Shutter Material

[Jerry Solomon]

I am thinking about replacing my wood shutters. The existing one are original equipment and are, in some cases, starting to rot along the bottoms. They are strictly decorative (i.e. non-working). I know you can buy shutters in plastic but I'm not sure that's what I would prefer. The house is located in south Louisiana so the climate is hot, humid, and lots of rain. I've heard of people using some types of man-made materials (TREX?). I know some of these materials are expensive but they might last longer?? The house is about 34 years old so the wood shutters did last a long time. Any advice about the pros and cons of various species of wood and/or man-mades would be appreciated.

[Richard Coers]

With your location, I think cypress would be a logical choice. I just did a little work with some "plastic" trim boards. It is a mess to work with. The chips off the router stick to everything. Must be some static generated with machining. I think doing a bigger project with that stuff would require some major cleanup, both in the shop and upstairs since I took up too much with me last night!

[Jerry Solomon]

Richard - Thanks for your advice. Cypress is something to consider. It's available around here and not terribly expensive.