[MassHistPres] exterior window shutters

[slater at alum.rpi.edu]

>Does anyone have experience with exterior window
>shutters custom made of 
>"pultruded fiberglass, high density PVC and proprietary composite
materials"? 

For what it's worth, my neighbor, about 3 years ago, installed PVC
shutters to replace her seriously rotted wooden shutters. If she hadn't
told me, I would never know that they weren't wood (granted, I don't
look at them up-close). They weren't even the high-end variety. The
design may impact the look -- hers were originally solid, without
"slats".

The only drawback I can foresee is that "maintenance free" usually means
"less maintenance", and I would expect such a material to fade over
time, yet not be enough of a nuisance to require painting. Similar to
vinyl siding which has faded, but has no other physical problems -- it
looks crappy, but it is still functional.

Ralph Slate
Springfield, MA