Handcrafted in the USA. Designed for Your Home.
Dwell products are handcrafted by shutter professionals using select materials and unmatched standards with over 60 years of manufacturing experience behind every piece.
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Wood vs. Composite: A Homeowner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Shutter Material
Choosing the right shutter material is one of the most important decisions you will make for your home. The wrong call becomes obvious within just a few seasons. We work through this choice with homeowners every week, and here is what we tell them in person and on the phone.
Climate Matters
The Southeast is hard on exterior materials. Humidity, heat, and seasonal rain wear materials down faster than most homeowners expect. Western Red Cedar has natural oils and tannins that help prevent rot and decay. Western Red Cedar holds its shape very well with minimum expansion and contraction during temperature changes.
Composite is better suited to different conditions. Engineered to be rot-free from the start, it does not react to moisture the way wood does. For coastal properties where salt air is a constant concern, composite is often the smarter long-term choice.
Aesthetic Preferences
The natural look of grain is something no engineered product can duplicate, and the natural variation in Western Red Cedar gives each shutter its own character. It is the choice for homeowners looking for warmth and organic authenticity in their exterior design. On the flip side, composite presents a clean, uniform finish. It holds paint well and retains it longer with less upkeep. It is the perfect choice if consistency and minimal maintenance are the priority.
Budget Considerations
Western Red Cedar and composite are custom-built to the same exacting standards and installed with the same level of care. Their differences appear in their performance characteristics and aesthetics, with Western Red Cedar as the premium exterior option and composite as the more economical option.
Long-Term Maintenance
Wood benefits from periodic refinishing, while composite does not have to be repainted as regularly. The real question is not which material is universally better—but which one fits your home’s exposure, your design goals, and your maintenance preferences.
Western Red Cedar
For exterior shutters, Western Red Cedar is one of our favorite wood choices because of how well it performs in Southern climates.
- Naturally resistant to moisture, rot, and decay
- Excellent dimensional stability in heat and humidity
- Beautiful natural grain that takes paint, stain, or clear finish
- Built for long-term outdoor performance, especially in the South
A Living Room Transformed with Interior Shutters
Dated blinds and drapes do a room no favors, and no blinds or drapes at all feel like something is missing. Interior shutters bring light control, privacy, and a clean design quality that changes how a space feels entirely.
In this project, Dwell’s consultation process identified the right style, louver size, and finish for the space before a single piece was built. The result is a room that looks considered and finished, rather than patched together.
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Your Summer Timeline Starts Now
Custom window treatments take time to build right, and the summer season fills faster than most homeowners expect. Projects in process now are on track for installation before the heat of the season peaks. If you are aiming for a summer installation, we highly recommend you start with a consultation today.
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Ready to Transform Your Home?
Our team will help you choose materials that cooperate with your climate, have the right style to match your home’s architecture, and employ the perfect finishes to complement your interior and exterior design.
