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Exterior window shutters are an asset to your home. Not only do they protect your windows during storms and inclement weather, they also look beautiful if chosen right. These shutters are available in various materials; from the traditional wood, to the economic vinyl, and ultra-modern fiberglass.

When it comes to wooden and vinyl shutters, there are supporters and detractors of both, but wooden shutters actually win hands down. Here are six big reasons why:

1. Curb appeal: Once you do up your windows with wooden shutters, there is a dramatic improvement in the appearance of your house. It immediately looks warmer, more classy, and welcoming. Vinyl shutters cannot match that look, even with the faux wood version, because you realize up close that it is not the real thing. A great cedar wood shutter would always stand out. It would also add a significant number of dollars to the price should you decide on a home sale. Granted, wooden shutters don't come cheap. But they are a safe investment, no doubt about that.

2. Customizable: The biggest advantage of wooden shutters is that they are customizable. Odd-sized windows are not a problem, and you can actually match the color and appearance of the wooden shutters to your furniture, a feat impossible to achieve with vinyl shutters. In addition, if you plan to match the design of your window shutters to the architecture of your home, wooden window shutters would do it much better than vinyl.

3. Energy-savings: Wooden shutters are also better than vinyl because they help trap the heat inside in winter and keep out the heat in summer. This saves on your heating and air-conditioning bills. Vinyl shutters would do no such thing. Imagine closing incensed cedar shutters to the summer outside and enjoying a cool drink in the movie-theater atmosphere in your home. You can't do that with vinyl shutters.

4. Better security: Wooden shutters provide better security than vinyl, because they are sturdier. They are good against rain and storm, and also against any human incursion. Vinyl shutters are delicate in comparison, and cannot stand up very well to a security threat, be it the weather or robbers.

5. Maintenance: Detractors of wooden shutters point to the amount of maintenance required for wooden shutters, as against vinyl shutters which do not need much upkeep once they are fixed. But a good quality wood like Incense cedar is not prone to warping when used in window shutters. It is bug and moisture resistant because of the tannin oil it contains. The sealing properties of the natural oils help protect it from decay and rot. With good priming and preparation, painted Incense cedar window shutters keep their color very well, making them durable and comparatively low-maintenance.

6 .Natural and harmless: In some vinyl shutters, especially those manufactured outside the US, quantities of lead harmful to human health have been found. They are especially not good for children. With wooden shutters you can rest assured that only the most natural and harmless products are being used on your windows.

Vinyl shutters are best suited to interiors like bathrooms and solariums. They could be great around the swimming pool. But as exterior window shutters they fail to give the service given by wooden shutters, both in terms of looks and protection. For the best investment in exterior window shutters, good quality wooden shutters are still the only answer.

Learn more about this author, Damyanti Ghosh.
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