When it comes to functional shutters that open and close wood has always been the standard. Wood is inexpensive and frankly there just aren't that many alternatives. But there is a drawback to wood. As beautiful as these shutters may be they probably won't live past the age of 5. That's the average lifespan for a pair of exterior shutters made from wood and it is usually just a matter of time before they warp, split, rot, and then fall off the house. The latter is what makes you look like the laughing stock of the neighborhood and has the HOA breathing down your neck. But, there's good news. If you have a good eye for signs of rot, you can do a lot of preventative maintenance that will allow your shutters to last for up to 15 years. There's just a few tricks you'll need to know.
The first thing you need to know is why they're rotting. The answer is the sun. The sun is the driving force behind all of your rotting problems. Almost all materials contract and expand in the sun. Changes in temperature can cause your shutters to shift and warp. ((Now the chances are if you have a type of shutter with a raised panel, the panel in the middle is usually not glued to the surrounding rails and stiles. It usually is free floating while being held in and there is usually a small amount of breathing room to allow it to contract and expand. )) The problem is that contraction and expansion of different parts of the shutter can often lead to exposing small cracks and parts of the raw shutter that weren't originally painted. If this happens you can bet that water will get in the shutter and the rot process will quickly begin. There's two things you can do to minimize this. Number one, paint your shutters a light or neutral shade. Darker colors, especially black, absorb more heat from the sun and often expand and contract significantly more. Consider using vinyl safe paint, made by Sherwin Williams, which also helps block this absorption. Number two, repaint your shutters every few years, especially in the summer, not the winter, when they have expanded the most. A good rule of thumb is to inspect your shutters during the summer on a hot day and to spot paint any exposed parts. Small attention to details can prolong the life of your shutters 3-fold and save you a fortune in the long-run.
Well, let's say you're past preventative maintenance and your shutters are already showing signs of rot. Don't be surprised if you have to get hands on and actually reinforce parts are all of the shutter. If rails and styles begin splitting apart, you immediately want to tap them back in with a block and hammer and even add an extra screw if needed. If rot has set in, you'll have to scrape it all out or it will spread like wildfire and there will be no saving them. Use Bond-O (R) to fill the voids were you've removed rot. It's a super quick and cost-effective solution that can save your shutters (and yes that's the same stuff they use to repair cars after they wreck!). The Bond-O is strong and can sand easily smooth to match the patch of the shutter you're replacing. Once you retouch the shutter with paint it will look brand new and it can double the shutters lifespan. No one will ever know there was even a rot problem. A big mistake people usually make is to have a painter fix the problem. Painters will often caulk the panels where they meet the rails and styles. Often times painters will do this without understanding that the panels need to be able to contract and expand. This only causes the shutters to warp more and can cause splitting which will also lead to rot or worse.
If DIY is just not your thing, you could also consider replacing those shutters with some maintenance free ones. Vinyl is a great cost-effective choice if you're looking to save money. PVC exterior shutters are also 100% rot proof and maintenance free, but unlike vinyl, they can be installed as functional shutters that open and close and look just like wood without all the hassles. No matter what you decide, just remember that a little bit of preventative maintenance can go a long way.