Prior to synthetically made shutters were introduced to the market, window shutters were originally made of wood. There is elegance and expensive looking style in using wood shutters. These wooden shutters are good investment due to its durability. It has the capability to surpass severe natural conditions.

Wood shutters are made from various types of wood. Know how they differ from each other and which kind will work for you.

Alder

Alder makes good material for window shutters. Because the wood comes from relatively small trees, finger joints are used to make the alder window shutters.

Basswood

Basswood is perhaps the sturdiest kind of hardwood made into shutters. Basswood shutters are characterized by their fine and uniform textures and indistinct wood grain. It is easy to work with basswood. It glues and screws well and can be sanded or stained into a perfectly smooth finish. Basswood dries fast and retains a good dimensional stability afterwards. It also has low resin and tannin content.

Cedar

Cedar wood is highly receptive of staining techniques. One disadvantage though is that it is soft and can be easily scratched and dented. Window shutters made of cedar make an ideal choice if you would like to install shutters on the outside. Cedar is durable and can withstand decay and moisture for much longer. It is mostly stable and holds paint well. Cedar also repels insects.

Maple

This wood is heavy. With its weight, the screws need to be pre-drilled. Creating tension in uniform manner may be difficult for this wood.

Oak

Like Maple wood this is also heavy. With such weight, screws also need to be pre-drilled. One thing to watch out for is that with its weight the window may be pulled down. This is prone to warping making painting the wood not a very suggested idea.

Poplar

Poplar is less costly compared to other hardwoods and it is widely available. Window shutters made of poplar are ideal for milling and painting. Staining, however, is not recommended as this type of wood is characterized by a certain green tinge and mineral streaks. The weight of poplar window shutters is moderately heavy.

These hardwoods lasts longer but if you want to be economical, you can go for lesser expensive and not of high quality woods. Make sure to check that the paint on the wood is of appropriate thickness and durable. The finishing should also be smooth. To do so check for the glued parts, the sanding and the joints. You can ask your manufacturer for some samples to help you decide which wood to pick. Additional information can also be provided to you by the company.

Hardwood shutters are home owner’s investment. Quality Hardwood Window Shutters lined up the best choices for you.

It is a tough job cleaning the window screens of your home. With so many of them to wash at once, it is no wonder why people give up. Removing a few of the screens at a time, will help you accomplish the task, all while beautifying your home.

Are you considering taking off all of the screens at once? Do not do it! Removing all of the screens at once will make the job seem bigger than it is, and the chances of you quitting will be greater. Take five screens down first, and then take the rest down after you have cleaned those. Do not mix up the order in which you removed them, because you will need to know which screens fit which window when it is time to re-install them.

Make sure you put all of the screws, clips, and springs in a Ziploc sandwich bag. You will need to make sure you can find these tiny items once you have finished cleaning the screens. Trust me, nothing is more aggravating, than looking for a little piece of hardware near the edge of the grass. Put them in a bag, and it will make everything easier in the end.

Now that the window screens and hardware are removed, get a bucket of warm soapy water, and a large soft bristle scrub brush. Find a nice shady spot to set up your clean area. Lay the screens flat on the concrete, and begin scrubbing both sides of each of the screens, making sure not to scrub too hard. The material the screen is made from is fragile, and scrubbing them too hard will tear them. If you happen to tear the screen, there is a great step by step guide in the resource box of this article, that will teach you how to build and install a new screen.

Once the screens are washed on both sides, get your water hose and rinse them off. This step is important. You want to make sure you rinse the screens completely of the soapy water solution. If you have a spray attachment, screw it onto the tip of your water hose, and rinse the screens clean with a brisk spray.

You should now have clean and wet screens. Pat them dry using a dry towel. Do not rub them dry, blot them dry. Lint will catch the screen if you try to rub them, and your screens will not appear clean. You can let them dry on their own, however you run the risk of accidental damage if you do not watch them.

Find the hardware that you put to the side, and put them back on the window screens. Make sure you put all of the clips back on the screens, or the screen may not stay in tact. Put the top part of the screen into the slot first, and then slide in the bottom. If you clean the rest of the screens this way, you will be finished with this easy home improvement task in no time.