Shades Shutters Blinds will take orders until the end of this week and stop totally by December 15th as Comfortex finalizes the closing of all production. Warranties will continue to remain in effect for as long as you own your home. Just call for warranty work.

Shades Shutters Blinds is now offering the Norman Woodlore shutters as an alternative to this popular item. Expect production to take 4-6 weeks verses the seven to ten days. Pricing is to remain the same but color selection is now only three white and off white colors.

1. The main selling point is that they are more energy efficient than other window covering options. They can help to reduce energy bills by keeping the hot or cold weather from entering into the home.
2. Another selling feature that home buyers adore about wooden shutters is simply the appearance. Once upon a time, plantation shutters were only on the homes of the rich, and to this day, even though they are now affordable, many still have the same general sense that window shutters add a rich elegance to a home.
3. Shutters are a permanent feature; they are like furniture for the home’s windows. Unlike other options, these are permanent fixtures in the home and will not need replacing, which is a huge advantage in the eyes of potential home buyers.
4. Window shutters are also low maintenance and require little to no upkeep. Wooden shutters may require a coat of paint every few years in addition to regular cleaning.
5. In addition to the above, what makes wooden shutters so appealing to potential home buyers is the custom, perfectly created look. They are considered a home addition, thus adding value to the homes’ worth, therefore making any upfront expenditure worth it in the end.

Another thing about shutters is that they can be painted or stained. Do it your-selfers can opt for naked, faux wood styles that are paintable or stainable so the home owner has the opportunity to make the project his own. This is the same for all of the style choices. If this method is not desirable there is still the option of hiring a professional to install pre-made products.

Many companies take custom orders since every home is not the same. Different styles of windows make it necessary to create exactly what the customer wants in their home. The shutters have several sizes to be made in, especially with many modern built homes being made with custom windows that cover whole walls and so forth. This can be a challenge for those individuals who want to find the dressings they want at a store and just put them up.

All shutters are made in either single or double panes. This means that they can have only one panel that opens on each side of the window or they are made with two. The dual style is beautiful in its own right and offers a lovely way to open them leaving an old style look to the rooms. They can be opened with the slide to allow the louvers to open for an abridged version of the light outside or they can be opened to the outer walls bringing inside all the warmth and excitement of spring or summer sunshine.

Companies such as Home Depot and Lowes offer an excellent selection of shutter options and can order customized sets as well. Each homeowner is looking for a certain look so they are likely to want a different color with every order. This is easy to do. When the customized measurements are taken by the owner or a professional shutter installation tech, the shutter order is then sent to the manufacturer. There are several of these out there like Levolor, Shutter Land, Allen & Roth and more too. The preferred brand is chosen and ordered with the precise measurements of each pane. Depending on the order they can actually be built and colored within a week of the order. This will depend on their work load at the time. Most manufacturers tell customers ahead of time if this is the case. If the company is within the Continental United States there is less of a wait time for shipping.

Experts with this kind of window treatment are available at home improvement stores and sometimes with large corporations as well. The company can send their professionals out to a home, at no extra charge, to measure and record every window that the resident wants installed. They discuss the specifics that the owner wants to achieve with the installation of these window dressings and are able to offer advice and options because of their extensive knowledge in this area. Color coordination, window size versus the shutters wanted, and scheduling are all handled at this level with the individual and technician coming to an agreeable solution to their needs.

As with any competitive industry there is always someone else who wants to offer a better price than the company chosen. Because of all the greatly experienced people in this field it may become a chore to choose just the right one. To help in this endeavor there are reviews of each company and their customer opinions often will help to make this important decision. In the long run, however, the most important thing is that the shutters that go into the home offer all the beauty and satisfaction that the home owner was looking for.

They have become a popular window treatment because it can add a classy vibe to the windows of a home or any structure. With their sleek design, taste of classiness and style, this type of window treatment will never be out of trend. If you are planning an upgrade for your window covering, plantation shutters is definitely worth the try. Moreover, these sophisticated shutters can easily complement any furniture inside a house. It is one of the ideal window treatment because it can also go alone without any curtains or drapes.

With the right window expert, a plantation shutter can be installed in any window of the house. They are normally installed in the interior part of the window, so it can be easily manipulated. Nevertheless, this type of shutters is quick and easy to install.

Among all of the window shutters, plantation shutters is the most conservative one in terms of saving energy. It is the most environmental friendly compared to other shutters because it is made out of wood and does not need so much energy or electricity. It provides the best insulation and controls direct sunlight much better than the other shutters and other window treatments. If do not prefer a motorized shutter, you just have to manually adjust it to control the sunlight from coming inside your space. It also prevents extreme cold breeze from coming inside the house, especially during winter time.

Another reason why a lot of people are into plantation shutters is because they are also low maintenance and can easily be cleaned. When cleaning, you do not have to reach the inside part of the shutter, you just need to clean the outer part of the cover with a clean cloth. Do not apply any liquid to clean these shutters because it might cause cracking and fading.

It has been a trend to houses as it showcases a simple yet elegant look inside and outside the house. You can often see it on the window of terraces, kitchen, bedrooms and doors. Sliding glass doors can be dress up with shutters too because it adds more stability and it also protects kids who are still learning to walk, although it is can be a difficult undertaking for every interior decorator to install it.

These shutters are made manually by sand papers, meaning, they did not use any machine to carve the designs for the woods that were used. Although finishing it with sand papers is quite a lengthy process, it brings forth precision of the finish product. However, other customers like to have their Plantation shutters custom-made. Perhaps some designs are made by using sand papers and nails for carving intricate designs and shapes for the shutters.

Plantation shutters are the best shutters for your home. It gives a good aura inside your room when you look at it, and also it is one of the nicest interior designs for your windows. Because it controls the sunlight and also it has different sorts which is eco-friendly.

Today, the window treatment industry is evolving to be an uphill trend especially for home owners. In choosing the best shutters for your home always choose the type of wood that are durable and prominent such as, Teak, Walnut and Red Alder. Also make sure that the shutters you choose should have a quality premium finish and it is coated with acrylic latex and water reducible lacquer. Other than wood, window manufacturers offer a better alternative for those who are in a budget. Some window manufacturers use a variety of synthetic materials like vinyl, in making plantation shutter because they are easy to maintain, are highly durable, lighter and a bit cheaper than the ones made from wood.

In early America, the exterior wood shutter was mainly utilized for practical uses, such as keeping out insects, keeping homes cool before there were air conditioners, keeping drafts out when heating was less efficient, and heavy-duty shutters were used to protect against hurricanes.

Today, the exterior wood shutter can still serve practical purposes, such as helping with air ventilation, helping with the heating and cooling efficiency of a house, and helping to control the amount of sunlight exposure furniture and upholstery receive, as well as keeping the outside of the windows clean, and giving the home owner extra privacy.

However, they can also serve an aesthetic purpose. For a classic country look, or one of historical elegance, wooden shutters are the perfect choice. Homes in colonial New England often had wooden shutters on them, and heritage homes will often use shutters to preserve the authentic, old atmosphere of a historical place. Depending on the color of your home, you can find just about any wood stain, from a dark mahogany, to a rich cherry, to a bright pine, that will perfectly match your wooden window treatment with your siding. If you are going for a country look, you should consider wood stain to keep the shutters looking as natural as possible. If you are going for a colonial look, you may want to paint the shutters white.

When shopping for wooden shutters, be sure to first measure all your exterior windows for what sizes you will need. Wooden shutters may be somewhat more expensive than vinyl exterior window treatments, but prices will vary depending on the kind you want to buy and the sizes you require. More decorative ones, larger ones, or ones with motorized parts that might require you hire someone to install them, will cost more than basic, smaller wooden window treatments. Shopping online for your shutters may save you money, but this does mean you cannot check the shutters in person for quality, nor can you check the kit to make sure it comes with everything you need to install your shutters.

There are some disadvantages to exterior wooden window treatments, for they are more expensive than vinyl window treatments, and they will require more maintenance and care than the vinyl alternative will. For instance, painted shutters may crack or peel without constant care, and the wood can rot if the weather treatment is not kept up. Some woods are more prone to rotting from moisture, too, so it is important to consider this as well when shopping for exterior window treatments. Avoid teak and Spanish cedar, as they are prone to rapid degradation from moisture. However, most sellers of quality window treatments finish the wood in a way that makes it more durable against the elements. Another thing to consider with exterior wooden shutters when it comes to maintenance is the fact they can be harder to clean than vinyl, since wood is a porous material that naturally absorbs stains, if not properly treated.

Shutters have gone through many transformations, from serving practical purposes to serving dual purposes of practical and aesthetic, since they were first invented, as purported, in ancient Greece. The wood shutter has done everything from keep insects out of our homes, to keep out nasty storms, to beautify our heritage dwellings. For a homey, country look or one of historical charm, the wood shutter is a perfect window treatment to finish off your colonial house or weekend cabin. While they are more pricey and not as easy to maintain as the vinyl alternative, they give a house an atmosphere of old world charm, upping not just your home’s overall appeal, but also its worth on the housing market.

Eclipse claims:

• Energy Efficiency
• Fire Resistant
• Easy to Clean
• Waterproof
• Hard, strong material
• Light
• 25 Year Warranty
• Super Quick Production

What we found:

• Energy Efficiency- We don’t know if the cell construction for the interior has as much to do with the energy efficiency as the thickness which is the same as most plantation shutters. The Eclipse is extremely energy efficient in the closed position.
• These are extremely easy to clean. Water on does most jobs. We didn’t test for harder stuff like permanent marker.
• Waterproof- Yes it is vinyl and will work even in direct water.
• Hard & strong material. We can’t break this and it takes non normal effort to scratch the material.
• Light- You can tell that it is hollow by the weight.  It’s arguable if that is an advantage or not.
• Super quick production- Normal production is 7 working days

Installation is easy. Frames come broken down and need to be assembled with snap in corner keys. The install kit also includes small screws and a “L” bracket to tighten them together but we did not need to use them. The drill holes and hinges come assembled. All we needed to do was put the frame together with the snap corner keys, put it in the opening being sure it is square. Drill the included screws into the pre-drilled holes while making sure the frame is still squared and level. Once the frame is installed. Put the panel in from left to right in the order that they are numbered. That’s it!

Operation. Panels are very light and easy to open. Tilt bar seems tight yet smooth to move. Closure is tight. We could not produce any sagging due to weight.

Disadvantages. We really could not find much except it does look a little like plastic and the lightness makes the shutter feel it isn’t as strong as it actually is. Two 6 year old kids had no problems opening and closing the panels or tilting the louvers.

Advantages. Very affordable for a plantation shutter at around $15-$16 per foot. It is almost impossible to break and it is waterproof. If parts break, it looks easily replaceable without much work.

Conclusion: This is a nice, heavy-duty and affordable shutter. What are your experiences with this? Advantages and disadvantages?

Even after glass became available to the masses, shutters remained as the preferred method of blocking out the sun. Even though cloth curtains were readily available to accomplish this task, solid shutters also added a level of security for the home owner.

Much has changed since those bygone days and with the advent of cheaper materials, window covering choices expanded to include plastic slatted blinds and paper shades.

But these materials, while practical for many, lack that certain stately presence and charm that one can only get with a set of well-built shutters.

Custom designed for your home, panels can be made to suit whatever level of privacy or security you desire. They do not have to cover an entire window, so if you have tall windows and want the natural sunlight the window provides, consider a setup that only covers the bottom half of the window in question. Now you have your privacy as well as the benefits of the opening.

There are two main types of massed produced shutter panels on the market today. One is called traditional and the other is plantation. The main differences between these two choices are the size and shape of the slats. Traditional shutters typically have smaller slats that are rectangular shaped when looking at them from one end. Plantation style shutters have noticeably larger slats that are elliptical in shape when looking at them from the same angle.

The choice of either style usually just comes down to a matter of personal taste on the part of the home owner. If either had any benefit at all over the other, the argument could be made that the larger slats make the plantation style easier to maintain, from the perspective of cleaning them at least.

While these two styles may represent the majority of shutter systems, the designs availble are truly only limited by your imagination

Real wood is the most popular choice of materials as the durability and solid feel can hardly be matched. The choice of what type of wood is best really depends on whether on not the shutters will be painted or stained. Some woods have quite beautiful grain patterns and staining them further enhances that beauty. The choice of paint or stain will depend on the home in which the shutters are being installed. A stained shutter against a backdrop of all white is not typically a desired look. The same would be true of painted shutters against a stained background.

Another consideration will be where to install the shutters. If the panels are the bifold type, then they should be installed inside the window frame. The downside to this type of mounting is the inability to completely remove the shutter from the window opening. Solid panels are usually hung outside the frame making them easier to open and close and giving you the ability to completely uncover the window. The downside to this mounting is that you will not be able to use the wall space on either side of the window up to the width of the panels. Moldings that run down the sides will also need to be modified or removed in some cases.

Measuring you window openings properly is paramount for ensuring proper fit and alignment of your new indoor window shutters. Begin by taking three measurements across the width of the window, one at the top, another at the bottom, and the third across the middle. Round these numbers to the nearest 1/8 inch and record the lowest one.
Now measure again from top to bottom, again taking three measurements, one on the left, one on the right, and one down the middle. Record the lowest number found here as well.

The last measurement made will be from corner to corner to determine if the window frame is square. If it is off by very much, mounting your new shutters outside the frame may be the only option.

Whether you are decorating a seaside cottage, a standard family home, or the most stately mansion in Beverly Hills, indoor window shutters are sure to bring a cozy sense of style and class to any room they adorn.

What would I put on this for a window treatment? I say an outside mount “L” frame plantation shutter. Two panel, left right configuration with no divider rail. Mount end of frame to end of frame. The client may have to remove the cranks and replace them with butterfly’s.

Plantation shutters can be made from genuine hardwood or from faux wood (aka composite wood). Many homeowners prefer to buy genuine hardwood shutters. These are more aesthetic in many ways, although they are more expensive. However, well made faux wood plantation shutters can also be an aesthetic option. Furthermore, faux wood plantation shutters are often more durable than their genuine hardwood counterparts. Hardwood shutters will warp and get ruined in humid weather, or if they get wet. Faux wood shutters, on the other hand, will hold up well no matter what the weather is like. These shutters can be installed for any room of the house, the kitchen and bathroom included.

Plantation shutters have several advantages over curtains. While there are many cheap curtains for sale at local supermarkets and over the internet, most cheap curtains look quite tacky. Expensive curtains can be quite good looking, but even these will fade over time due to exposure to the sun. Plantation shutters, on the other hand, will outlast curtains many times over. It is cheaper to buy good quality plantation shutters than it is to buy good quality curtains.

It is also a lot easier to clean plantation shutters than it is to clean curtains. Curtains have to be taken down, washed, dried and then hung up again. This can be quite tedious and most people have better things to do with their time. Plantation shutters, on the other hand, are very easy to clean. If the plantation shutters are made from genuine hardwood, then one should never clean them with a wet rag or cloth. Instead, it is better to use a vacuum cleaner and gently vacuum the shutters every so often. It is also a good idea to avoid getting faux wood plantation shutters overly wet, although these shutters can be wiped with a damp cloth as the need arises.

Plantation shutters also afford a homeowner greater privacy. These shutters are ideal for a bedroom as they will block out all natural light, thus allowing one to sleep in on the weekends or holidays. While there are some black out curtains that do the same thing, such curtains are often prohibitively expensive.

When buying plantation shutters for the home, it is important to purchase these in the right color. If the home is made from wood, then the shutters should be made in the same color as the exterior of the home. If the shutters are to be installed inside, then they should match well with the wooden floor and/or any other wooden furniture in the room. It is also important to measure the windows properly. Double checking the measurements can save one the time and hassle of having to return shutters that were purchased in the wrong size.

Plantation shutters are not only practical but aesthetic. These plantation shutters come in many styles and colors. In many cases, a homeowner may install these shutters along with sheer curtains. The aesthetic effect of having plantation shutters along with sheer curtains is quite nice. Having a thin curtain installed also provides a homeowner with the option of having some privacy without having to block out all natural light from outside.

Plantation shutters are a good option for most any home. They can be installed in the interior or exterior of the home. These shutters come in many colors and styles and can be made from hardwood or faux wood. A person should choose a material, color and style of shutters that is right for the home. One can then buy these shutters either at a local hardware store or via an internet retailer. Installing the shutters is a DIY job that most any homeowner can handle. The shutters will last a long time as long as they are properly cared for and cleaned. All in all, shutters are a good investment. They are aesthetic, durable, practical and good value for the money.

You need to make sure the shutters do not detract from the beauty of your home, have an unusual or an odd color scheme and predominately match well with the rest of your neighborhood. It is a good idea to choose house shutters that flow well with the architecture of your home. As you learn further information about exterior shutters, you will need to determine if you want functional or decorative shutters before getting into the shopping process.

Shutter Types

Bahama shutters are slatted and can be opened out at the bottom rather than the sides like many other styles. When selecting a style you may notice that several come with options of spaced or joined and the Board and batten with a plank fencing appearance provides this type of styling.

Many people that live in portions of the country with rough weather opt for Raised-panel shutters. This style is constructed of solid wood and provides good protection from the elements. Raised-panels consist of two panels, which are mounted inside the shutter frame and look very much like popular kitchen cabinet door designs.

One of the most popular styles are Louvered shutters. These consist of a top and bottom set of narrow slats. The slats in functional Louvered shutters can be adjusted to allow sunshine into rooms. They also offer the advantage of displacing rain water evenly across the shutter instead of allowing it to pool up in specific locations, which is less wear on the shutter.

Materials

Fortunately, today you have many selections of materials from which to choose. Compare several types of interests and the corresponding costs. Then check how long the product is expected to last outdoors in the elements of wind, rain and snow. Sometimes it may be advisable to pay a bit more upfront for strong well-made house shutters which will last for years to come than buying a cheaper product that may need to be replaced rather quickly.

The materials you choose also play a big part in accenting the architecture and appearance of your home as well. You can choose synthetic or natural materials. Generally shutters made with synthetics are cheaper, however they normally do not last as long as wood. Wood shutters may be left natural, sealed, stained and painted. Wood also provides attractive textures when left unpainted. Wood types used in house shutters construction include California redwood, western red cedar or pine.

Colors

Synthetic materials of vinyl, fiberglass, plastic or aluminum can be purchased in any number of colors. Wood shutters are easily painted any color, but be aware that they will require repainting periodically in comparison to synthetic materials. Before installing new house shutters it is also a good time to repaint a home and you might reconsider your home’s color at this time.

Hardware

Once you have chosen the type of shutter style and the materials, you can select hardware. Compare several varieties of hinges and tie-backs to find the hardware that compliments your shutter style.

Purchasing

It is good to start shopping at local stores such as home improvement centers. This allows you to get familiar with the look, sizes, styles and textures of house shutters in addition too prices. You can also discuss any questions that you may have about warranties, stability and installation with sales people. However, make a point of doing online shopping as well. Shutters can be manufactured and stored in huge warehouses ready for your order. This means they can usually be sold for less on websites than those sold at a local hardware store with more overhead costs. It is wise to investigate thoroughly any house shutters for quality workmanship, warranties and choose a company with a good performance record before purchasing.