Plantation shutters, also known as louver blinds or California blinds, are perfect if you’re looking for something to block out light but let air in at the same time.  Depending on the size of the louvers, you can choose how much light you want to be able to block out.  There is a multitude of designs available for ordering online, made from varied materials.  Price depends on the style and design, and importantly what they’re made from.

Originally plantation shutters were made from locally available hardwood, and they were handmade, often by the plantation workers themselves. Today some of the better, more expensive and classy shutters are still made from premium hardwood, such as Cedar or Aldar wood.  Aldar wood is a favourite these days for designer shutters, as the wood texture and grain is beautifully even. Shutters are also made from a variety of other materials, such as plastic, vinyl, faux wood or fibreboard. Some people prefer these other materials such as vinyl or faux wood as they don’t warp easily, and in the case of vinyl or plastic they’re very easy to clean, and don’t fade or crack in the sun. They’re also quite a bit cheaper than the more expensive hardwood types.

While traditional wood shutters are very elegant and really do add to the rooms décor and warmth, by the same token they also are more difficult to care for.  You need to keep them polished to keep them looking nice. They are also affected quite a bit by the hot sun shining in on them, and the wood can sometimes either crack, warp or fade.

Sometimes you’ll find that online companies offering plantation shutters online also offer you free shipping, which is something worth considering.  If you are ordering blinds online, make sure you are prepared to put them up yourself, or that you know of someone who would be willing to help you to do so.  Remember to specify if they’re for inside our outside mounts–that does make a difference. If you’re ordering on line you should get them with pre-drilled frames, and make sure you confirm that they’re sending you all the pieces you need to get them up, including the correct screws, mounts and hinges.

There are many companies selling their plantation shutters online, and a quick search will usually bring up over thousands of retailers. You might want to make your search specific to your location, so that you can cut down on shipping costs (should you need to pay them) and so you can always pop into the shop if you end up having problems with the installation or anything else to do with the blinds. Just type in the name of your city after the blinds and it will bring up a list of retail outlets nearby your city.

You can also get a good idea of the type of blinds you are interested in, and what is available locally, by perusing various websites and checking out what they have available.

While it is definitely very possible to shop for plantation shutters online, if you have the time and are able to do so it may be worth your while to actually visit a shop that specializes in selling blinds and take a look at what they’re offering.  You’ll get the chance to talk to a salesperson face-to-face who may well be able to offer you some good advice on what would best suit your particular situation.

There is also a big variety of shutters available on the market these days, and you can buy them online or buy Home Depot Plantation shutters if you prefer. Unlike the days of our forerunners, when plantation shutters were heavy, wieldy and only made from wood, nowadays they are made from a variety of different materials ranging from expensive hard woods to faux-wood or vinyl.

Once you have decided what type of shutters you’re going to order you need to figure out if your window casings are right for them.  Wood plantation shutters can be fairly heavy and you need to make sure that your windows can handle the weight. If you’re not sure, it would be best to call in a professional carpenter and get their opinion.  Worst case scenario, if your windows aren’t strong enough, is that you might need to add additional framing which shouldn’t be too expensive.

Next is to decide what material you’d like to have your shutters made from.  Wood looks nice, and even the faux wood looks quite authentic.  Vinyl, on the other hand, is cheaper and easier to keep clean. It doesn’t stain or warp, and it’s easy to open and close.

Depending on where you get your shutters from, you may have the opportunity to decide on the width of the louvers, or slats in the shutter.  The wider the louver, the more light or air will be allowed into your home. Unless you are paying for custom made plantation blinds however, you may not be able to make this decision but you may instead need to agree with whatever your retailer is offering.

Few people realize that plantation shutters are not like Venetian or Roman blinds and if you’re interested in those you should find a good Roman Blinds review to help you decide what you want.  With plantation shutters, however, you can usually choose between fixed or non-fixed louvers. Moveable louvers allow you to determine the amount of light you will let in. Fixed louvers are usually chosen when there is a need for privacy and security, as you can’t regulate the opening and thus you are bound by whatever the standard is.  You may or may not be happy with this. If this is important to you, and you want to be able to let more light in or to see out through the shutter you would be best to chose the moveable louver type.

Once you have decided what type of plantation blinds you want, where you will hang them, what material they should be made from, etc., then it’s time to do the work of actually finding a company that sells them.  There are quite a few companies online who have them for sale, and if you are confident that you can measure for them yourself then that could be an option.  Otherwise, you may want to visit your local furniture or curtain and blinds shop, choose the exact type and style you’d like, and get their workman to come and measure for you.

Modern day shutters are made up of individual shutters set into panels.  Each individual shutter is somewhere between two to four inches wide. They sit inside panels ranging from one to one and a half feet in length. While they are probably very different from the colonial plantation shutters of years past, still they have a unique appeal even today.

During the colonial day, glass was not easily available. In fact, it was mainly used for stained glass windows in castles and churches.  Wooden shutters, however, provide protection from the rain and wind, yet give a view of the outside world. It was soon discovered that wooden shutters kept the home safe from extreme weather changes and gave privacy to the home owners. They were also made to be easy to open, thus helping to control the flow of light, air and sunlight through them.

Plantation shutters, as they’re called nowadays, were originally used by plantation owners to protect their homes from hurricanes. Whenever a hurricane was approaching the shutters were closed tight and fastened, offering extra protection to the rooms and homes of the people living in hurricane prone areas.

One downside to having them in those days was that they also indicated that the owner was quite wealthy–usually a rich landowner, the only type of person who could afford this type of window covering. It has been said that homes sporting wood shutters were often the target of thieves and robbers in olden days, as well as slaves who rebelled against their owners.

These days plantation shutters are a delightful addition to any home, and look particularly lovely when added to a decorative window, or one using decorative window film for example. Prices vary depending on the make and the type of material they are made from, meaning that anyone who is redoing their home, or building a new house, should be able to afford some kind.  More expensive, “made in the US” hardwood blinds can be very expensive, but there are shutters made out of softer wood, or even vinyl and faux-wood that are very nice and affordable. Home Depot plantation shutters are mainly only custom  made these days, but other shops may carry standard size blinds.

There are pro’s and con’s to both fabric curtains and wooden shutters.
Curtains are very decorative. They are soft and look lovely when drawn to the side. They’re easy to fold and arrange.
On the other hand, the cons of curtains are starting to weigh heavily in their disfavour. Perhaps it’s not so much the cons of the curtains as the pros of wooden shutters.

Wooden shutters are much easier to clean. Run a rag or a feather duster over them and they’re clean.  Curtains made from fabric, however, require much more attention when it comes to cleaning them.  While fabric, hung on windows, can help insulate a room from the cold, wooden shutters have been known to be much more effective in controlling levels of heat during summer, and cold during winter, in a room.

Shutters help direct the amount of light that flows into a room.  Fabric curtains, on the other hand, have to be left wide open or pulled to the side, leaving little room for controlling the amount of light that filters into a room.

Wood blends with almost any furniture in the room.   Curtains often need to be changed whenever the décor of a room is changed. So, any remodelling usually involves buying and hanging new curtains.  Plantation shutters, for example, blend naturally with any décor.  They do not need to be changed as often as curtains.  In fact, you can often keep your wooden shutters for years on end without needing to change or replace them.

That alone can mean a substantial savings for you. Fabric curtains are generally more expensive than wooden shutters, plantation shutters or blinds.  Cheap fabric curtains do not look good.  Vinyl curtains should only be used in bathrooms or in kitchen windows.  If you want to fit your living room  out with nice looking curtains or blinds you have few choices. Many choose wood venetian blinds, or blinds or shutters.  These look classy and can withstand many home re-decorations. Fabric curtains usually need to be changed each time you redecorate. That is costly!

If you are looking for a classy look for your room, you would be wise to choose wooden shutters such as the plantation shutters. You really can’t go wrong if you choose those!