Wood shutters in Sarnia

What real wood offers over vinyl and composite in Sarnia'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.

Sarnia homes and weather, for wood

In Sarnia, July averages a high of 26.5 °C and January a low of −8.2 °C, about 15 days a year reach 30 °C, 131 nights fall at or below 0 °C, and 871 mm of precipitation falls in a typical year.

71% of homes were built in 1980 or earlier and 11% in 2001 or later; 67% are detached houses.

In Chatham-Kent, 63 km away, the share of built in 1980 or earlier is much the same as here (74%).

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 71% 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

Hot glass

15 days a year reach 30 °C. Wood doesn't soften in heat. Plastic can: Hunter Douglas, which sells vinyl shutters, advises against its vinyl shutters in skylights, where it says they may warp.

Wood vs vinyl

Dry, heated winters

With 131 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

How the choices compare in Sarnia
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 Sarnia 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