How To Prevent Shutters From Warping In Heat

Plantation shutters are a significant investment, and are not going to be taken lightly by many people with budgets in mind for their homes. Even though they are one of the best home improvement investments and will actually pay for themselves many times in heating or cooling savings, they still represent a significant investment for many people who are conscious of budget. An installation of plantation shutters can easily run several thousand dollars, and because of this expense people would expect them to last for the lifetime of the house, unless there was some damage due to unforeseen circumstances. In most cases the shutters are installed and are rarely moved except to clean them from time to time, leading people to expect that since there is almost no movement there would be little chance that they would age. Unfortunately this is not the case, and in climates that are exceptionally hot like Las Vegas and Arizona, you will find that the shutters do have damage that occurs over time. The majority of the time this damage will be found in two different reas, fading and warping.

The fading of finishes is common in areas where intense sunlight and heat is exposed to surfaces on a regular basis. Anyone who has lived in Las Vegas for more than a year is going to be able to tell you how quickly furniture that is left outside and uncovered will fade, and how the woods will quickly crack and split. This is due to the fact that the sun in continually drying out the surfaces, and even the hardest of woods is going to eventually show signs of age as it is not being replenished with moisture. Although they are not exposed to the same levels of heat as patio furniture, shutters are continually being exposed to intense sunlight on the side that faces the window, which will fade the stains and also will potentially cause the louvers or frames to begin to change shape. The more expensive shutters are generally made of materials that are more resistant to these types of damage simply due to their makeups, but many people will want to do as much as they can to prevent the ongoing damage that the sun provides.

There are two ways to limit the amount of damage that is going to occur to your shutters over time, first and foremost being that you should only buy shutters made of high quality basswood. Basswood is an extremely hard wood that is kiln dried before being shaped, which will allow for a more resilient piece. The other thing that you can do to minimize warping and cracking is to move the shutters slightly every now and again, so the sun is not hitting the exact same surface every day. Treating your shutters with a good quality wood oil will also help to add moisture and protect color, but always check with your installation company on what types of oils will work with the wood type used in your shutters. Avoid plastic shutters and poly bends for the best results that will last the longest.

Content for this article was researched and referenced from Onyx Shutters Las Vegas in order to present accurate information. https://onyxvegas.com/plantation-shutters-las-vegas/