Plantation Shutters Add Beauty and Energy-Efficiency For Your Home

Every window needs some kind of window covering: from decorative drapes to functional horizontal blinds, window treatments add privacy and allow for light control, as well as offering attractive looks. But some window treatments can do even more: plantation shutters are an investment in your home and in energy-efficiency. If you're ready to get window coverings that do more, it's time for interior shutters.

Plantation or interior window shutters, offer timeless beauty for your home and all of the benefits of other window shades or blinds. With louvered slats, the shutters add privacy and allow you to control the light entering your home. However, unlike other types of window blinds, they also provide superior insulation. The unique construction of plantation shutters offers thermal insulation for your windows, helping keep your energy costs down in both winter and summer. Some studies show that, installed on a double pane window, they can create an R-value of 6! And in addition to thermal insulation, they can also provide sound insulation--great for keeping out road noise from busy streets or the din of noisy neighbors.

Moreover, the classic beauty of wood plantation shutters not only brings traditional sophistication to your home, they can actually increase its resale value. The long-lasting durability and gorgeous looks of interior window shutters are incredibly popular with home buyers, meaning your return on investment will likely be much higher than with other window covering options!

They can be fabricated to fit a wide variety of window shapes and sizes and are available in varying louver widths, allowing customization to suit your home and decor. Available in both real wood and composite construction, plantation shutters offer beautiful stained and painted looks perfect for any décor. In fact, they are also ideal for irregularly shaped windows. Specialty shaped shutters offer the same great looks and performance as traditional rectangular models, perfect for hard to cover accent windows. Some options include eyebrow, hexagon, quarter circle, oval, and arches: contact your window treatment fabricator for details.

With their superior performance, elegant appearance, and energy-saving insulation, plantation shutters are a wise investment for smart homeowners. Contact your local window treatment center today to learn more about installing plantation shutters in your house.

Matt Gallo is a home improvement hobbyist and the Internet marketing manager for Prospect Genius, offering affordable, local online advertising.

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Tags: Beauty, Efficiency, Energy, Home

Dress Up Windows With Plantation Shutters

To give windows a more finished and polished appearance in the home, it's a good idea to install coverings such as Plantation Shutters, Venetian Blinds or Roman Shades. All of them add to the room's decor and provide a level of privacy as well as protection from sunlight. But each has distinct advantages that may prove more beneficial for some window openings and environments than others.

Many people like the elegance and classic simplicity of Plantation Shutters, which are interior window coverings made from broad slats of wood mounted in a solid frame. These shutters gained wide usage throughout the southeastern United States because they are perfect for using in warm, humid climates since they allow for the free-flow of air and ventilation through the slates at the same time providing shade from the sun to keep the inside of the house cool.

Traditionally, Plantation Shutters fill the entire window space, with a control rod in the center to open or close the shutters. They can also be designed as hinged panels which can be pulled completely open for the maximum in ventilation or folded partway open. Plantation Shutters can also be designed to fill only the bottom half of a window, allowing the Cafe-style Plantation Shutters to provide some level of privacy without covering the entire window. Plantation Shutters are usually installed in windows that have glass or removable glass panes so that in hot weather, the glass can be stored and the shutters opened enough for air without eliminating privacy or shade.

Venetian Blinds, first created in New Orleans in the mid 19th century, are another popular style of interior window covering that can be shut to completely exclude outside light and any outside prying eyes. Constructed of slatted blinds of metal or vinyl arranged in numerous rows and connected with a string that allows the slats to be turned at an angle or parallel to the window sill to let some sunlight enter, or to lie completely flat against the window to exclude all light. This string system also allows the blinds to be pulled up or down if the user wishes to have access to the window.

Roman Blinds, also called Roman Shades, are a third option to dressing up a window opening, but uses fabric rather than slats. The shade fabric can be lined or unlined depending whether light control is needed. The fabric lies flat against the window when in the lowest position for complete coverage, yet can be raised upward toward the top of the window jam, folding neatly accordion-style to allow an unobstructed view from the window. Roman Blinds can also be partially raised, accented by neat horizontal folds of material. This style works best when clean horizontal lines are desired in a window covering as well as the option of using fabric that matches the rest of the room's decor.

Susan L. West, a professional interior decorator, offers advice on how to decorate on a budget. Learn all about plantation shutters and choosing the best plantation shutters

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Tags: Plantation, Shutters, Windows

Where Did Plantation Shutters Originate?

They first appeared in windows of homes in ancient Greece. Greece is a dusty, hot country for most of the year and people were always looking for ways to control ventilation and protect their homes from the direct heat of the sun. The first shutters were apparently made with fixed marble louvers and attached to the outside of the house. Naturally, making them out of marble made them very heavy and unwieldy, so before too long the idea came up to switch marble for wood. Wood was easier to work with, less heavy and easier to manipulate.

Before long, fixed wooden louvers were replaced with movable ones, which allowed greater control over how much light entered the room, and allowed for better control of air flow. Another plus with having them movable was that they could also be closed tightly shut when rains or winds were strong, protecting the homes during storms, and opened again afterwards to allow fresh air and light into the room.

Shutters were in common use during medieval times all over Europe. At that time they were built solid, however, and were not louvered. Their prime use was to protect house owners from thieves and robbers as covered windows made it difficult for thieves or the poor to gain entrance into the house. Glass wasn't commonly used in windows till Tudor or Elizabethan times, and even then it was very expensive and used only by the rich. The rest of the population were content with wooden shutters, and as time went by gradually these went from being practical only, to becoming decorative as well. Wooden slats improved air circulation inside homes, and brightened the appearance as well.

With the colonization of America by the Spanish it became common to see Spanish or European styled housing being built. Rich landowners, such as plantation owners, in the South especially, seemed to favour the Spanish style architecture which included putting wood shutters on windows, thus giving rise to the popular name for this type of window covering.

Today shutters are made from a variety of material. Wooden plantation shutters are still some of the more popular ones on the market, often made from either hard wood or basswood. They are also available in vinyl, plastic or faux-wood. Prices vary a lot, depending on the material they are made from with the hard-wood ones being the most expensive of all. Basswood is also a very popular choice especially as the stained wood is very pretty. They are now found in windows all around the world and are no longer restricted to Europe or plantation owners in the South.

Susan L. West, a professional interior decorator, offers advice on how to decorate on a budget. For updated advice on finding the right shutters for your windows, please refer to her website, The Plantation Shutters Site

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Tags: Originate, Shutters, Plantation

Why Choose Plantation Shutters For Your Home Windows?

Plantation shutters are only one style of shutters that people buy, but when people think of shutters, the name "Plantation" often comes to mind. Why? Because they are a classic. So what are they?

Plantation shutters have a movable louver that allows the shutters to open and close. They are often much wider than traditional shutters which are usually 1 to 1 1/4 inches These shutter louvers can be up to 5 1/2 inches in width. That makes it easier to regulate the view and the light coming in the window.

The louvers on Plantation shutters come in two designs, flat and elliptical. The elliptical louver is rounded and tapers towards the ends. That gives it more strength in handling than the flat louver. So if you are going to be opening and closing your shutters often, go with the elliptical. Most manufacturers are making the elliptical styles. They catch less dust and are more pleasing to the eye.

Many designers contend that this style of shutter lend a more contemporary feel to a room. Modern homes tend to have larger rooms with large, open windows. These can be hard to drape. In fact, many will require customized draperies and that can get pricey. Besides, drapes hide the architecture of the windows. Shutters do not.

Plantation shutters can add value to your home. Not everyone is going to like the pattern or style of your draperies. Styles and patterns change. Like clothes, when it comes to drapes, what is "in" today may be very "out" in a few years. Besides, draperies fade. This style is a classic. They last and last. Everyone's décor can fit into a room with shutters, whether the room is formal parlor or a comfy den, a home theatre or a home office, a bedroom or a study.

A good tip when looking at Plantation shutters is to buy the largest louver possible. The reason is that the larger the louver, the fewer panels are needed. That means the more visibility and light is available. Very large windows can take very large louvers up to 5 1/2 inches without looking out of proportion to the room.

All shutters are what is known as semi-opaque. That means that when closed, they block out most to the light- enough to darken a room. The great thing about shutters is, that like blinds, you can adjust the amount of light that enters the room. That protects your furniture and carpets from fading so quickly. It also can cut down on the energy bills. Unlike blinds, they are more durable. If you have pets or small children, you do not have to worry about the potential hazards of cords. That is a big plus.

One thing to remember when measuring for Plantation shutters is that the louvers are spaced on a half inch narrower than the louver. For example, a 2 1/2 inch louver has a 2 inch spaced center; a 3 1/2 has a 3 inch spaced center, etc.

Plantation shutters offer privacy as well as ambience. When thinking about how to dress your windows, go with the classic, easy to maintain Plantation shutters. You won't regret it.

Visit The Window Shutters Site for more information on Plantation Shutters.

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