Exterior Fixtures

[Michael O'Sullivan]

I need to replace some decorative shutters on my house, and am also considering putting in some window boxes (for flowers).

They need to be painted to match the rest of the house's trim, so is there any reason not to use poplar? The weight is good for outdoor applications, and it paints up nicely.

Your experiences (+ or -) are more than welcome.

Thanx

[Peter Pedisich]

I have never tried poplar outdoors - due to advice from experienced folks to not do so.
I've used white pine with great success - 1 coat of BM oil base primer and then 2-3 coats of top quality satin latex.
I paint all faces, edges, grooves, end grain, etc before assembly - never a square millimeter of bare wood.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I need to replace some decorative shutters on my house, and am also considering putting in some window boxes (for flowers).

They need to be painted to match the rest of the house's trim, so is there any reason not to use poplar? The weight is good for outdoor applications, and it paints up nicely.

Your experiences (+ or -) are more than welcome.

Thanx


Ought to be made out of Cypress, or some other outdoor wood. Poplar would probably rot pretty fast.

Doc