The trade is quietly moving on from paulownia – and the reasons are hard to argue with.
While paulownia has long been the standard for painted wooden shutters, the trade are now seeing the many benefits pine brings, particularly in solving the age-old issues of long-term structural stability, durability – and ultimately – callbacks.
The Evolution of Shutter Materials
Paulownia has served the trade well for years. It’s lightweight, easy to machine, and perfectly functional for standard, everyday window installations. If you have customers whospecifically prefer an ultra-lightweight wooden shutter, paulownia remains a reliable choice in your lineup.
However, when you look at how shutters performing over the longer term, and realise you can get a significantly tougher, more stable, material for an equally competitive price per square metre – the advantages of pine become clear. Pine proves that you don’t have to compromise on strength to keep your pricing competitive, it is a true all-rounder that can handle every single installation type with ease.
The Hard Numbers: Strength and Durability of Pine Shutters
When you look at the raw data, the performance gap between the two woods is significant.
| Wood Type | Modulus of Rupture (Flex) | Janka Hardness Scale | Crush Strength* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paulownia | 5,480 lbf/in2 | 1,330 Newtons | 3,010 lbf/in2 |
| Radiata Pine | 11,480 lbf/in2 | 3,150 Newtons | 6,030 lbf/in2 |
*Source – The Wood Database
- More than double the flex strength: At 11,480 lbf/in2, pine louvres and stiles resist bowing and bending under tension far better than paulownia.
- Nearly triple the hardness: A 3,150 N Janka rating means the wood is incredibly resilient against dents, dings, and surface wear during transit and everyday use.
- Double the crush strength: At 6,030 lbf/in2, it handles vertical loads and compression flawlessly.
Pine even outperforms basswood – often considered the ‘premium hardwood’ shutter material, which comes in at 1820 Newtons (compared to Pine’s 3,150 N) on the Janka Scale respectively.
You can feel the difference straight away
The minute you pick up a piece of pine and paulownia to compare, it’s easy to understand the difference.
With like-for-like components, pine comes in heavier than paulownia due to its superior density. Louvres, frames and stiles are all materially denser, with samples showing increases of between 40-70% depending on the part.
That difference in density brings a level of solidity and strength that paulownia just can’t match. Panels feel more rigid, less flexible and generally more substantial when they’re being handled on-site and later operated by the homeowner. It physically feels like a higher-quality product.
Built for the UK Climate (Where Pine Does the Heavy Lifting)
That extra density and strength carry through long after your fitters have left the site – especially when dealing with the realities of the British weather.
The UK climate puts unique, seasonal stress on timber shutters. Moving from damp, freezing winters with internal central heating blasting, over to humid and hot summer spells – all of which cause inferior woods and finishes to expand and contract. Because pine is inherently dense, with a tighter, more uniform grain, it effortlessly shrugs off these moisture and temperature swings.
- Secure Fixings: Screws bite harder into the denser wood, holding securely and resisting the wood “giving” during seasonal shifts.
- Tighter Hinges: Hinges stay tighter, and frames are far less prone to developing movement, sagging, or warping over time.
- Water-based coating: Low odour, low VOC, water-based coating defends against yellowing over-time and defends against cracking during seasonal changes in climate. No yellowing, no cracking, no callbacks.
The Bottom Line With Pine
Paulownia remains a practical, lightweight option for standard installations. However, given that pine can do everything paulownia can do – while offering double the structural strength, triple the dent resistance, and superior stability in the UK climate all at a competitive price point – moving toward pine is simply smart business.
It gives your clients a more durable shutter, gives you total structural versatility across all job types, and drastically cuts down on costly callbacks.
Get in touch today to discuss options and square metre prices with our team on sales@newageshutters.com or 020 7112 8342 during office hours.