Why You Should Get Solid Shutter Louvers In Washington DC

October 04, 2019

When you begin looking at window treatments in Washington DC, you might discover that there are plenty of interesting budget plantation shutter choices. While they may look nice at first, a closer inspection can reveal that they save money by settling on cheap materials like plastic or vinyl. You can also find shutters with hollow louvers, which gives you a lightweight and less expensive shutter. Superficially, these look like a good idea, and you may wonder what’s the problem between hollow and solid louvers?

But the truth of the matter is that you should prioritize plantation shutters with solid shutter louvers if you need your window treatments to preserve their shape, color, and energy-efficient properties over a lifetime. Hollow louvers just can’t hold up to the quality of our solid-louvered Polywood® Shutters, and here’s why:

Solid Shutter Louvers Will Uphold Their Shape

Plantation shutters by flowers in Washington DC

Whether it’s summer or winter in Washington DC, your rooms absorb heat and cold, and so do your plantation shutters. Hollow louvers are usually made of flimsy material. So when your treatments swell and shrink because of the natural course of the day, it's hard for the shutters to keep their shape. The result is a louver that is warped or split, and a plantation shutter that can’t close properly.

Solid shutter louvers, especially those derived from a quality faux-wood composite, will preserve their shape over the lifetime of the shutter. Because of the durable structure, your shutters will always snap shut every time, and you won’t even need to think about light or heat slipping through due to sagging louvers. The warranty of our Polywood shutters even guarantees that your louvers will never bend or warp for the lifetime of the product. It’s doubtful you’ll find a assurance like that with a shutter that is constructed with hollow louvers.

Solid Shutter Louvers Keeps Air In

Interior Shutters in Washington DC Living Room

Hollow louvers may have some energy-efficient perks, but they don’t come close to solid louver shutters. Part of it is that hollow louvers are most likely built with plastic or vinyl -- materials that just aren’t that energy efficient. These louvers are absorbent and pliable than a faux-wood construct and may catch heat within the hollow center. This causes a hollow louver to warp or crack.

Then as your shutter louvers distort over time and won’t snap shut, they cease to be energy efficient. Heat loss won’t be blocked entirely, and the air will start to flow through easily, making your room warmer or cooler. Now, all you have are unattractive, misshapen interior shutters that can’t stop light or air.

Solid shutter louvers are more densely packed and are generally effective at blocking heat loss/gain through the window. Quality faux wood shutters go one step further, as their material is made from a impermeable material that shouldn’t expand or contract. Now you have a interior shutter that completely shuts every time, giving you an easy way to manage the temperature around your windows.

shutters in Washington DC with weatherstripping

Our Polywood shutters have been held as the peak of energy-efficient window treatments in Washington DC, as they contain an extra layer of weather stripping. With the stripping, each solid louver will “lock” into place and completely secure the window from air flow. It’s been shown that with our faux wood composite plus the weather-stripping, Polywood shutters are 70% more energy-efficient than wood shutters and up to 1600% more effective at blocking air flow than aluminum blinds.

Reach Out To Sunburst For Polywood Shutters With Solid Louvers

In order to get energy-efficient shutters that don’t warp, bow or snap, just contact Sunburst Shutters DC. We’ll show you our line of Polywood shutters, and how they can improve your windows for years to come. Just contact 240-339-2588 to schedule your in-home consultation.

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