Installing Custom Plantation Shutters


Plantation shutters have been getting popular nowadays as an alternative to venetian blinds and window shades. If you plan to have a custom plantation shutter installed in your house, then you will need to understand how shutters are mounted in your window. There are a lot of ways to mount plantation shutters to your window and most are custom made to fit any window.

There are two installation options to consider, one is to mount outside the window into the frames and another is to mount inside on the hanging strips. Both are considered to be safe and effective.

Out of the two ways to install shutter panels, they are generally attached to either the frames or hanging strips and are not directly attached to a window with hinges. Both are effective enough in blocking light gaps to prevent sunlight from escaping around the edges of the window panels. Although frame mounting is more widely used as the finished output is generally more beautiful and pleasing to the eyes.

Frames today have become the most famous way for mounting the plantation shutters.

Shutters via Hanging Strips

The hanging strips are narrow strips of wood generally in a 1x1 size attached to the left and right jam of the window. Usually attached with a "L" formation, the panels are then attached to the hanging strip that suspends the shutter panel in front of the strips. You cannot see the hanging strips when the panels are closed.

Pros

- Allows the shutters to be mounted to the window with very minimal distances.

- Hanging strips in windows that have 2" or more of deep casings allow the shutters to be mounted flush with the trim.

- The price of installing hanging strip shutters are cheaper because they usually cover a smaller area and can actually be 8% - 10% cheaper than framed shutters.

Cons

-The final output of hanging strips are not as beautiful and seamless as that of framed shutters.

-Hanging strips usually prevent the windows from being tilted.

Shutters via Frames

Usually the shutters are mounted flatly against the trim around the window. For different kinds of trim though, frames have several profiles to choose from. Shutter panels of windows are usually mounted directly to the frame and the frames have the standard size of 1" wide and 2" deep.

Pros

- Frames generally look better because the frame mounts directly to the trim. Only a narrow edge of the hinge is visible most especially if you choose a perfect color matching the window trim, the framed shutter will look like it was custom made as part of the window itself.

- Installation wise, frames are much easier to install on windows.

Cons

- Because frames usually take more area, framed shutters are more expensive.

- Framed shutters usually have a little protrusion from the windows. But only very minimal, around half inch or one inch more than hanging striped shutters.

In the end, there is no exact better way of installing plantation shutters. Everything still depends on your taste and how much budget you can a lot for this installation.

For more information on shutters, please visit Plantation Shutters or another great resource is Roman Shades for details on window shades.

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