Busting Common Shutter Myths

There’s no arguing that plantation shutters are a beautiful, long-lasting window treatment that add aesthetic and monetary value to your home. But are they truly for everyone? Of course, we say yes! But hear us out – there are some myths about shutters that may make them seem unattainable, but they are just that – myths.
 

 

Myth: Shutters are expensive

Although full-service measure and install companies charge a premium rate for shutters, you can save 40% or more by doing it yourself! They are simple to install, and by doing so, it makes this elegant home upgrade an affordable option. Plus, the value does not stop there, as faux wooden plantation shutters are more insulating than other window treatments, therefore helping reduce your home heating and cooling costs throughout the year.
 

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Myth: Shutters are hard to install

As mentioned above, they are quite simple to install! We have customers of all experience levels and all ages that have shared their success stories with us!
Once you have your accurate measurements, installation is a breeze using one of our shutter frames. The frame mounts right to your window, and the shutter panels are pre-hinged to attach to the frame by dropping in the hinge pins. Check out our installation guides to see for yourself.
 

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Myth: Shutters and blinds are the same thing

Blinds are generally window coverings with small blades, connected and controlled by strings. They can be thin, obstruct your view, gather dust, and be difficult to operate. On wider windows, you may find pulling the string only lifts one side of the blinds and leaves the other side hanging lower.
Shutters solve the above problems, with a variety of slat sizes to choose from for an elegant, durable window covering that allows you more control over visibility and light entry into your home. With individually hinged shutter panels, and with slats controlled by a tilt rod – plus flexible design options like tiers or mid-rails, you can truly customize how your shutters look and operate.

Myth: Shutters only suit some décor styles

Being custom made, your plantation shutters will fit any home décor, from historic to modern. Though originally found mainly on Southern homes in the US, shutters are now a coveted window treatment from coast to coast.
From a vinyl shutter with 2 ½” slats in Bright White, to a wooden shutter with 4 ½” slats in Claret Red, there is a style, size, and color option to fit any room.
Central tilt rods, smaller slats, and narrower shutter panels will give you a more traditional / colonial feel. Hidden tilt rods, larger slats, and wider panels will give you clean lines a modern / contemporary look.
 

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Myth: Shutters make your room dark (even when they’re open)

While a huge perk of shutters is their superior room-darkening ability when the slats are closed, this does not mean that you can’t get plenty of sunlight streaming into your room when the shutters are open. The slats can be rotated open to get some light coming in and view out of your window, while still maintaining some shade and privacy. Or, you can swing the full shutter panel open a full 180 degrees to completely open up the window for maximum visibility and light entry.

The amount of space inside the window taken up by the shutter frame is so minimal, it will not darken the room by having a shutter frame mounted inside your window opening. If you are concerned with any space being taken up, for small windows for example, you can opt for an outside mount, where the frame sits outside of the recess, completely surrounding the window opening instead of tucked into the recess. Choosing wider panels (less panels within each window opening) will also minimize the amount of solid material when the panels are closed and slats are opened.
 

Myth: They’re hard to clean

On the contrary, shutters are the easiest window covering to clean! Just wipe them down with a microfiber cloth or a duster – that’s it! Smooth and solid, they are easy to clean, with less blades to get in between than you have on blinds – and no dust collected or laundering necessary such as is the case with curtains or drapes.

Myth: You can’t have shutters in wide windows

Shutters are perfect for windows of all shapes and sizes! From a wide rectangular window, to a small triangular window and everywhere in between – our custom shutters are made to fit like a glove. There is a style and frame option we can recommend for all window variations – trust us, we have seen them all!



Custom shutters for a wide window, installed by our customer Julio in California.

For wide windows, use a 4-sided frame, and add t-posts if you need to split up the weight of the shutter panels for better stability and less adjustments needed to your hinges / panel alignment over time. Check out our blogs post dedicated to wide windows, how to posts can help & how to treat patio doors.