Choosing the Best Shutters Materials for Australian Conditions

With Australia’s diverse climates ranging from tropical to arid, material selection plays a key role in shutters’ durability and longevity. The right materials resist harsh conditions in every region without sagging, deteriorating, or requiring high maintenance. This guide examines popular shutter materials from wood to vinyl to find solutions excelling across Australia’s temperature extremes, coastal humidity, intense sun, seasonal storms, and desert environments.

Wood Shutters Materials

Wood offers unmatched aesthetics and versatility across interior shutter applications Australia-wide. Factors influencing wood selection include:

Interior vs. Exterior Use

Interior wood shutters mainly require good paint adhesion and stain acceptance without regard to weather resistance. Exterior woods need natural rot, water, and insect resistance.

Hardness and Stability

Harder woods resist scratches and dents but can become brittle and prone to cracking in shifting environments. Medium density woods offer a balance. Quarter-sawn cuts maximize stability.

Grain Patterns

Woods with varied wild grains show off beautifully under translucent stains. Those with tighter straight grains take paint more evenly without streaks.

Workability and Finishing

Workable woods like pine machine cleanly with less tool wear for fabrication ease. Non-resinous woods like poplar accept paint better. Some limit staining options.

Considering these factors leads to woods ideal for applications across Australian conditions.

Best Aussie Interior Wood Shutters

Top woods for painted interior plantation shutters in Australia’s dry heat include:

Poplar

Affordable imported wood that paints cleanly without resin bleeding. Easy to work. Prone to denting.

Ash

Australian native poplar substitute with similar straight grain. Stains moderately well too. Costs a bit more.

Victorian Ash

Local Victorian grown mountain ash. Machines well and accepts paint beautifully. Period Victorian homes love its provenance.

Beech

Another economical import wood that machines smoothly and paints well. Favored for its subtle cathedral grain variations.

For stained interior shutters, good local choices include:

Blackwood

Tasmanian-grown Australian walnut. Stains to dramatic colors and figures well. Durable and stable.

Myrtle

Victorian mountain-grown hardwood that stains effectively from pale to dark tones. Grain interest.

Red Cedar

Classic readily-available cedar grown across much of Australia. Light pinkish red when stained. Rot resistant.

Selecting readily available woods adapted for interiors ensures durable stable performance in homes nationwide.

Best Australian Exterior Wood Shutters

Holding up to hot, humid, and rainy Pacific coastal conditions demands careful species selection:

Red Cedar

Rot and water resistant softwood. Stains well for a rich translucent finish. Maintains its integrity and easy workability in humidity. The classic exterior wood shutter.

Silvertop Ash

Australian native increasingly used for durable exterior millwork. Density prevents cupping. Consistent quality appearance.

Spotted Gum

Aussie-grown exterior hardwood able to withstand weather extremes. Interlocked grain and high natural oil content enhance water resistance. Stains well and is insect resistant.

Teak

Imported tropical hardwood with legendary rot and insect resistance. Rich warmth and patina when left unstained. Costly but time-tested exterior performance.

Properly sealed, these woods resist swelling, checking, and pests to remain stable and enduring along Australia’s southern coastlines.

Considerations for Australian Desert Climates

Low humidity but extreme temperature shifts require focus on woods with minimal expansion and contraction:

Northern Box

Common native Aussie hardwood. Very stable in hot, arid environments. Sustainable regrowth forests available. Machines easily for fabrication.

River Red Gum

Another prevalent Aussie timber with proven desert durability. Distinctive red tones. Responds well to UV-inhibiting sealants.

Mountain Ash

Victorian hardwood able to cope with seasonal shifts between dry heat and mountain winters. Consistently wide boards available.

American Ash

Imported ash has similar stable properties to Australian native woods. Combines workability with affordability.

Stability trumps other factors given the wide seasonal humidity fluctuations in Australia’s desert climates. Careful finish maintenance is still crucial.

Interior Composite Shutters

Where wood is impractical, composites combining synthetic resins with organic fibers create durable interior options in Australia’s variable conditions:

Plygem Shutters

Uses recycled wood fibers and rigid polymer resins. Will not warp or crack. Provides paintable surfaces.

Endure Shutters

Employs bamboo fibers for sustainability and minerals for rigidity. Resists insect damage. Paints to any color.

Timbermate Shutters

Features Stratapine® resin and wood flour composite. Provides realistic wood look and feel at lower cost.

Everview Shutters

Combination of PVC vinyl polymers capped with a scratch-resistant acrylic layer. Budget composite pick.

Well-formulated composites bring resilience across Queensland’s coastal humidity, Victoria’s seasonal shifts, and New South Wales’s temperature extremes.

Exterior Composite Shutters

Advanced composites retain dimensional stability outside:

Fortress Shutters

Uses thick extruded PVC with embedded fiberglass rods for strength. Includes aluminium frame reinforcement. Resists bowing.

Seastone Shutters

Employs capped PVC exterior-grade planks with aluminum reinforcement. Mimics wood while deterring rot and bugs.

Timbermate Shutters

Their proprietary wood-resin composite provides rich stained wood looks outside. Handling humidity fluctuation and preventing decay.

Plygem Shutters

Recycled wood fiber composite proven suitable for soffit and exterior millwork applications. Takes paints and limited stains.

When properly sealed, composites endure Australia’s long coastal wet seasons and searing summers while maintaining their integrity and shape. Provide dimensional stability wood often lacks.

Interior Vinyl Shutters

Indoors, flexible durable vinyl plantation shutters suit humid tropical zones:

Klearview Vinyl Shutters

Foamed vinyl will not crack, peel, or warp. Offered in widths up to 18 inches for fewer seams. Clean easily.

Jeld-Wen Vinyl Shutters

PVC vinyl material resists moisture and will not attract insects. Will not expand and rub against window frames.

Verosol Vinyl Shutters

Solid polyvinyl chloride construction and UV resistance prevents material breakdown. Thicker stiles add rigidity.

Vinyl’s inherent waterproofness and mold/mildew resistance helps indoor shutters thrive through Northern Territory’s oppressive wet season and maintain crisp clean lines.

Exterior Vinyl Shutters

On protected exterior areas, these vinyls hold up:

Klearview Vinyl Bahama Shutters

Foamed rigid UV-resistant vinyl. Won’t warp from sun and humidity. Holds color in coastal conditions.

Premium PVC Exterior Shutters

Special marine grade PVC vinyl compounds resist salt air degradation and damage from oceanfront conditions.

Cyclone Exterior Vinyl

Co-extruded vinyl with protective acrylic cap layer. Built to withstand intense tropical cyclones and monsoons. Impact resistant.

While limited in size, vinyl’s inherent toughness works on sheltered northern Australian facades directly facing humidity, sun, wind, and rains.

Aluminum Shutters

Aluminum endures Australia’s coastal and flood zone environments:

Aussie-Made Aluminum Shutters

Locally fabricated aluminum shutters for Australian conditions. Choose durable powder coating color options.

Ampelite Aluminum Shutters

Heavy duty extruded aluminum approved for Northern Territory’s Category 4 cyclone conditions.

Stormsafe Aluminum Shutters

Built for resilience with reinforced extruded frames and marine grade powder coatings to resist corrosion.

Lightweight aluminum performs well along Australia’s storm-prone eastern seaboard and areas prone to prolonged flooding and wet conditions. Minimal maintenance required.

Matching material performance characteristics to Australia’s unique regional climates maximizes shutters’ durability. Contact us anytime to discuss the right materials for your specific conditions and shutter project requirements.