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How to Finish Your New Exterior Timber Plantation Shutters

Exterior timber plantation shutters add style and beauty to your windows whilst also being practical and functional. It's a good idea to finish your timber shutters in order to protect them from the weather and to help them last longer. Here's how to do it:

What you'll need

  • rubbing alcohol
  • clean cloths
  • stain-blocking primer
  • clear primer for use with exterior wood stain
  • paint brushes
  • exterior wood stain
  • acrylic or polyurethane top coat

You can obtain all you need from good DIY stores. Wood stains are available in natural shades, or you could choose one with a colour tint to add extra interest to your exterior décor.

How to do it

When your new timber plantation shutters are delivered, they will be supplied ready to assemble and ready-sanded. It's best to treat the shutters before you put them together so that you can completely seal them to keep moisture out. Remember to treat the shutter rods, too.

  1. Begin by wiping down the shutter panels and frames with rubbing alcohol in order to remove surface tannens that could 'bleed' through the finish and affect the waterproofing.  
  2. Next, use a clean paintbrush to apply a coat of stain-blocking primer, ensuring that you get right into all the crevices and corners of each shutter.  Allow the primer to dry for a couple of hours.  
  3. Now you need to apply a coat of a good-quality primer product that is suitable for exterior use. Allow the primer to dry thoroughly overnight.  
  4. When the primer is completely dry, you can stain the shutters. Use a paintbrush for this rather than a roller so that you can get the stain right into the nooks and crannies of each shutter. Allow the stain to dry completely.  
  5. Finally, you'll need to apply a layer of exterior-grade top coat. This will retard the fading that may occur if your shutters are exposed to direct sunlight for long periods, and it helps to keep water out of the wood.

In conclusion

Your shutters should now be protected from the elements for a few seasons. It's worth noting that stained timber shutters will require retreating from time to time if they are to remain looking good and protected from the elements. This process will entail taking the shutters down and disassembling them. You'll need to sand off the shiny top coat of the finish to get to the wood beneath and restain and revarnish them, too.

To find timber plantation shutters, contact a company like Blind Inspiration.

 


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