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