Why Cedar for Exterior Shutters? A Wood Buying Guide

Cedar, and Western Red Cedar in particular, is the standard choice for exterior wood shutters because it naturally resists rot and insects without chemical treatment, stays lightweight for easy mounting, and holds paint or stain evenly. Dogberry Collections' exterior shutters are built from solid cedar for exactly these reasons.

What makes cedar suited to exterior use?

• Natural rot resistance: Cedar contains natural oils and compounds that resist decay from moisture exposure, which matters for a product mounted outdoors year-round.
• Natural insect resistance: Those same natural oils make cedar less attractive to termites and other wood-boring insects compared to many other softwoods.
• Dimensional stability: Cedar resists warping and cracking from temperature and humidity swings better than many alternative woods, which matters for a flat panel exposed to direct sun and rain.
• Lightweight: Cedar is lighter than many hardwoods, which makes shutters easier to mount and reduces stress on the mounting hardware over time.

Cedar vs. Other Shutter Materials

Cedar vs. pine: Pine is more affordable but requires chemical pressure-treatment to resist rot outdoors, and doesn't hold up to weather exposure as well untreated. Cedar's natural resistance means it performs well without that treatment.

Cedar vs. vinyl/PVC: Vinyl shutters are lower-maintenance and won't rot, but they read as noticeably less authentic up close, can fade or become brittle in direct sun over years, and can't be refinished if you want to change the color later. A solid cedar shutter can be repainted or restained.

Dogberry's Cedar Shutter Styles

All four of Dogberry's exterior shutter styles are built from solid cedar, sold in pairs with mounting hardware included:

• Traditional Board & Batten — classic vertical board design with a crossbar batten
• Horizontal Slat — Western Red Cedar with a more contemporary horizontal design
• X-Bar — bold X-brace design
• Z-Bar — Z-brace design

Caring for Cedar Shutters

For the full picture on styles, benefits, and installation, see our complete guide to exterior wood shutters.

Cedar's natural resistance reduces maintenance, but it isn't maintenance-free. Periodic cleaning and a fresh coat of paint or stain every few years (depending on climate and sun exposure) will keep cedar shutters performing and looking their best over time.