It is well known that Plantation shutters are an investment in your home. The proven benefits of shutters are, adding value to a property, reducing energy costs, reducing allergy impacts, updating the look and feel of a home and improving its street appeal.
Plantation shutters aren’t all the same. It can be confusing with so much choice in knowing what material to present or choose. Traditionally shutters are made using timbers such as Poplar, Basswood, Paulownia, Cedar, White Teak, Aous, and alternatives such as Aluminium, MDF and PVC.
In order to get the best result consideration needs to be given to what material is going to be fit for purpose and suit the area they are being fitted. This includes avoiding water-compromised materials in areas that are likely to get wet.
One of the biggest challenges with shutters is when windows are left open and moisture enters, soaking the shutter material and compromising the substrate and therefore the paint adherence to the base material. This can lead to paint cracking and material failure. It can also happen with windows where condensation runs down the glass inside, pools on the sill and gets drawn up into porous materials.
What is the solution? Apart from using a full synthetic material, there is another great value option. One that provides lighter weight shutters than PVC, is more cost-effective than cedar and provides better insulation than PVC and aluminium.
Luxsol has developed an exclusive combination Poly100 frame and high moisture resistant timber louvre.
Introducing Luxsol’s Combination Material Shutter – Nexus50
Many combination shutter products use timber framing, which gives a wider selection of frames but does not address the biggest problem when timber is used for window furnishings, that being water. There is also the panel width limitation to consider.
Nexus50 is Luxsol’s solution where a wider panel is required and where you have a problem window, e.g. you know a window will be left open and there is the likelihood of moisture getting in or there is a condensation problem. Materials that are moisture inappropriate are best avoided in these situations.
Nexus50 has the benefit of reducing the weight of the product and minimising the risk of moisture ingress, with the use of their Poly100 synthetic material framing. For peace of mind and for the customer’s benefit Poly100 has been REACH tested and is shown to meet and exceed Australian standards for VOC emissions.
Many PVC products are over-specified to try and replace timber due to its lower price point. This compromises the performance of the shutter due to the weight of PVC with panels dropping when opened.
Nexus50 uses Paulownia timber for the louvres, which is a lightweight hardwood timber, with a very high strength-to-weight ratio. Paulownia is an exceptionally stable material and ideal for Nexus50, with the timber being water-resistant (not waterproof). The timber has light grain characteristics and withstands warping.
Paulownia is an ideal timber for plantation shutters. It is also one of the best insulating timbers for thermal and acoustic efficiency due to its less dense nature compared to PVC and other more dense hardwoods. Paulownia timber is ideal for window furnishing.
The advantage of using timber:
Nexus50 reduces synthetic material used in shutters. Timber is renewable, recyclable, waste efficient and bio degradable. Timber provides benefits like: carbon being stored in the timber; better thermal and acoustic insulation than other materials; renewable; non-toxic; biodegradable; easy to clean and a natural material. Timber being a renewable resource is sustainable and energy efficient in it’s production.
All plantation shutters help insulate homes by slowing the heat transfer from the sun in summer to inside a home and from heating in winter leaking the stored energy to outside. This is done by creating an air pocket much like double glazing.
Despite many conflicting claims, timber is the most effective insulating shutter material. In terms of the most effective to least effective in insulation, choose timber over all other materials and PVC over aluminium internally.
All materials have their benefits and negatives. There isn’t a one size fits all perfect plantation shutter material that is appropriate for all windows.
Nexus50 is a great alternative to PVC and better value for money that timber. You get the best of all worlds, moisture resistance, less weight than PVC and better value for money than timber.
Now retailers have a great option with Nexus50 that allows them to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Importantly there is a story to tell about the benefit of including timber in the shutter solution they are providing, with waterproof framing.
Luxsol have a Good – Better – Best product range to make things simple.
As the saying goes “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten”. Luxsol provides the best value for money investment in shutters.
If you would like to know which type of shutter is the right one for your customers, check out Luxsol’s range here or contact us here.
