Why Get Vinyl Exterior Shutters?
If you are going to add to the windows on your home, then vinyl exterior shutters might not seem like the obvious choice. After all, a material that was once most suitable for making records hardly seems like the sort of thing you would want on the fa?�ade of your house. Yet there are several good reasons to go with this material rather than more traditional options, such as wood.
Let’s start with what is often the most important consideration-vinyl is cheaper. Whether you are going for a full plantation style or a simple board and batten, mahogany, oak, or other woods are likely to be expensive. They eat up a large portion of the budget you have in place for refurbishing the outside of your home, leaving you with less to spend on other additions to it. Vinyl costs far less than these high priced options.
Of course, you will probably be thinking that you get what you pay for in terms of looks. However, that is very much down to the particular effect that you are trying to achieve. In general, the only effect where it matters if you have real wood or not is that of a shutter using stripped back or lightly varnished boards, simply because that is the only effect where you see the wood.
In almost all other cases, this product is as valid as any other. Indeed, because it can be easily and precisely moulded, it can mimic almost any style of shutter effectively. Whether you want panelled shutters, louvered ones, or the classic board and batten, there are versions available using vinyl. Often, they are hard to tell apart from genuine painted wood or faux wood versions.
At least, they are hard to tell apart until it comes to cleaning them. If you have any wooden furniture in your home, you will know just how much work goes into maintaining it. Even varnished, the least little thing can scratch it, while dirt and stains take real effort to get out. You can imagine how much worse things will be out in the elements.
That simply isn’t the case with vinyl. It is tough and hardwearing, lasting for years without the sort of maintenance that you would need with other options. It is also easy to clean. After all, there is a reason it gets used for so many kitchen floors. If you think that a real wood effect is worth the effort of regular polishing or sanding, then you are obviously free to ignore the material, but if you would rather just enjoy the look of your home, it is probably a better choice.
So, should you use vinyl exterior shutters? There are obviously some circumstances when they simply aren’t appropriate. Renovating a period property, for example, or creating that dream rustic cottage. Really though, the circumstances in which you shouldn’t use them are far outweighed by those in which they offer a cheaper, more practical choice. Give them serious consideration before you make a final decision.