With the worlds supplies diminishing, it’s important to find a sustainable cost effective source for wood that’s ideal to make shutters but that won’t have a detrimental effect on our environment.
From March 2008 our Elite shutter will be made from Paulownia, not only does it offer value for money, but is ideal for making lightweight, hard-wearing and beautiful shutters. It also has the important added benefit of being eco-friendly.
Paulownia shutters are of the highest quality, also sometimes called phoenix wood and Pearlwood, it has all the usual benefits you would expect from excellent quality wooden shutters and more, including additional guarantees for larger shutters.
The Paulownia wood is pale in colour, with straight grains running through it. This beautiful appearance makes it ideal to stain, and it can easily be made to resemble a range of other woods such as oak, teak or mahogany. This beautiful new wood has allowed the addition of new stains to compliment our range.
As it is rot-resistant and has low moisture content, it is less likely than traditional woods to warp or shrink. Paulownia is also tough and has been shown to be stronger than traditional woods, its its strong but light in weight it makes it a great choice for shutters. It has also been engineered like all my shutters to resist twisting and warping.
As it’s significantly lighter than traditional hardwood Paulownia makes an ideal wood from which to manufacture shutters, especially if you are considering shutters on doorways or large windows.
This has now allowed us to guarantee up to 8 shutters wide, e.g. 4 folding left and 4 folding right with a maximum shutter width of 550mm, and a single hung shutter of up to 890mm in width. Previously shutters were only guaranteed for a single hung shutter of 750mm or up to 4 folding shutters, so this has significantly increased the options we can guarantee for those with wider openings who want shutters.
Due to its higher ignition point Paulownia is an ideal choice for use within the home, its fire retardant properties make it a safer choice.
Paulownia trees are deciduous, grow up to 25m tall, have large leaves and their flowers, which resemble foxgloves, appear in early spring. The trees are native to China, where they have been used for reforestation, but have been cultivated across Eastern Asia. In Japan it’s known as the Princess Tree, and its leaves can be found on the badge of the Government of Japan.
Once felled Paulownia tree stumps do not rot. In fact the new tree can grow from the old stump, allowing it to be coppiced rather than felled. Paulownia trees are also quick growing, reaching a point at which they can be used for manufacturing within as few as 5 to 7 years. This compares to 25 or more years for traditional woods such as oak. They have become known as the ‘phoenix tree’, due to their ability to regenerate from their existing root systems.
Paulownia can also help to regenerate poor soil which has been compacted or contaminated. Its root systems run deep, and are able to process and filter the contaminants, while their big leaves remove carbon dioxide to create oxygen which is then emitted into the atmosphere.
It is generally farmed on plantations, their sustainability and ability to regenerate quickly making them an ecologically sound choice.
Paulownia wood has also been used to manufacture a diverse range of other products; it’s commonly used for furniture, guitars, surfboards, skis, and roof trusses.
We are thrilled to offer this excellent quality option as our new wooden shutter, making it cost effective for those who want a quality wooden shutter to choose Paulownia shutters.