Shutters can make or break the curb appeal of a house and it is important to consider the different materials that shutters are made of.  Prices will vary considerably between the different materials and each will have its own positives and negatives.  Let’s take a look at the 4 main ones.

Wood:  

Very traditional and good looking.  Could be pricey depending in the wood species that is used.  Stay away from cheaper woods like Pine or Poplar that will rot, twist and split within a short period of time.  Good species are Western Red Cedar and Cypress.  Make sure you add some sort of a cap to the top of the shutter to prevent splitting and make sure your provider seals the wood effectively to prevent rot.  Easy to customize size and styles.  Will need repainting in a few years, but generally easy to do.

Vinyl:

Cheapest option you can get, but then it will also look like that.  The summer heat can play a trick on these where the shutters became brittle with color fading over time.  These shutters are typically hollow and not very strong.  Its recommended that they are mounted flush against the wall, although some service providers sell hardware kits to mount them on hinges.  Vinyl shutters are typically 3 times cheaper than wood or composites, but remember you’ll have to pay for installation 3 times.  Limited options available for size, style and color.  Difficult to repaint effectively.

Composite Wood:

Pricing is comparable to wood, and although you get the look and feel of wood, you don’t have the issues that comes using wood.   No rotting, swelling, twisting and if it is the right material, no insect damage.  There are different composite materials available and not all are rated for extended exterior use, so make sure your provider uses the right stuff (and can prove it).  Very long lasting and in some cases you even have environmentally friendly/safe options available.  Easy to customize and a good provider should be able to create unique designs and styles perfect for your home.  Similar to wood it will need repainting in a few years, but generally easy to do.  Can be mounted on hinges or direct to the wall.

PVC:

Pricey, so shop around.  This stuff will last almost forever and moisture have no effect on it.  Heat does play a role and it’s prone to cupping, bending and warping, so make sure your provider adds some form of additional strengthening.  Seems that the industry standard is to add metal bracing on the back to prevent some of the issues.  Difficult to paint and typically comes in standard colors.  Make sure from you provider what steps you’ll have to take when it comes to repainting.  Can be mounted flush or on hinges.

Dupbel Millworks Inc. manufactures exteriors shutters using only weather resistant materials.  Our core business is shutters made from a composite wood material that is rot, insect and weather resistant.  This is especially important in Georgia’s hot, humid conditions.  Although we carry a series of shutters styles, we are fully equipped to help you design the specific look you desire, and every shutter is custom made based on your house, windows and design.

Exterior Shutters can really make or break the exterior of your home and plays a vital role in the overall curb appeal.  One of the items to consider is the STYLE of shutter that will look good on your home and give that final touch to complete the picture.

Dupbel Millworks Inc. is set up to create unique custom styles while offering a variety of standard styles to choose from.  Let’s discuss some of the standard styles most commonly used.

Board and Batten Shutters

A shutter typically composed of three to five vertical boards that are connected using two or three horizontal battens.  These shutters inspire a country or cottage look and have grown in popularity in the last few years.  The latest trend is to have multiple narrow boards to create a cleaner, more sophisticated look.  This style lends itself to adding additional interest by adding diagonal pieces or even strap hinges.

Paneled Shutters

This traditional style consists of panels within a frame.   This shutter style’s popularity during the last number of decades has firmly entrenched it as the “traditional look.”  Especially with the panels you can select a number of styles based on your preference.  We can start off with a Flat panel, giving a very smooth and minimalistic look.  Or you can do the very traditional Raised panel, providing a more three-dimensional appearance.  Our Shaker Raised panels gives you even more depth while keeping it very classic and stylish.  The Mission style panel is another option, where it is incorporating design elements from the Board and Batten style, but with a much more sophisticated look.

The size and placement of the panels will typically follow the window design, but lately we’ve seen a lot of deviation from the traditional to jazz it up a little bit.  We can incorporate a small panel in the center, make them single panels, or even 3 equal panels, all depending on the look the home owner wants to create.

Louvered Shutters.

Louvered styled shutters are the original “classic standard,” found on period buildings such as Antebellum, Colonial, Williamsburg, Georgian and Federal styled houses.  Louvered shutters create an additional architectural element to enhance the house’s façade.  Louvered shutters can also be the right choice for Contemporary styled buildings wishing to create a more traditional appearance.  For a slightly more modern look you can make the slats wider to give a cleaner, less busy appearance.

Dupbel Millworks Inc. manufactures exteriors shutters using only weather resistant materials.  This is especially important in Georgia’s hot, humid conditions.  We have a series of standard shutters styles, while fully equipped to help you design a custom style specifically for your house.

We are a full service company, and can help you from the design phase to installation.

Our business is located in Alpharetta, GA and we are proud to serve the residential and commercial market of North Georgia.  We are small enough to provide you with personal attention, yet strong enough to handle complex designs

Board and Batten style shutters are actually one of the oldest styles of shutters.  Originally shutters were much more functional and provided privacy and security to window openings.  Even prior to glass windows you would see a single board or a Board and Batten shutter that can cover the window opening.

These days Board and Batten style shutters are again in favor, especially where the home owner wants to create a rustic or a relaxed appearance.

A Board and Batten shutter consist of 2 main components.  The vertical slats are called Boards and traditionally will be tight against each other (remember the security and privacy thing…).  The horizontal pieces are called Battens and traditionally would be used to hold the boards in place.  With today’s designs and building methods the homeowner can typically choose how many Boards, how wide the Boards should be, the number of Battens and the placement of the Battens.

Wider boards tend to create a more rustic look.  Typical arrangement will be 3 Boards and 2 Battens, with or without a diagonal piece.  If the windows are very tall or you want to add additional visual interest, you could add a third Batten in the center.

Another option would be to have more Boards but with a narrower configuration.  Examples would be 4 Boards and 2 Battens for a more sophisticated look with lots of visual interest without being too busy.  We see this configuration a lot these days on more formal type houses where the homeowner wants to create a cheerful, relaxed look with Board and Batten shutters.  A third batten in the center adds to the look, but care should be taken that it does not become too busy.  Remember your shutters should enhance the look of your house, never overpowering it.

It is easy to add additional features like decorative straps to Board and Batten shutters.  Again, make sure the design doesn’t become too busy, but contrasting metal hardware can definitely add to the look.  Especially if they are the same design/style that is found somewhere else on the house (like on the garage doors).

Board and Batten styled shutters are usually found on Cape Cod, Salt Box, Mission or French Country styled homes having a rock, stucco or siding façade. Board and Batten also work effectively in dressing down a traditional brick home, giving the building a more relaxed look. When attempting to tie together a houses façade with a mix of different construction materials such as rock and stucco, or siding and stucco, Board and Batten styled shutters make an excellent choice.

Dupbel Millworks Inc. manufactures exteriors shutters using only weather resistant materials. Our core business is shutters made from a composite wood material that is rot, insect and weather resistant. This is especially important in Georgia’s hot, humid conditions. Although we carry a series of shutters styles, we are fully equipped to help you design the specific look you desire, and every shutter is custom made based on your house, windows and design.

We use your house as our showroom, knowing very well how difficult it can be to see what a specific style of shutter will do the look of your home. We come to your house with samples and will help you to choose the perfect style of shutter for your house.

Our business is located in Alpharetta, GA and we are proud to serve the residential and commercial market of North Georgia. We are small enough to provide you with personal attention, yet strong enough to handle complex designs.