I was recently talking to a woman who lives in Florida, who wanted to replace her shutters. She was debating whether she should try faux-wood shutters or real hard-wood shutters, in light of the intensity of the Florida sun and the fact that composite boards do sometimes discolor when used in the bright sunshine.
While it is true that the sun does yellow composite wood, it’s not a given that it is going to ruin all composite wood. As an example, deck boards made from composite wood are fairly commonplace, and they are made specifically so that they won’t yellow or discolour in the bright sunlight. They’re made durable enough to last a long time with the sun beating down on them.
So, what it really gets down to is the type of composite or faux-wood the shutters are made from. If it is coated in vinyl, for example, there is a good chance that it may end up yellowing in the sun but if it’s made deliberately to withstand strong sunshine then you should be perfectly fine going ahead and ordering faux-wood shutters.
Of course, wooden shutters have been known to get bleached out in the sun too, especially when exposed to a lot of bright sunlight for many days a year. Generally speaking, shutters made of lighter colored wood hold up better than the dark wood shutters as the fading isn’t really noticeable, at least not as much as it is with the darker wood.
The best way to find out what would work in your situation, which is what I suggested to this lady, is to actually head off to a store that sells the type of blinds or shutters you are interested in and ask questions. If you are able to get any referrals from the shop you could also give their former customers a call and see how their shutters are holding up, and if they are happy with their choices. Many stores are happy to do this, if it means that they will possibly get another sale from it, so don’t be shy to ask for referrals.
Take a stroll around your neighbourhood too and see what other people are using. Bring up your questions in conversations you have with others, as chances are amongst all of your friends and acquaintances there is someone who has had some type of experience, either positive or negative, who could pass on their advice.
Remember too that with composite wood there are fewer options for re-doing the shutters after some time. For example, should you choose wood shutters there is always the option of sanding and re-staining with a lighter or darker stain, or you can paint your shutters if you wanted to do something different with them. But if you choose faux wood shutters you are basically stuck with what you choose and there’s very little you can do to alter the appearance of them once you have them installed.
Oh, an important note too, regarding staining real wood: You do have to be careful what type of stain you make because some polyurethanes will also yellow in the sun, giving you a similar type of yellow look to your real wood shutters. Make sure, if you are going to re-stain, that you use the right type of outdoor polyurethane that doesn’t yellow in the sun.
When it is all said and done, I personally really prefer hard-wood shutters as to me they just look that little better. Whatever your choice, though, remember to check the manufacturer’s warranty before you finalize the purchase and see what type of conditions they are offering.