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Wood shutters in Kawartha Lakes

What real wood offers over vinyl and composite in Kawartha Lakes'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.

Kawartha Lakes homes and weather, for wood

In Kawartha Lakes, July averages a high of 26.3 °C and January a low of −11.7 °C, about 10 days a year reach 30 °C, 159 nights fall at or below 0 °C, and 884 mm of precipitation falls in a typical year.

56% of homes were built in 1980 or earlier and 17% in 2001 or later; 84% are detached houses.

In Orillia, 47 km away, the share of built in 1980 or earlier is much the same as here (58%).

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.

Dry, heated winters

With 159 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

Older, out-of-square openings

In a city where 56% 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

10 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

Wood in Kawartha Lakes's homes

56% of Kawartha Lakes's homes were built in 1980 or earlier. In a town of older houses, wood trim and casings are the norm, and painted poplar matches them.

The median home is valued at $572,000 CAD by its owners. Values in Orillia, 47 km away, are close: $552,000 CAD.

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.

One 36 × 48 in window, paint stage 2$580 – $720 CAD

Flat moulding, 3½ in louvers, before tax and shipping.

Price your own windows
How the choices compare in Kawartha Lakes
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 Kawartha Lakes 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