Do you have wooden window shutters? They’re a charming and popular choice for many homeowners. However, if they’re not properly cared for, they can deteriorate and make your home look more downtrodden than quaint. For exterior wooden shutters in harsher climates or to just add more years to your shutter’s life, there are a few easy and economical things you can do.

Picture of wooden window shutters clear wood preservative by Woodlife Classic.

How to Protect Wooden Window Shutters

Exterior wooden shutters should always be primed and painted on all sides with an exterior-grade product prior to installation. But even before you prime and paint, you should put a coat of wood preservative on your wooden shutters.

Wood preservative needs to be put on un-primed, unpainted raw wood. Most wood preservatives have a water repellent and fungicide included. This will protect the wood by helping to prevent swelling, warping, mildew, and rot.

At our lumber yard and online store, we have the Woodlife Classic Clear Preservative and the Classic Heavy Duty Louvered Treatment. It is recommended to do a dip treatment or brush on several coats prior to priming and painting. If brushing on, make sure to coat on all sides, paying extra attention to the joints and louvers.

Protecting Wooden Shutters in Harsher Climates

If your house is in a harsher weather environment or you would like more protection for your wooden window shutters, we recommend going with a below-ground Wood Preservative treatment, like Wolman Woodlife CopperCoat or Outlast Q8 Log Oil.

Both of these Wood Preservatives have a treatment for below-ground conditions, giving more treatment against rot and decay. Regardless of the wood preservative you use, check the label to see what type of primer and paint can be applied over the preservative.

Picture of copper shutter caps that protect wooden window shutter joints.

Protecting the Wooden Shutter Joints

Oftentimes, wooden shutters fail at the joints. A crooked window shutter can instantly make the exterior of your home look less appealing.

Adding a simple copper cap to the top of the shutter will help keep weather and moisture off the top of the shutter where the side stile joints are exposed.

We recommend our Shutter Copper Cap product which is available from 12” to 22” wide and fits all shutters from 1” to 1-1/8” thick.

This Copper Cap is shaped in a way that deflects rain and moisture away from the shutter top. The Shutter Copper Cap can be added to existing wooden shutters already primed and painted for extra protection. These fit with our louvered, paneled, and classic shutters.

Final Word: Protecting Your Wooden Window Shutters

If you want exterior wooden window shutters, you’ll need to take the steps to protect the wood and keep the shutters looking new for years to come. Don’t downgrade the look of your home by cutting corners. Investing a small amount of time and money in preservatives, primers, and caps will keep your window shutters looking trim and new.

Need help choosing interior or exterior window shutters for your home? Contact our team at Capitol City Lumber Company! While our lumber yard is in Raleigh, we ship anywhere in the continental US – and even some parts of Canada! Get your project started and finished with Capitol City Lumber.