Two of the most desirable colors in a window box are white and black and there’s a very good reason why. Neutral colors tend to contrast with hanging flowers, plants, and vines allowing foliage to showcase in the best possible way. White also tends to be the most popular color of window surrounds and trim making white window boxes the popular choice for a home and window match. Black window boxes, on the other hand, are one of the most historic colors and are in keeping with tradition as a popular accent color. They contrast the most making them a great choice for a home that lacks a lot of color and character to it. Nowadays, there are many plastics that have become popular material choices for making planters due to their white base color, paintability, and longevity. AZEK window boxes and Versatex window boxes are two types of architectural PVC materials which have become gold standards in the industry.
Black Flower Boxes on Historic Home Restored with Cellular PVC
White plastic window boxes made from AZEK or Versatex are designed to give the appearance of wood by scattering light rather than reflecting it in a shiny manner. Not only do these types of boxes not rot, but they are a type of rigid, solid plastic that will resist bowing and warping through seasonal fluctuations and temperature swings. This is one of the main features that set it apart from other plastics like vinyl which can be shiny looking or made from solid extruded material.
Plastic planter boxes in general offer many advantages over wood in the fact that they are ideal for holding water, bugs, dirt and preventing what inevitably happens in a wooden box: rot. This process is delayed in the makeup of plastic which is made to be more stable. Not all plastic flower boxes are created equal, however. Some are made of thin material and are designed to be more of inserts rather than strong, sturdy boxes. Others are designed for indoors. You’ll want to make sure that your box is UV resistant to prevent fading in the sun. Lastly, some plastics can have a slick sheen to them making them unpaintable. An ideal composite will have a matte finish or texture to it to have any chance of holding paint since most plastics are non-absorbent.
White window boxesmade from Versatex are designed with each of
White Window Boxes made from Cellular PVC
these attractive features making them entirely paintable. I am commonly asked, “why not get a black plastic window box that comes black?” This question has an easy answer. Black plastic is notorious for fading over time. If the plastic material is paintable this is not a problem as you can paint over the black as it fades. Most black window boxes on the market today are made from hollow vinyl materials which can warp, sag, or crack in the winter or are destined to lose their color irreplaceably down the road.
