Shutter BLOG Articles Index
Why Your House Deserves Real Exterior Wood Shutters
Posted 02/07/08 13:29
So you have reached the point that you want shutters for your house. You realize that shutters will add to the value and appeal of your home, but you are not sure whether you want real wood shutters, or vinyl, PVC, composite or any other substitute that is out there. Here are some great reasons why you should go with real wood... explore our shutters.
Understanding and Specifying Materials for Custom Wood Doors
Posted 01/25/08 15:02
Whether you are trying to closely match an existing style of door, or would like to design a door for a special application, there is a wide variety of basic materials and construction methods in practice, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Wood doors can be made from solid woods, composites, veneers, engineered components or a combination of these. If you are looking for the most traditional and historically accurate style of door, you should specify solid construction for both the frame (rails and stiles), as well as panels... explore our shutters.
How a Tree Becomes a Door
Posted 01/18/08 14:26
Estate Millwork harvests and procures its lumber from only sustainably managed forests. Our hardwood products are harvested in mature forests from stands of timber that can be from 30 to 100 years old. A typical tree will be a 30" diameter oak tree that may be 80 feet tall. First, the forester, who manages the forests, will select an area for harvest, based upon a long term plan. Then, for a given area, the trees and ground will be surveyed and only trees that are culls... explore our shutters.
Green Construction
Posted 12/31/07 11:13
The Estate Millwork factory is situated in the Allegheny Mountains of western Pennsylvania, a timber rich area which allows us ready access to sustainable forestland. Our employees and management grew up on the land and in the forests of our area, many of us have been farmers, sawyers and lumberjacks before coming "inside" to Estate Millwork. We manage a portion of the timberland that produces domestic hardwoods for our products, and buy all material that we do not produce ourselves from reputable vendors who practice and support sustainability. Our own timberlands are select cut only... explore our shutters.
More from the Estate Millwork Blog
Our blog covers everything from selecting the right wood species for your project to understanding the construction techniques that set handcrafted millwork apart from factory alternatives. Whether you are a homeowner exploring exterior shutter options, a builder specifying custom doors for a new home, or a designer researching historically accurate restoration materials, you will find practical guidance throughout our articles.
Popular Topics
- Wood Selection -- Learn the characteristics of different wood species including cherry, mahogany, white oak, Spanish cedar, and teak, and which applications each is best suited for.
- Shutter Styles -- Explore the differences between louvered shutters, raised panel shutters, Bahama shutters, and board and batten shutters to find the right match for your home's architecture.
- Door Construction -- Understand why solid wood doors built with mortise and tenon joinery outlast engineered alternatives and how to specify the right door style for interior or exterior use.
- Cabinet Refacing -- Discover how replacing just the cabinet doors with custom louvered or raised panel doors can transform a kitchen at a fraction of full remodel cost.
- Finishing and Maintenance -- Tips on painting, staining, and maintaining your wood shutters and doors to ensure decades of performance and beauty.
Visit our expanded blog for the latest articles, or contact us with questions about any topic. We are always happy to help.