• MDF Shutter that is white in colour with a blackout blind.

MDF Shutters Or Hardwood Shutters?

Let’s take a look and see what’s best for you and your Essex home.

There has been a lot of noise in the shutter industry over the past few years, with the increasing popularity of a budget hardwood shutter coming into the market.

For years, MDF shutters have dominated the shutter world, and still are, one of the most popular choices of shutter material available today.  Whereas hardwood shutters were seen as more of a luxury item. These window shutters were, and still are manufactured from basswood, as basswood shutters are seen as a high-end product.

Then a few years back, a more affordable, cheaper shutter came to market: Enter: Paulownia. Paulownia shutters are still classed as a hardwood, but in relation to its basswood counterpart, it’s softer and more brittle. It is though, lighter. (We’ll come back to this)

And then people in the UK started to offer “Hardwood shutters at MDF prices” and this is what we are currently at.

As you gather quotes, you’ll get lots of differences of opinions as usually, shutter companies only offer 1 product, their ‘go-to’ product. We’re different, we have no bias. Each client is treated to their own individual needs, rather than us pushing an agenda.

At Shuttertec, we offer a huge variety and this leaves us a little more impartial. So to avoid confusion and help people in the long run, we’ve put together this guide of what may be good for you and your home.

So, let’s get to the point, MDF shutters or Hardwood shutters. Their pros and cons and what might be best for you.

MDF Shutters
What’s good and what’s not?

Durability: MDF shutters are our most advised full height window shutter for families. They are constructed of a fibreboard wrapped in a polymer coating (think, kitchen cupboards) which means they an extremely durable shutter. They’re great for higher traffic areas but if you’ve got young children who perhaps are a little more… heavy-handed, then these are for you.

Weight: With durability does come panel weight and as such, these shutters aren’t great for big windows, or multifold panels. This doesn’t mean you can’t have MDF in 1 window and wood in another, absolutely you can mix and match, but generally the bigger the window, the lighter the wood you’ll need.

Coating: The polymer coating makes them an excellent shutter of choice against chipping, cracking and light damage. It’s pretty impervious to picking up any scratches and will take a little dampness if need be.

white hardwood shutter fitted onto wall

Hardwood Shutters

Affordability: Paulownia shutters are currently one of, if not, the cheapest shutter on the market. Whilst MDF shutters ARE affordable, the desirable optional extras can bump up the price by 10%, whereas the Paulownia shutter has a similar option free of charge. Which, over the course of a house can sway the price by a few £000.

Lightweight: As already mentioned, the paulownia wood is light. Basswood is heavier and more a more dense wood, but still lighter than MDF. If you’re looking for tracked shutters or tier-on-tier shutters for your living room then hardwood is the better option.

Fragile: Being a painted product rather than one that is wrapped, it’s not unreasonable to say that it is a little more fragile and needs to be treated with more respect. If these shutters are mishandled, then the louvres may break, or if you accidentally open them into an object, they could chip or dent.

So which shutters do you want for your Essex home? Well, that’s down to you.

As standard, we can offer the following products:

Ready to know more? Contact us.