Shutters and blinds in timber, PVC, metal

And timber look is PVC, polystyrene, polymer? Who knows what the difference is, but you can be sure there are differences and they relate to stability and longevity of the blades under extremes of UV exposure, heat and humidity.

There were failures in the early days of the timber look product in the Queensland environment. I believe the mainstream window furnishings industry has settled with proven product now, and innovation in fashion will lead the way.

The majority of timber look Venetians are sold in white and neutral colours, but the simulation of timber stained finishes has improved immensely. Where does that leave actual timber blinds? The cheap ones in ready painted and stained finishes in basswood and ramin etc are inexpensive but with coated finishes they will not handle severe sun conditions as well as the synthetic equivalents.

As far as the long established cedar Venetians go, the same applies. The painted or stained finish is the weak link, not the timber which is as stable and long lasting as it is beautiful in grain and texture. For cedar blinds, and this applies for shutters as well, do not expose them to severe sun conditions, or else go for an oiled finish which has to be regularly reapplied.

Hinged shutters for small to medium windows are an excellent decorating choice. Bifold shutters can work in some situations, although a neater effect can often be achieved by multiple hinged. Too many people stress about how they are going to open the shutters imagining they are like a blind of some kind when in reality if shutters are appropriate for a situation, all that gets opened is the actual blades, and very occasionally the shutters themselves for cleaning the windows.

Shutters over sliding doors or large openings need to be carefully thought out and designed, and for a lot of situations are not suitable. The ‘structure’ of sliding shutters is formidable and imposing in that they project so far from the wall to allow open shutters to slide past each other. There can be large light gaps at the sides. The best situation is butting to a wall on at least one side, and to a bulkhead or ceiling above.

Chinese product dominates the Australian shutter market, although it comes from a variety of factories. Quality depends on how rigorous are the controls the Australian distributor puts in place. It all depends on the Australian distributor. Our supplier enlists all their retailers in quality monitoring, and they have a well developed system of quality bonuses and penalties to keep their factories’ attention.