Wood shutters in Niagara Falls

What real wood offers over vinyl and composite in Niagara Falls's homes and weather, and how our made-to-measure poplar shutters fit in.
Level 1 (flat) moulding, paint stage 1, 3½-inch louvers, tilting open and closed.

Niagara Falls homes and weather, for wood

In Niagara Falls, July averages a high of 26.8 °C and February a low of −8.2 °C, about 10 days a year reach 30 °C, 134 nights fall at or below 0 °C, and 967 mm of precipitation falls in a typical year.

61% of homes were built in 1980 or earlier and 20% in 2001 or later; 66% are detached houses.

In Thorold, 10 km away, 55% of homes are built in 1980 or earlier, 6 points fewer than here.

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.

Older, out-of-square openings

In a city where 61% of homes are decades old, openings are rarely perfectly square. Wood can be lightly sanded to fit at install; vinyl and most coated composites can't.

How to measure

Dry, heated winters

With 134 freezing nights a year, homes here run the heat for months, and heated air is dry. Wood gives up a little moisture over the winter and takes it back in summer; paint slows that but doesn't stop it. A humidifier set to a moderate level keeps the movement small, and it's kinder to the rest of the house's woodwork too.

Why poplar

A wet climate

967 mm of rain a year means humid spells indoors too. Painted wood handles humidity in a ventilated room; what it can't take is water landing on it. Keep wood out of shower spray, and run the bathroom fan.

Bathroom shutters

How the choices compare in Niagara Falls
FeatureSolid poplar (ours)Vinyl / PVCComposite
Sand to fit an uneven openingYesNoUsually not
Repaint laterYesNot recommendedDepends on the coating
ColoursAny paint or stainMostly whitesFactory colours
Shower sprayKeep it awayWaterproofOnly with a waterproof option
Skylights and hot glassDoesn’t soften in heatMakers advise against skylightsAsk the maker

Where our shutters fit

Every Shutter Boys shutter is made from solid American poplar to the measurements you take, then shipped to Niagara Falls for you to fit. One wood, painted in any colour or stained, with nothing hollow inside.

The designer shows the price of each window as you add it, in Canadian dollars.

Price your windows

Choose Canada in the designer, enter millimetres or inches, and we reply with your quote in Canadian dollars.

Design your shutters