Shutter BoysVinyl shutters in Haldimand County: vinyl or wood?
Haldimand County's weather and homes
In Haldimand County, July averages a high of 26.6 °C and February a low of −9.2 °C, about 13 days a year reach 30 °C, 139 nights fall at or below 0 °C, and 902 mm of precipitation falls in a typical year. That's more hot days than 70% of the 160 Canadian cities we have climate figures for.
56% of homes were built in 1980 or earlier, and owners live in 85% of them.
Hamilton, 31 km away, has much the same number of days a year at 30 °C or more (13).
Sources: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population; Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020. Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Uneven openings
In older homes, openings are rarely square. Wood can be lightly sanded to fit at install; vinyl can't be sanded at all.
Heat and vinyl
13 days a year reach 30 °C. Vinyl makers are careful about heat: Hunter Douglas advises against its vinyl shutters in skylights, where it says the frame and louvers may warp. On a hot, sunny glass wall here, solid wood is the safer choice.
Dry winters
Here's a fair point for vinyl: it doesn't take on or give off moisture, so dry heated winters don't move it. Wood moves a little with the seasons; paint and a sensible indoor humidity keep it small.
Vinyl or wood across a whole house in Haldimand County
Vinyl costs less than wood, and the gap grows across a whole house: the middle Canadian home has 6 to 10 windows. Owners live in 85% of Haldimand County's homes; for people who stay, what a shutter costs over the years matters as much as the price on the day.
The median home here is valued at $600,000 CAD. In Hamilton, 31 km away, the median is $700,000 CAD, higher than here.
Sources: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population; Natural Resources Canada, Survey of Household Energy Use 2007, or U.S. EIA RECS 2020 where stated (windows). Prices from our price list.
6 to 10 windows in poplar$2,700 to $5,700 CAD
Each priced as a 36 × 48 in window, flat moulding, paint stage 1, 3½ in louvers, before tax and shipping. We don't sell vinyl.
Price your own windows| Feature | Solid poplar (ours) | Vinyl / PVC | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand to fit an uneven opening | Yes | No | Usually not |
| Repaint later | Yes | Not recommended | Depends on the coating |
| Colours | Any paint or stain | Mostly whites | Factory colours |
| Shower spray | Keep it away | Waterproof | Only with a waterproof option |
| Skylights and hot glass | Doesn’t soften in heat | Makers advise against skylights | Ask the maker |
Where our shutters fit
Every Shutter Boys shutter is made from solid American poplar to the measurements you take, then shipped to Haldimand County for you to fit. We make solid poplar only, because it is the better shutter in every room that stays dry.
The designer shows the price of each window as you add it, in Canadian dollars.
Need vinyl for a shower window as well? We can supply it alongside your wood shutters. Ask about vinyl
More about shutters in Haldimand County
Price your windows
Choose Canada in the designer, enter millimetres or inches, and we reply with your quote in Canadian dollars.