Westend Shutters

Great products and great service are great for business

Trade supplier of High Quality Plantation Shutters. We strive to provide quality window furnishings and service that DEALERS prefer for their customers, CONSUMERS recommend to their family and friends and EMPLOYEES are proud of.

POLYMER (PVC) SHUTTERS

Polymer Shutters are made from a water-resistant, engineered PVC extrusion using only high quality virgin powder derived from Taiwan. The extrusion withstands high temperatures, making this shutter the ideal choice for Australia’s harsh environment.

Unlike many factories who buy materials in from 3rd parties who extrude using recycled pellets (not virgin powder), our factory is large scale and extrudes the raw material themselves. This means we control our supply chain and can guarantee the highest quality in raw materials and construction.

We differ too in paint process. Most factories apply paint by hand in an uncontained environment. The quality of finish this way, depends on the skill of the operator and their attention to detail, and the sterility of the area on the day. Our factory paint all materials by machine in a contained environment, which guarantees a high quality finish every time. They use a low VOC solvent-free waterborne paint with a UV inhibitor and the finish is cured or ‘baked on’ prior to assembly. This provides a hard-wearing finish for maximum durability throughout everyday use.

Freshly painted components are cured for 48 hours in heated rooms, then wrapped in a protective film that is removed only after assembly is complete and prior to packaging. This minimises any risk of damage throughout manufacture and maintains the quality of the finish from the very start of the process right though to installation in your home.

Every panel is co-extruded with metal inserts for strength and durability and constructed with high strength joints. All frames are assembled with tough nylon keys and metal screws, which means the shutter won’t sag, split, crack or warp. A claim we stand by with our 25 year warranty.

Our polymer shutter is available in a wide range of modern flat stile and frame options as well as traditional beaded choices, with 8 modern paint colours to choose from. The 64mm, 89mm or 114mm louvres close both upward or downward into the “Euro-close” top and bottom rail system, which provides you with maximum flexibility for control of light and air flow.

Available in hinged or bifold hinged panels with non-mortise hinges, track bifold and sliding shutters, and a variety of special shapes that are machine engineered. Track systems include clear anodised aluminium top and bottom track with high quality hardware, and box out boards are made from the same quality polymer extrusion with a machine painted finish.

Shutters are controlled by a concealed ‘Clearview’ tilt rod at the rear of panels or a traditional U.S.A style centre stick, and can be motorised for hard to reach windows. Customised options such as window winder scoops can also accomodate modern windows and layouts.

WOOD Shutters

Despite the durability and trouble-free properties of PVC or Polymer shutters, timber has long been the first material considered for shutters, however not all timbers perform the same. There can be significant differences in cost from one retailer to the next that serve as an indicator for type of timber, where it was sourced, quality of workmanship, storage of raw material etc.

It is important to consider more than just price and colour if timber is your customer’s preferred choice of substrate. This will help you to assist your customer in making a well-informed decision and protect your reputation in doing so.

COMMON TYPES OF TIMBER:

BASSWOOD

As one of the straightest of hardwoods, Basswood has excellent dimensional stability and strength and does not warp, making it a superior timber for shutters. The preferred choice of quality manufacturers, Basswood is more affordable than fellow high performing hardwoods Western Red Cedar, Maple or Oak.

Native to most of the northern hemisphere, Basswood has tight pores and a fine uniform texture with an indistinct grain. This means it can be sanded and painted or stained to a very smooth and consistent, high quality finish. A very lightweight hardwood, Basswood cuts easily with, and across the grain and has superior gluing and screwing properties. Basswood has no odour, not even during woodworking and is very low in resin and tannins that often bleed through paint finish with other timbers if not prepared accordingly.

Due to a tightening of forestry restrictions over the last five years there is an increasing lack of supply of quality Basswood. Coupled with the challenge of sourcing veritable and legitimate documentation, Basswood is now one of the more expensive timbers in the shutter industry and not as readily available as less expensive timbers Paulownia (Phoenixwood) and Poplar.

PAULOWNIA

Also called Phoenixwood, Paulownia is another hardwood that has a soft finish similar to Cedar. Extremely lightweight and stable, Paulownia has been used for years in plywood, veneer and guitar bodies.

Native to China and readily found across Asia, Paulownia is an extremely fast growing tree and the most renewable timber used in the shutter industry. With its coarse, striped look and large pores, Paulownia provides a rich wood grain appearance making it the superb choice for stained finishes.

POPLAR

Although Poplar is a hardwood, it ranks among the very softest woods in the world. This makes it prone to dents and damage if not handled with care. Poplar can be moderately heavy for plantation shutters and limitations may call for additional rails or stiles to provide rigidity, depending on overall width or height of a panel.

Poplar is not uniform in colour, ranging from very pale to green and almost purple due to mineral steaks. This makes it unsuitable for staining and should only ever be painted as a plantation shutter.

Native to the northern hemisphere, Poplar is widely available but produces a lesser quality shutter than other hardwoods. It is best suited for millwork and trims that are nailed in place.

STORAGE OF MATERIALS

We all understand that fruits and vegetables are seasonal and that we pay more out of season due to produce being stored under costly regulated conditions. The same principles apply to the window furnishings industry with wood shutters. Peak season for the Australian shutter industry runs from November to April each year which happens to be the coldest season for offshore manufacturers.

The ideal moisture content for furniture grade timber is 6-8% so it’s important for manufacturers to control the climate under which timber is stored to maintain ideal moisture levels all year round. Particularly in peak time when outside temperatures can plunge as low as -10°

A quality manufacturer will use climate control storage and mill the timber themselves. Buying from a factory who doesn’t practice this exposes the retailer and the consumer to a very high risk to the typical issues such as shrinkage, swelling, lamination cracking and warping of the timber.

Climate control storage is costly however, and the major reason smaller manufacturers buy pre-moulded raw timber profile from 3rdparty suppliers with a fingers crossed approach. The consumer inadvertently inherits their risk.

Aluminium Shutters

Our Internal Aluminium is the newest concept in plantation shutters. Made from an internal strength aluminium extrusion that withstands high temperatures, panel widths exceed current industry standards for polymer or wood shutter panels. This makes it the ideal choice for Australia’s architectural homes. A luxurious internal product to suit wide expanses of glass, or any common window or door where maximum views are required.

– Widest panel widths in the industry
– 89mm eliptical louvres with micro end caps
– Smooth, clean lines with modern frames and stiles
– Luxurious satin powdercoat – exterior grade quality
– Vivid White or Textured Matte Black
– 25 year warranty

The satin finish INTERPON powdercoat is cosmetically appealing, making this shutter the clever choice for internal applications as it looks just like painted wood or polymer shutters at a glance without the upkeep or inherent problems associated with wood shutters or the weight of polymer panels.

Our micro louvre cap design provides for minimal light gaps between louvre and stile, and the modern flat stile and frame design compliments any contemporary home. The first true internal aluminium shutter on the market, the top and bottom rails are moulded without expansion joints, making it stand out from traditional external aluminium shutters. Engineered for strength, all panels and frames are constructed with high grade aluminium for ultimate durability to withstand Australia’s extreme environment. A claim we stand by with our 25 year warranty.

The internal shutter can be specified for external applications, replacing panels and frame options with a heavier grade aluminium and stainless steel hardware. Available in Textured Matte Black, Classic White or Clear Anodised Silver. Additional options for external applications include flushbolts and dual tilt rod.

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