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Our Material TypesTo produce a product that will maintain its beauty over the life of ownership, Addison-Morgan follows the rules of woodworking determined over generations of craftsmen. True woodworkers know how to design and produce a product to last in any environment. Below are a few frequently asked questions regarding materials used in shutter manufacturing.Why use wood rather than plastic? What are solid hardwoods? What is the difference between Hardwood and Softwood? Will my paint yellow? Question: Why use wood rather than plastic? Answer: Both materials can be successfully used in the manufacture of shutters, the decision as to which material used is based on the environment the shutter will be in. The environmental factors that impact this decision are: water and heat.  Water: Wood is formed with water; a tree transports solids within itself by the movement of water. As a result, wood can be reformed with moisture; either deliberately, as in the process of steam bending wood or the production of paper, or inadvertently by subjecting wood to standing water on your window sill or subjecting it to long periods of high humidity. Heat: Plastic is formed/shaped by heat. The blown PVC used in most plastic shutter components is formed at 160 degrees. Likewise, as temperatures in a window approach 160 degrees, plastic can begin to lose its rigidity. So the choice between wood and plastic is dependent upon your environment. Wood can change shape under changes of moisture and plastic can change shape under instances of heat. All windows covered with shutters undergo great extremes in heat, from 40 degrees by night to 150 degrees by day, but not all homes have such wild swings in moisture (measure in relative humidity). Most home’s relative humidity hovers in the 30% range, and wood will maintain a 7.2% moisture content in a 72 degree home. We use wood as our material of choice because it provides the best results for the largest group of homes (i.e. air conditioned) in the United States. Question: What are solid hardwoods? Answer: This is a difficult question to answer since the term “solid hardwoods” is used so loosely. Solid hardwoods can mean either finger  jointed
lumber made of all hardwoods or it can mean solid components made from a
single virgin board. We define “solid hardwoods” as wood components
made from single virgin pieces of lumber (no finger joints). The reason
we use virgin lumber is to reduce instances of cracking and separation.
Woodworkers know that wherever wood-meets-wood, you have a risk of separation
and cracking. Experienced woodworkers use techniques of joining lumber together
called light gaps and shadow lines. Wherever Addison-Morgan attaches
one piece of wood to another, we use one of those two approaches. In that
way, if any separation occurs, it is integrated into the design of the shutter.
This is why we don’t use a lesser-cost material such as fingerjointed
lumber. Question: What is the difference between Hardwood and Softwood? Answer: for the purposes of woodworking, the difference is in sap bleed. With softwoods, sap is liquid at room temperature, with hardwoods; sap does not liquefy until it reaches temperatures of 180 degrees. By using nothing but hardwoods in our process, we have never had an instance of sap bleed in our 15-year history. Question: Will my paint yellow? Answer: Not likely and never with our shutters. The paint industry has greatly improved the stability of colors over the past decade. Through the use of UV inhibitors all paints, with the exception of oil based and Alkide paints, you should rest assured that your color will remain stable over the lifetime of ownership. |
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