Plantation shutters, also called interior shutters or shutters, are the classic wooden shutters you’ve seen in these stately southern mansions; just to give you a reference. That’s not to say they’re not popular everywhere. Plantation shutters are the classic window treatment, offering good looks, long life, good insulating properties, and more.
Plantation shutters should not be confused with Bahama shutters or other hurricane shutters in Fort Myers, which are actually a type of exterior shutter, hinged at the top of the window and can be lowered to protect windows from debris from tropical storms and hurricanes.
Shutters don’t come cheap; let’s get rid of that right now. There are definitely plenty of cheaper window treatment options out there. Plantation Shutters are a long term consideration.But, they are worth the extra money. They look great with just about any decor and even add to the curb appeal of a home. A home for sale with plantation shutters will usually list them as a feature to add value to a home.
You can find cheaper plantation shutters made from vinyl or synthetic wood (composite). The cost savings between real wood shutters and vinyl shutters are about 25% and about 20% for composite wood. Plantation shutters are also stained or painted, the latter option being the cheapest. An added benefit of synthetic wood or vinyl shutters is that they won’t warp, crack or split in hot or humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. When planning your order, you may want to take this into account.
The shutters are very versatile. They can block light very effectively or let in a lot of sunlight simply by raising or lowering the louvers, which range in size from 2 ½ “to 4 ½”. If you are covering a large image window, I recommend the larger grid size because it allows for more transparency. You can customize them to fit windows of almost any size or shape. Shutters provide effective insulation, a real benefit in almost any climate.
One limitation of plantation shutters is that the color options are somewhat limited. Generally, painted shutters come in shades of white, off-white, alabaster, etc. These are colors that do not clash with any decoration. Tinted shutters are available in colors ranging from natural walnut to dark walnut. One of the reasons painted colors are limited is that shutters are a very important addition to a room or home and bright or dark colors tend to dominate the color scheme.
Plantation shutters are usually made from premium hardwood and are hand sanded to a smooth finish, making them like fine furniture. And just like beautiful furniture, wooden shutters make a statement about the home and the owners – that they care about their home and want only the best. If you are considering purchasing real wood shutters, you may want to consider the stained variety rather than the painted shutters. Why waste all this beautiful wood if you are going to paint on it? Then you can also save money by purchasing vinyl or synthetic wood shutters.