Choosing Between Wood or Faux Wood?
Once most customers decide not to go with soft window treatments, their next step is to determine the type of shutter or blind they want. Hunter Douglas makes a variety, and you can purchase products made of aluminum, PVC, or genuine or faux wood. Typically, if you like the wood look, you might be curious about the differences between genuine and faux wood. At The Shutter Guy serving the Charleston area, we want to be sure you get the product you want, so we’re more than happy to discuss the benefits and drawbacks to both styles. Read on to learn more!
How the Two Are Similar
Genuine and faux wood products are built similarly, using string “ladders” to suspend the slats. For both materials, you can choose from various slat sizes, and both genuine and faux wood will work well with a variety of décor styles—they can blend with traditional, contemporary, and retro looks.
About Genuine Wood
If you look at products such as Hunter Douglas Heritance® Hardwood Shutters and Parkland® Wood Blinds, you’ll find great genuine wood offerings, where you’ll see unique characteristics that will give you a one-of-a-kind look. With the Heritance Handcrafted Series, several different finishing techniques help highlight the unique aspects of the wood, such as wormholes, dents, and knots. Plus, you can choose from a variety of colors and stains to match your overall look. Other benefits include lighter weight (50% lighter than comparable faux wood blinds), ability to fit larger areas, and decorative tapes. However, genuine wood also comes with some drawbacks. For example, genuine wood can warp in areas of high moisture, and children and pets can tax its sturdiness. Also, it’s about 30 percent more expensive than its faux cousin.
About Faux Wood
If you look at such Hunter Douglas products as EverWood® Alternative Wood Blinds, Palm Beach™ Polysatin™ Shutters, and NewStyle® Hybrid Shutters, you’ll find great faux wood offerings that are both durable and affordable. Faux wood tends to resist high moisture and UV rays—they won’t crack, chip, peel, warp, or bow. You can select from numerous colors and stains to coordinate with your décor, and many can fit in specialty shaped windows. These beauties will look just as good as the real thing, but they cost less; plus, they’re easy to clean—simply wipe with a damp cloth. However, faux wood might not be the right choice for you. It’s heavier than genuine wood, and not all faux wood products can be sized for larger window openings. Be sure to speak with a trained consultant to see if faux wood is right for your needs.
Find Genuine and Faux Wood Treatments in the Charleston, SC area
The window treatment professionals at the Shutter Guy are trained to assist you in the selection of the right treatment for YOUR windows! Our knowledgeable and experienced staff knows how to ask the right questions to ensure your new window treatments exceed your expectations.
We service Charleston, SC and surrounding areas including, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach, Mt Pleasant, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Awendah, Goose Creek, and the “Low Country.”
Contact us to schedule a consultation, and be sure to check out our Calling Out Cancer program to see how a percentage of your purchase with us goes toward cancer support and research.