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Posts Tagged ‘Interior Shutters’

Stave Core Doors & Shutters

Most of the shutters and doors we make here at Kestrel, both interior and exterior, are built out of solid, kiln dried wood without the use of any laminates.  We can do this as the wood species that we use, American Basswood and Sapele Mahogany, are dimensionally stable and react minimally to changes in humidity.

So what happens when you want doors or shutters made from a different species of wood that is not as stable?  If we were to make our doors and shutters out of solid woods like Hard Maple, Birch, White Oak and Red Oak, while they would be beautiful they would also be likely to warp.  Especially when made to the sizes of doors or larger windows.

This is where Stave Core enters the picture.

What is Stave Core?

When 2 or more pieces of wood are glued together the chance of warping drops dramatically.  This is because if any of the boards try to warp they end up “fighting” against the other boards and are held straight.  The only problem is that the glued up boards don’t look as nice as a single piece of wood.  So, you take those glued up pieces of wood ( that are now very, very stable ) and glue a solid, but thinner, piece of wood to each face and to edges as well.  This is what stave core is:  Thin strips of wood, laminated together to make them extremely stable, then covered in pretty much any wood that you want.

Mahogany stave core door stile

Mahogany stave core door stile

This photo shows a cross section of a Mahogany Stave Core door stile.  The front and back faces of the door stile are 1/8″ thick Mahogany and the edges are 3/4″ thick Mahogany.  These are wrapped around several smaller pieces of poplar.  All of these are laminated together to make a super stable stile which ensures that the interior door made from these will remain straight.

What are the Benefits of Stave Core Doors

Stability.  Using stave core for the stiles ( the vertical frame pieces of the doors ) will make sure that your doors will not move over time from changes in humidity.

Over-sized doors are not a problem.   This ties in with stability but the idea is that by using stave core for the stiles, and even the rails, you can have doors that are much larger than normal.

Eco-friendly.  Stave core is made up of smaller strips of wood that would otherwise have been discarded.

Lighter weight.  The cores of our stave cores are made from Poplar or Pine which are both lighter in weight than the hardwoods used on the outside of the stave cores.  This helps to keep the overall weight down.

Fixed louver sliding doors made with Mahogany stave core stiles and rails

Fixed louver sliding doors made with Mahogany stave core stiles and rails

media center louvered doors built with Maple stave core

Maple doors, built with stave core, cover a corner media center in this Hawaiian home.

Fixed louver sliding closet doors made with Hard Maple stave core

Fixed louver sliding closet doors made with Hard Maple stave core

Click here for a quote on Kestrel Wood Closet Doors.

Click here for a quote on Kestrel Wood Interior Shutter.

If you would like an option for stave core doors just make a note of that in the comment section of our quote request form.

arched tongue & groove doors

Arched Tongue & Groove Door

Tongue & Groove vs Beadboard for Shutters and Doors
While we are all familiar with flat and raised panel shutters and doors there are other choices when you are looking for something solid. Two popular alternatives are Beadboard and Tongue & Groove.

beadboard -profile

Profile of Beadboard

tongue & groove profile

Profile of Tongue & Groove

Tongue & Groove
The name Tongue & Groove actually refers to the way the boards join together. If you look at the images above you will see how one end has a slot milled in to the wood (the “groove”) while the other end is milled so that part sticks out (the “tongue”). To join the the boards the “tongue” on one piece slides in to the “groove” on the next piece. The design we mill has chamfered edges that give it the look of a “V” where two boards meet up. The nice thing about Tongue & Groove is that it can be milled on to most any thickness of wood so that doors (like the one to the left) or board & batten shutters can be made without any frame.

Closet doors with herringbone pattern

Door style 6162H with partial herringbone pattern

We also offer doors and shutters where the tongue & groove fits within a frame like our 6162H shown to the right.  In this design instead of the tongue & groove running vertically we have it cut at an angle. This way when 2 shutters or doors are side by side they take on a Herrignbone pattern.

closet doors with beadboard

Style 6570 doors with Beadboard

Beadboard
Our Beadboard is really just a variation on Tongue & Groove. It uses the same joinery method, but instead of  a “V” channel there is a 1/4″ diameter bead running vertically on each face of the wood.  We tend to see more of  the Beadboard design with cottage style homes where it is matched up to Beadboard paneling and wainscoting.

Boards vs Sheets
Something to point out is that our Beadboard and Tongue & Groove panels are double sides unlike most of what is available on the market today. Where the industry standard is to just mill a “V” channel or bead down the face of plywood we still prefer the more traditional method where each board is milled individually to give a more authentic look and feel.

If you are considering designs of exterior or  interior doors and shutters that have Beadboard or Tongue & Groove, but are not sure which will work best for you please ask us. Give us a call, send us an email or start an online chat. We are happy to help.

Tongue & Groove Doors

Tongue & Groove Shutters

Door Photo Gallery

Shutter Photo Gallery

Spanish Cedar Shutters for a Bathroom

Spanish Cedar Shutters are ideal for a Bathroom

Using Wood Shutters and Doors in a Bathroom
When it comes to using wood shutters and doors in a bathroom there are a few things that you need to consider; privacy, ventilation and humidity.

Privacy
Privacy in a bathroom is obviously important to many people. Most styles of doors or shutters will offer some degree of privacy. Louvered Doors offer line of sight privacy while solid interior doors with raised or flat panels, tongue & groove or even frosted glass have the added benefit of sound insulation. For bathroom windows operable louvered shutters have always been a favorite. They can be adjusted to allow as much light in as you want or closed for privacy. How much and what type of privacy you want is up to you but can also depend on whether you need ventilation.

Ventilation
In some cases ventilation is required. If your bathroom has an air return for central air conditioning then you need to to have a bathroom door with ventilation so that when the door is closed the air condition functions properly. Check with your a/c service company to see how much air flow you will need. If you want a door that has privacy with a bit of ventilation you may want to consider some of our combination doors of tongue & grove with louvers.

Louvered Bathroom Doors

Louvered Doors for a Bathroom and Linen Closet

Humidity
If it is a full bathroom then you may need to contend with a build up of moisture from a shower as well as water spray landing on the shutters and doors. Having interior shutters and doors that are properly painted and maintained will help prevent any water damage. A better choice is to use wood shutters and doors that are made from Spanish Cedar which is what we use for our exterior shutters and doors. Yet another option is to go with our Faux Plantation Shutters which will not be affected at all by the moisture and also resists bacteria which could form in the bathroom.

operable Louvered Doors for an outdoor bathroom

Operable Louvered Doors for an outdoor bathroom

If you are not sure which designs of interior doors or shutters will work best for you please ask us. Give us a call, send us an email or start an online chat. We are happy to help.

Kestrel Shutters & Doors was recommended for our interior and exterior shutters in a recent article on the Martha Stewart website. You can read the article here – Inspiration: Shutters – Home Design with Kevin Sharkey.

Thank you Mr Sharkey!

Interior Faux Plantation ShuttersFaux Plantation Shutters?

At first it sounds like some sort of fake, decorative only shutter. While they are certainly decorative they are anything but fake. The “faux” in Faux Plantation Shutters simply means that they are not made from wood.

What are Faux Plantation Shutters made out of?

There are different materials that can be used but in our case we use an exterior grade, closed cell PVC. It will not rot, fade, chip or crack. They even come with a 25 year unconditional guarantee. An added benefit is that using this high density PVC allows for the frame and louver blades to be designed with air pockets that help insulate your home. kitchen faux plantation shutters

How safe are they?

Our Faux Plantation Shutters have GREENGUARD® certification for Microbial Resistance as well as Indoor Air Quality. This means they are approved for use in hospitals and schools and safe to use in your home. They also meet and exceed the NFPA 701 flammability testing for commercial and hospitality applications.

How do they compare to composite shutters?

The main difference is that composite shutters need to be painted. So even though a composite shutter may be somewhat maintenance free you will need to repaint it every few years. More if you live in a coastal region. With our Faux Plantation Shutters the color is blended right in so they never need maintenance. The 25 year unconditional guarantee even covers the color from fading or chipping.

What are good applications for Faux Plantation Shutters?

Our Faux Plantation Shutters can be used any where Wood Plantation Shutters can be used, both inside and out. The pictures below show only a few different ways. Call, email or chat with us to discuss how our Faux Plantation Shutters will work for you.

Hotel Faux Plantation Shutters

Faux Plantation Shutters for the private verandas of a Hotel

Faux Plantation Shutters Shading around a pool

Shading around a pool

Hospital Faux Plantation Shutters

Resists the growth of mold within Hospitals

Porch Faux Plantation Shutters

Enclosing a porch

Bathroom Faux Plantation Shutters

Inside a bathroom

Faux Plantation Shutters for an outdoor café

Faux Plantation Shutters for an outdoor café

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