So you’ve decided to put up plantation shutters in your windows?  That is a good choice. They are nice looking, easy to clean and can be fitted exactly to your window shape and size. The panels can be opened by day to let in light, or closed if you need to keep out heat and sunlight.

There is also a big variety of the 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.