Buying guide · materials
Timber vs PVC shutters: which room gets which?
They look alike on the window and behave very differently in a steamy bathroom or across a four-metre opening. Here's how we choose, and why most houses end up with both.
Wet areas
Polyresin / PVC
- Best rooms
- Bathrooms, ensuites, kitchens, laundries
- Moisture
- Moisture-resistant; handles steam and splashes
- Weight
- Heavier panel
- Finish
- Painted
- Care
- Wipes down with a damp cloth
Living areas & wide openings
Timber
- Best rooms
- Living areas, bedrooms, wide openings
- Moisture
- Keep out of wet areas
- Weight
- Lighter, so fewer, wider panels
- Finish
- Stained to show the grain, or painted
- Step up
- Western Red Cedar, our premium timber
Room by room
What we'd put where
| Room | Our pick | |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom & ensuite | Polyresin | Steam gets into timber over time |
| Kitchen & laundry | Polyresin | Splashes and humidity; wipes clean |
| Living room, wide window | Timber | Lighter panels across a long span |
| Bedrooms | Either | Comes down to finish and budget |
Samples of both, held against your own walls.
Free measure and quote across Brisbane Northside.
Wet areas decide it
The first question is always where the shutter is going. Steam gets into timber over time, whatever the species, so in a bathroom, ensuite or laundry we recommend polyresin. It is moisture-resistant, durable and low maintenance, and a wipe with a damp cloth is all it needs.
Kitchens usually go the same way. The window behind the sink gets splashed and the one near the cooktop sees heat and grease, and polyresin copes with both.
Wide openings favour timber
Weight is where timber wins. A lighter panel puts less load on its hinges, so a wide opening can be covered with fewer, larger panels and fewer vertical joins across the view. Across a long living-room window or a set of doors, that is usually the better build.
Western Red Cedar is lighter again and is our premium timber. It is the step up when the opening is very wide or the window is the feature of the house, and it is priced accordingly.
Finish and feel
Polyresin is painted, and in white it is hard to tell from painted timber once it is on the window. Timber gives you the extra option of a stain, which shows the grain and reads more like furniture, and it tends to suit Queenslanders and homes with a lot of timber joinery.
Why most houses get both
On a whole-home job we rarely use one material everywhere. Polyresin goes in the wet rooms, timber or cedar goes in the living areas, and both are painted the same colour with the same louvre size. From the hallway the house reads as one set.
We work across several suppliers, so we choose the product that suits each room and explain why when you get the quote.
Free measure & quote
Samples of both at your place, every opening measured, an itemised price. No obligation.
Common questions
Is timber or PVC better for plantation shutters?
Neither across the board. Polyresin (PVC) is the choice for bathrooms, ensuites, kitchens and laundries. Timber suits living areas, bedrooms and wide openings, where its lighter panels matter.
Can you tell the difference once they are installed?
In a painted white finish, most people cannot from across the room. A stained timber shutter is the obvious exception, because the grain shows.
Can I mix timber and PVC in the same house?
Yes, and most of our whole-home jobs do. Matching the colour and louvre size keeps it consistent from room to room.
Do PVC shutters go yellow?
It depends on the product and the supplier, so we do not answer that across the board. Ask us at the measure and we will tell you what the range we are quoting is made from and what the supplier says about it.
Ready when you are
Both materials, one measure, one quote.
We bring the samples, measure every opening and leave you with a clear, itemised price. No obligation.