Eco-friendly shutters
Monday, June 27th, 2011

In central Switzerland, a well-to-do Swiss family built and moved into their dream home. It was their wish that this house would stand and serve for generations to come. The year was 1287 and the house still stands today!

This home has stood the test of time because of the strength of their chosen building material, Siberian Larch timber.

The Siberian Larch is the last sustainable, old growth timber in the world (the annual growth rate of Siberian Larch is greater than the annual felling rate) and it has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) since September 2002.

Larchwood was discovered about 2000 years ago by the Romans and has since been used for a number of purposes from water ducts, roofing, railway sleepers, fence posts, window frames, to steps and floorboards. The famous floating city of Venice is built on Larchwood poles and Siberian Larch timber was used in the construction of the cycle track surface for the Manchester Velodrome in the UK and the Velodrome Krylatskoye in Moscow.

This naturally durable timber can now add superior quality, natural beauty and strength to your home in the form of Larchwood shutters!

Our Larchwood shutters are inherently rot-resistant and durable, withstanding harsh weather conditions: an ideal choice for any South African home. The high density of the timber makes it resistant to pathogenic or wood-destroying fungi.

Read the rest of this entry »

Friday, November 26th, 2010

Renovating or redecorating is not cheap and when the to-do and shopping lists for the project seem to stretch on longer than the budget does, tough decisions need to be made. Quality, cost, choices of styles and design often take priority over the eco-friendly nature of materials and finishes. These decisions are made more difficult by the fact that the greener the product the bigger the price tag seems to be.

AMERICAN shutters offer a welcome change to this perception. Our Decowood range of shutters is not only our most cost effective; it is also our most eco-friendly. Made from medium density fibreboard, commonly referred to as MDF, Decowood shutters gives you more green for your money.

The MDF used in the manufacture of Decowood shutters is made from engineered wood composite (individual wood fibres) sourced from certified Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) plantations. The wood composite is bound together to form extremely strong panels which are then further strengthened with engineered wooden stiles. The result is a resilient material able to withstand desert –like temperatures.

Read the rest of this entry »