Plantation Shutters – Old World Charm
Plantation shutters are nothing new, but they have recently been making a resurgence in interior design circles. This style of window covering originated back in the colonial days. As farmers started settling in places that looked good for their crops, they would build their homesteads on these sites and start working the land. When the storm seasons arrived, however, they learned that there was a price to paid for such fertile soil; the weather. Many homes were lost and had to be rebuilt in those first few years of settlement. To protect their newly rebuilt houses, the settlers started installing shutters on the outside of their windows. This was not a new concept, as it had been used in Europe with great results as well.
Nowadays, the farmers in those areas still use the same design principles that were employed way back then to protect their homes, but the charm of these shutters was so great, that people who didn’t need that level of protection had them incorporated into their homes anyway. Because of this popularity, there are not many window covering specialist stores that you will enter that don’t have some style of these shutters available.
For the most part, you will find these shutters attached to the outside of the window. They are attached to the window frame by the way of hinges, allowing them to swing open like doors and lay back against the wall on either side of the window. You can also get interior plantation shutters, although they are not as popular because of the space needed to swing them open. The one big benefit of having them inside is that you don’t have to go out to close them up, which can be a real hassle if you have to do it a couple of times a day.
Plantation shutters usually are attached to the inside of the window frame. 
Their frame consists of two vertical boards running down side, two horizontal boards, one on the top and another on the bottom, and optionally another one running along the middle. Between the frames are louvers, or slats, which allow light to enter your room while still giving you the protection you need. There are two different slat styles; moveable and stationary. Moveable louvers are usually operated using a rod that runs vertically down the middle of the shutter. This allows you to change the amount of light that enters your room as the sun moves. It also gives you the option of complete privacy when needed.
Browse Our Selection Of Plantation Shutters
The traditional material used in plantation shutters is wood. This goes back to the days of the settlers, when most of their home was made from wood. In modern days, wood plantation shutters are still the most popular material, mostly because of the warmth and country charm that it adds to the home. The downside is that wood needs to be treated regularly. If you don’t treat your shutters on a regular basis, then it won’t be long before you start to notice wear and tear, the wood will fade and crack, and in some cases even warp, making it difficult, if not impossible to open and close your shutters.
For this reason, some people prefer to use vinyl plantation shutters as a modern alternative. If you can get over the notion that this material is synthetic and defeats the purpose of having something classical on your windows, then you will realise that this material is extremely hardy, and can look every bit as good as the real thing, without the extra maintenance.
If you are contemplating plantation shutters, you should be warned that there is a decent amount of expense involved. Compared to plain curtains and blinds, these guys will cost you a fair amount of money. There are a few ways that you can look at cutting these costs a bit. The first way is to get discount plantation shutters from a store that stocks factory seconds. Usually, these shutters will only have a small flaw in them, in most cases unnoticeable, and you will be able to get them at a fraction of the cost. If you would prefer not to by seconds, there are still plenty of cheap plantation shutters to be found online, you just need to do a bit of shopping around.
August 12th, 2009 at 5:18 am
Great article! Actually, the longevity of wood shutters depends on the type of wood, quality of finish, and quality of assembly. On painted material, you really got to have good primer. If the shutters are built right (and those that are cost more), they’ll last for years and years.