You shouldn't trim your drywall if you are going to have us do your shutters. We offer many frames that will actually case the windows, giving the units an inside mounted look. We offer moldings that case the shutter panels with up to a 2-1/4" Colonial faced perimeter. And, when we case the units you get even hinge gaps, light-stop and fail-safe bullet catches & strike plates instead of magnets.


    Do you remove my existing trim?

    As a habit, we work with what you have existing on your windows so you don't have any extra cost or labor. We paint match our shutters to your casing for an original "built-in" feel without removing anything. In over 2,500 installs, we have removed existing trim three times because of customizing specified by our customer's own design ideas.

  • Bay windows?

    Can you mount shutters in bays?

    Yes. We can mount shutters on any bay or bow windows. On many occasions, we have done work in bay windows that our competitors have turned down, such as bays that have windows which meet in the corners. Some are more difficult than others, but it's not rocket science... it's custom woodwork!

  • Tilt-in windows?

    Will my tilt-ins still work?

    Yes (unless you tell us you prefer a frame which may impede the tilt-in feature). Our mounting options will allow your tilt-ins to function properly. If one of our competitors is telling you otherwise, give us a call and we will come show you our multiple custom options which will retain the function you require without losing any aesthetic value.

  • Cost?

    Are shutters expensive?

    It depends on what you are comparing them with. They are more expensive than blinds and shades but can be less expensive than many fabric treatments. Our standard pricing is comparable to other products of lower quality with a lesser installation. We are able to keep our costs to a minimum because we own our equipment and don't pay rent on a store-front. And because we don't use subcontractors, we can give you a superior product with a custom installation at a fair price.

  • Repainting?

    Will they require repainting?

    They should not. Our finish will last as long as any other type of coating used in shutter, cabinet and furniture manufacturing. We use a three-step "coating system." First, the wood is sand-sealed to lock in the moisture content and prepare the surface for good primer adhesion. Next we apply the primer, sand and buff to completely fill the grain and make the surface free from blemishes. Then, the units are finished with an extremely hard and smooth polyurethane modified-acrylic coating.

  • Yellowing?

    Will sunlight discolor them?

    Our product is the best thing we have found to hold its color over the years. Cheap paint will yellow in the sun. All coatings react differently to UV rays and many finishes will actually fade in the sunlight instead of yellow. Our polyurethane modified-acrylic conforms to the K.C.M.A. (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn.) as a non-yellowing finish. This does not mean that in thirty years it will be the exact same color, because everything ages.

  • Heat?

    What about extreme heat?

    Heat can warp poly, vinyl, or basswood shutters, but not our engineered poplar. Our vendor, O’Hair Shutters, is a mill in Lubbock, Texas that is over 75 years old. In their extreme climate, they start the drying process by “baking” the lumber in the Texas sun. But the most important thing O’Hair Shutters has been doing for over twenty years is “joining” their wood with radio-frequency gluing equipment. This creates strength in every component and keeps the materials from warping (even the louvers are made from joined wood). All the strengths of these components add up to the ability to build a 50” wide panel and warrant it for life. We know of no other wood shutter that is built like this.


    Unlike our shutters, basswood and composite shutters are susceptible to warping, but this is not entirely from the sun. And with poly and vinyl shutters, the softening of plastic in the heat makes warping very likely. Plastic and the sun don't mix!


    If you still don’t believe engineered solid wood is the best material for shutters, get online and search for shutter companies in the cities with desert climates such as Tucson, Phoenix, El Paso, San Antonio, Palm Desert or Las Vegas. Call the shutter companies in these markets and ask them what type of material they use to build their shutters. They all use wood for good reason!

  • Humidity?

    Will humidity damage them?

    No. Humidity from open windows, bathrooms and kitchens will not damage interior wood shutters. Just like the wood cabinets in your bathrooms and kitchen, wood shutters do fine in these environments. In fact, just like fine wood furniture, our shutters and coatings require humidity. If a wood finish gets too dried out it will shrink and crackle. A good example of wood needing moisture is using a humidifier on a furnace to preserve antiques. To protect against extremes, our panels have a sanding sealer which is applied by O’Hair Shutters after kiln drying. This locks down the moisture content in the wood between 5% and 7%. Then they’re coated with three coats: sealer, primer and a polyurethane modified-acrylic topcoat. All these coatings help to maintain the moisture content in the wood.

  • Estimates?

    Do you give free estimates?

    Yes. We give FREE estimates in the St. Louis metro area.

  • Color?

    Do you match paint?

    Yes. One benefit of real wood shutters is the ability to choose any color you wish. For the best match, we take a sample of your paint, create a chip, and work diligently to get your match as close as possible. Whether it’s off-white, a deep color, black or stain, St. Louis Shutter Co. can custom match the color of your trim. Or, we have over 40 standard paint colors for you to choose from. This customization will be the finishing touch that will make your new shutters look like an original part of the house. And, our polyurethane-modified-acrylic coating has a color-fastness rating that outranks almost all standard trim paints, which ensures excellent color retention for years to come.


    Do you offer standard colors?

    Yes. We offer FREE colors form the Sherwin Williams Whites and Lights deck.

  • Composites?

    Do you sell composite shutters?

    No. Composites are made with sawdust and epoxy resins so they're heavy, porous, soft, and almost all of these products comes from China. It is basically MDF with a nice finish. The number one problem with the material is that it is heavier than it is strong. The louvers have a tendency to warp because they sag on their own weight. The panels themselves have a tendency to sag towards the sill, opposite the hinge side, causing the panels to rub. With weight problems come limitation on panel widths, mandated divider rails and T-posts (bi-fold limitations) which all lead to design limitations. Couple these limitations with having a minimal choice of color and you are left with a product that is not very custom. We believe that design should be dictated by the customer's wants and needs, not by product limitations. To top it off, if the porous MDF material gets wet it will soak up the water and swell; ruining the surface and the finish. Although they cost a little less than our solid poplar panels, they are by far a cheap reproduction of a fine wood shutter. Make an invesment, not a mistake... buy American.

  • Poly/faux?

    Do you sell poly/faux shutters?

    No. In our first two years of business we installed hundreds of poly shutters and since then, we have seen the product fail on many occasions for many different reasons. Over the years we have also replaced hundreds of failed poly shutters that were installed by our competitors.


    The number one problem with the material is that it is heavier than it is strong. Poly shutters are extruded, dense cellular foam shapes, and with added density comes added weight. The louvers warp, and because the panels are so heavy they sag and literally pull themselves apart over time. This sagging and warping causes unsightly light gaps, rubbing, and problems with operation. Hot summer sun can take its toll on poly as the plastic softens up in the heat. Because of the weight problem, poly manufacturers have to put size and design limitations on each panel. In order to be warranted the panels must stay relatively small on width and mandates a divider-rail in tall panels. As with composite shutters, we believe that design should be dictated by the customer's wants and needs, not by product limitations.


    Overall, poly shutter units are not durable. The paint (which is simply "wrapped" onto a glass-like surface) and the substrate scratch and dent VERY easily. And, the unfinished exposed foam edges collect dirt and oils over the years, leaving them looking "gray around the edges." We have also removed competitors' poly jobs which have completely lost their louver tension. Couple all these facts with poor strength-to-weight and you'll see that poly shutters are not practical for a "busy family" environment. Make an invesment, not a mistake...  buy American.

  • Trim?

    Should I trim my drywall first?

    No. You shouldn't trim your drywall if you are going to have us do your shutters. We offer many frames that will actually case the windows, giving the units an inside mounted look. We offer moldings that case the shutter panels with up to a 2-1/4" Colonial faced perimeter. And, when we case the units you get even hinge gaps, light-stop and fail-safe bullet catches & strike plates instead of magnets.


    Do you remove my existing trim?

    As a habit, we work with what you have existing on your windows so you don't have any extra cost or labor. We paint match our shutters to your casing for an original "built-in" feel without removing anything. In over 2,500 installs, we have removed existing trim three times because of customizing specified by our customer's own design ideas.

  • Bay windows?

    Can you mount shutters in bays?

    Yes. We can mount shutters on any bay or bow windows. On many occasions, we have done work in bay windows that our competitors have turned down, such as bays that have windows which meet in the corners. Some are more difficult than others, but it's not rocket science... it's custom woodwork!

  • Tilt-in windows?

    Will my tilt-ins still work?

    Yes (unless you tell us you prefer a frame which may impede the tilt-in feature). Our mounting options will allow your tilt-ins to function properly. If one of our competitors is telling you otherwise, give us a call and we will come show you our multiple custom options which will retain the function you require without losing any aesthetic value.

© 2017 St. Louis Shutter Co.