Odorless Shutters: Materials that Maintain Indoor Purity

Unlike most home materials that can “off-gas” unpleasant odors, today’s odorless shutter options keep indoor air fresh. They incorporate low-VOC materials and manufacturing innovations that prevent shutter smells from permeating living spaces.

PVC/Vinyl Shutters

PVC and vinyl shutters are inherently odorless synthetics. With no natural scents, they won’t absorb or emit smells that disrupt indoor purity. Easy to clean vinyl resists odors from cooking, pets or chemicals.

Composite Wood Shutters

Combining wood fibers, polymers and resins creates odorless engineered wood shutters. Brands like Excel Shutters use ultra-low-VOC adhesives to minimize outgassing of harsh scents during curing.

Inorganic Core Shutters

Some luxury composite shutters feature an inorganic mineral core sandwiched between wood veneers. The impervious core prevents odor absorption into the shutter. Shuttercraft’s Aeron line exemplifies this odor-blocking construction.

Bamboo Shutters

Natural bamboo emits no VOC off-gassing odors. Bamboo’s rapid growth cycle absorbs more CO2 than trees, improving indoor air as it matures. Bamboo Haley Shutters are sustainably crafted into louvers or panels.

Primed Wood Shutters

Unprimed wood shutters require priming and topcoats after installation. Pre-primed wood shutters cure fully at the factory before delivery, eliminating in-home VOC odors. California Shutters pre-primes models like Gallery Hardwood Shutters.

Low-VOC Sealants and Paints

Standard paints and caulks contain VOCs that stink. Specify no- or low-VOC paints, stains and silicone caulks when finishing shutters to maintain indoor air purity without harsh smells.

Shutters Wrapped Until Installation

Some shutter brands factory wrap shutters in protective plastic to prevent off-gassing before installation. Wrapping preserves material odors until unwrapped onsite for immediate installation and ventilation.

Natural Curing Composites

ZebraWood composite shutters cure sealed in warehouses for over 90 days to complete the low-VOC process naturally before exposing indoors. This prevents unpleasant curing odors.

Edge Banding and Capping

Composite wood shutters with edge banding and vinyl caps prevent exposed wood edges from absorbing odors and off-gassing VOCs into the air over time. The caps seal the shutter cores.

Formaldehyde-Free Bonding

Standard composite wood adhesives contain formaldehyde, which emits a strong odor. Advancements like soy-based PureBond formaldehyde-free adhesives used by Columbia Shutters prevent this.

Inorganic Mineral Cores

Some luxury brands tout odorless shutters constructed around solid inorganic mineral slabs rather than wood. The waterproof core prevents any odor absorption. These run $800+ per shutter.

Odor-Blocking Primers and Paints

Specialty odor-blocking primers like KILZ Restoration block VOCs from off-gassing from old painted surfaces when repainting shutters. Topcoat with zero-VOC paints.

When indoor air purity is a priority, odorless shutter materials preserve healthy ventilation without disruptive off-gassing odors. Discuss options with retailers to match shutter construction to your odor sensitivity.