In short: Architectural Plantation Shutters (AP Shutters) builds custom real-wood plantation shutters in its own shop in Palm City, Florida. For windows inside a shower, a tub-shower combination or anywhere else that gets direct water spray, AP Shutters also supplies and installs poly/PVC shutters, so one team can cover every window in the house.
When we recommend poly/PVC instead of wood
Paint protects wood, but it does not make wood waterproof. A window that is splashed every day needs a material that can stay wet without swelling or peeling. Poly/PVC is that material. We recommend it for:
- Windows inside a walk-in shower
- Windows above a tub-shower combination
- Pool and cabana bathrooms where the window gets wet
- Any window where water runs down the glass and sill on a regular basis
Where we still recommend real wood
Everywhere else. Real wood is lighter for its stiffness, so it handles wide and tall panels, sliding doors, French doors, arches and other specialty shapes. It takes a smoother painted finish or a stain, and damaged parts can be repaired or rebuilt in our shop. A bathroom window that does not get direct spray, such as one beside a freestanding tub, is a normal place for wood; see our Sewall's Point bathroom project.
Wood and poly side by side
- Water: poly/PVC can stay wet; wood needs a window without direct spray.
- Weight and span: solid PVC is heavier than wood, so wide panels may need extra support or narrower panels. Wood spans wider openings.
- Finish: poly comes in a set range of whites. Wood can be painted any color or stained, and refinished later.
- Repair: wood louvers, rails and frames can be repaired or remade in our Palm City shop. Damaged poly parts are usually replaced.
- Where it is made: our wood shutters are built in our own shop in Palm City. Our poly/PVC shutters are supplied for wet locations and installed by our team.
Matching poly shutters to the rest of the house
Most homes need poly in one or two windows at most. We plan those windows with the rest of the house: the same louver size where possible, a white that sits well next to your painted wood, and frames that fit the shower trim cleanly. From the next room, the house should look like one design.
How it works
- Free in-home consultation. We look at every window and mark each one as wood or wet-location.
- Measure. Our team measures every opening, including the shower windows.
- Build and supply. Wood shutters are built and painted in our Palm City shop; poly/PVC shutters are supplied for the wet locations.
- Install. Our own team installs both.
For a full comparison, read wood vs. PVC shutters and real wood vs. poly plantation shutters, or see more answers on our FAQ page.
Questions about poly/PVC shutters
Does AP Shutters sell poly or PVC shutters?
Yes, for windows inside a shower and other wet locations. Every shutter we build in our Palm City shop is real wood. For windows that get direct water spray, we supply and install poly/PVC shutters instead.
Will poly shutters in my shower match the wood shutters in the rest of my house?
We plan them together. At the measure we choose a louver size and a white that work with your wood shutters, so the house looks consistent from room to room.
Can real wood shutters go in a bathroom?
Yes, when the window does not get direct water spray. A window beside a freestanding tub or above a vanity is a normal place for painted wood shutters. A window inside a shower is not; that is where we use poly/PVC.
Who measures and installs poly shutters?
Our own team, during the same visits as your wood shutters. You deal with one company for the whole house.
Book a free in-home consultation or call 772-286-2699. Visit our shop and showroom at 3475 SW Palm City School Ave., Palm City, FL 34990.
