Buying Plantation Shutters: Everything You Need To Know
Summary, Skip To Section
Are plantation shutters still in style?
What is the difference between regular shutters and plantation shutters?
How much do plantation shutters cost?
How to clean plantation shutters
What are the benefits of plantation shutters?
What to consider when buying and styling plantation shutters
How to measure for plantation shutters
Where can I buy plantation shutters?
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Whether this is your first time considering buying plantation shutters, or your fifth, it can seem a bit overwhelming at times.
Which materials should I use? Will they fit my home’s design aesthetic? How do I find a reputable plantation shutter provider?
As one of Houston’s best plantation shutter companies, we know a thing or two about shutters. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide covering all of the basic details that you’ll want to consider during your shutter journey.
Let’s start with the basics.
What are plantation shutters?
Plantation shutters are a popular interior window covering for homes of all shapes and sizes across Houston. They exude quality and class with a timeless elegance that has lasted for centuries. Their enduring style and unmatched versatility brings a subtle hint of luxury and class to nearly any living space.
Originating in ancient Greece, interior plantation shutters were built from marble (since glass was exceptionally expensive and hard to come by) with the primary purpose of keeping out the elements.
Naturally due to their marble material, the earliest shutters were solid and unmoving which made them ideal for the Mediterranean climate. Not only would they let light and air flow into the house, but the earliest plantation shutters would also prevent rain from getting inside.
Although no one knows exactly when interior plantation shutters began using wooden materials, it’s commonly believed that this transition took place during the Tudor times.
Fast forward to present-day when most plantation shutters are built using either polywood–a blend of wood pulp and plastic shavings–or hardwood such as basswood or poplar. Of course we have our own opinion about polywood versus hardwood shutters since we strictly use 100% hardwood, but that’s a topic for a different article.
Are plantation shutters still in style?
Plantation shutters have been around for centuries and yet still have not lost their mass appeal or popularity. They may have seen minor upgrades from time to time–like evolving from marble construction to hardwood, or the addition of a hidden tilt rod in later days. However for the most part, plantation shutters have yet to go out of style.
We affectionately refer to plantation shutters as the “black suit” or “little black dress” of window fittings. Classy, elegant, and timeless regardless of the era or current interior design fads.
The primary reason for their timelessness is actually quite simple: Plantation shutters have unmatched flexibility in matching a wide range of interior design styles. Whether the home’s interior design is defined as classical, modern, contemporary, Victorian, or anything else, plantation shutters can easily complement your existing style without distracting from the home’s aesthetic.
What is the difference between regular shutters and plantation shutters?
There’s a number of distinct differences between what people commonly refer to as “regular” shutters versus plantation shutters. Although there are plenty of differences between the two, most of them don’t lend much to the conversation unless you’re actually building interior plantation shutters yourself.
The simplest distinction between the two can be defined as interior versus exterior.
An exterior shutter, used for protecting windows during severe weather
An interior plantation shutter, used for privacy and interior design
“Regular” shutters typically refer to classic storm shutters which are mounted on the outside of a home. These are usually held in the “open” position to maintain visibility through the window, but still allow a homeowner to close the shutters and protect the glass windows during severe weather.
Plantation shutters, on the other hand, refer to shutters that are mounted on the interior of the home and serve a different purpose. Instead of protecting the window glass during severe weather, interior plantation shutters’ primary purpose–aside from their stunning design– is to increase privacy while still preserving the home’s natural lighting.
How much do plantation shutters cost?
Like most professional products and services, there’s a wide price range for shutters in Houston. Especially with plantation shutters, price generally correlates to quality with some exceptions that you should keep in mind.
Buying cheap shutters is absolutely possible. However, they’re likely A) not suited to Houston’s higher humidity levels, and B) made with lower quality materials which will need to be replaced only a few years after purchasing.
Generally speaking, you can expect the price for wooden plantation shutters to range anywhere from $15 per square foot on the low end, to $50+ per square foot on the high end.
The low end of that spectrum–roughly $15 to $29 per square foot–encompasses big box retailers (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) and plantation shutter middlemen who rely on overseas manufacturers to build your shutters cookie cutter-style. These middlemen are solely responsible for taking measurements, but then rely on third parties to actually build, paint, and install your custom plantation shutters.
Due to such frequent hand-offs throughout the building process, these shutters have to account for a wide margin of error. When the final product is ultimately installed in your home, it usually results in larger gaps between the shutter and window frame. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach, but it’s important to be aware of it.
The higher end of that price range–$50 per square foot and up–usually entails downstream shutter sales reps and boutique shutter shops. This group is a bit of a mix-and-match.
Unfortunately, some interior plantation shutter companies at this price point are simply the same shutter middlemen we discussed previously, masquerading behind a premium brand image as justification for their higher price point.
Alternatively, you may encounter downstream shutter sales reps who sell shutters from a national wholesaler’s catalog. Since these shutter sales reps are restricted to the wholesaler’s product catalog and pricing, you’ll likely end up paying extra for any minor deviations from their prepackaged shutter products. It can quickly feel like being nickel-and-dimed if you haven’t already selected your styling options for the plantation shutters.
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into plantation shutter prices, you can read more in our article “How Much Do Plantation Shutters Cost?”
How to clean plantation shutters
One of the many benefits of plantation shutters is the fact that they’re incredibly easy to clean.
Simply dampen a microfiber cloth with water–not soaking wet, just damp–and gently wipe the shutter’s louvers and frame.
In terms of how frequently your shutters will require cleaning, that question depends largely on your plantation shutter company and the quality of paint used.
Lower quality paints typically don’t possess dust resistant properties, and will likely need to be cleaned about every other week.
Higher quality paints are naturally more dust-resistant and will require cleaning much less frequently. You can expect to clean these types of shutters about once every other month, or at least once every 3 months.
It’s important to note that cleaning plantation shutters will not require you to use chemicals of any sort! With the wide variety of chemicals used across the household cleaners category, an overwhelming majority of them will damage or dull your shutters’ paint.
We understand that it’s tempting to break out the chemicals for that extra clean feeling, but trust us on this one. They’ll do more harm than good.
What are the benefits of plantation shutters?
People buy plantation shutters for a number of different reasons, some being purely functional while others are more focused on aesthetics.
Regardless of your personal motivations for buying plantation shutters, these are just a few of the benefits that you can expect:
Wooden plantation shutters decrease energy costs
According to the Department of Energy, roughly 30% of a home’s heating and cooling energy is lost through windows. Since plantation shutters serve as excellent insulators, they significantly reduce the amount of energy wasted on heating and cooling your home. Plus their tight-fitting frames also create a strong barrier between outside temperatures and your home’s interior.
Wooden plantation shutters improve privacy
Most people have experienced nosey neighbors at one point or another. Plantation shutters significantly improve your privacy without sacrificing light in the process. Since they’re adjustable and offer options for split tilt rod functionality, you can easily close the bottom half for privacy while the top half remains open for light. So not only does this preserve your home’s natural lighting, but also helps defend against prying eyes.
Wooden plantation shutters reduce noise
Another benefit of building plantation shutters specifically with hardwood: Their thick materials naturally buffer noise from outside, whether from loud neighbors or a busy street. Unlike other window treatments such as accordion-style blinds, shutters also let you keep windows open without all of the clanging and banging with every passing breeze.
Wooden plantation shutters block light
This assumes that your plantation shutters are built with tight-fitting frames, and not large gaps between the shutter and window frame. Aside from the energy savings mentioned earlier, sometimes you just want a darker room–whether you’re looking for a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning, or preparing for movie night. Other times, you may want some extra light from outside. With plantation shutters you have far more control: You’re able to let more light in when desired, or block outside light when it’s inconvenient.
Wooden plantation shutters can improve home value
As if the previous reasons weren’t enough on their own, plantation shutters typically increase the value of your home since they’re considered a “permanent home improvement.” Not to mention that shutters are frequently highlighted in real estate listings and can help homes sell faster than average. Many home buyers find shutters to be a major benefit when comparing potential houses, so your home sticks out from other competing houses on the market.
What to consider when buying and styling plantation shutters
Since plantation shutters have been around for quite some time, there’s plenty of styling options available to ensure that they’ll match your desired home decor. For the sake of ensuring that you’re happy with the final product, spend some time considering these factors before buying.
Room(s) to be furnished
Different rooms serve different purposes, so you’ll want to take that into consideration when considering shutters. As a starting point, ask yourself these 2 questions for each room:
Does this room face the front, rear, or side of the home? If you’re only considering shutters for a select set of windows in the home, you’ll want to maintain a uniform appearance–especially for front-facing windows. Otherwise the home may look odd from the curb if the bottom floor of your home is covered in beautiful shutters, but the top floor is not.
Is this a sitting room or a standing room? A standing room could be a kitchen, a foyer, or a hallway. A sitting room could be a dining room or living room. This mainly determines where the shutters will be vertically split, allowing the top and bottom halves to move independently of each other.
For sitting rooms, we recommend splitting shutters evenly at the exact middle. For standing rooms, we recommend splitting shutters at the two-thirds point (with the larger portion on bottom, and smaller portion on top). This is especially relevant for shutters in a bedroom since it helps preserve your privacy while getting dressed.
Polywood or Hardwood
Like we mentioned before, most shutters are built with either hardwood (like poplar and basswood) or polywood (a blend of wood pulp and plastic shavings). We personally recommend 100% hardwood shutters for their elegant appearance and lasting durability. But that doesn’t mean that polywood shutters are without merit.
If you’re more budget-restricted, polywood shutters can be a suitable option for window covering. However, before making a final decision, we recommend visiting your nearest Lowes or Home Depot so you can feel a sample polywood shutter and confirm that it’s to your liking.
Louver size
Louvers–also called “slats”--are the horizontal pieces covering the window and can be tilted up or down. Traditionally louvers come in sizes of 2.5”, 3.5”, or 4.5”. There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to selecting a louver size. For the most part, it’s simply a matter of your design style and the window sizes.
Smaller windows and more classical/traditional decor styles are typically suited to the smaller 2.5” louver size. Larger windows and modern decor styles typically favor the 4.5” louver size. If you’re unsure about either option, it doesn’t hurt to split the difference and go for the “middle of the road” 3.5” louver size.
Generally speaking, 4.5” louvers are easily the most popular slat size in our experience.
Tilt rod
There are 2 tilt rod options: Front tilt, and hidden tilt.
Shutters are usually associated with the front tilt option since it’s the more traditional design. This utilizes a small rod mounted directly onto the shutter’s front face and connects each of the louvers so they move jointly.
Alternatively, hidden tilt rods are mounted on the rear face of the shutter and are virtually invisible. They still connect each of the louvers to move in unison, but the tilt rod cannot be seen and helps preserve your view of the outside.
Learn more about shutter styling mistakes and how to avoid them.
How to measure for plantation shutters
There aren’t many shutter companies who allow you to measure your own windows for a quote. But for those of us who encourage it, we want you to feel confident in your measurements.
Face the desired window from the front. Start by taking a width measurement by stretching a tape measure from the window’s bottom-left corner over to its bottom-right corner. There’s no need to be hyper-specific, you can simply round the measurement to the nearest inch.
Next, take a height measurement by measuring from the window’s bottom-left corner to its top-left corner. Again, measurements to the nearest inch are perfectly acceptable.
Repeat these steps for each window being considered for shutters. When you’ve selected your preferred shutter company, they’ll take more precise measurements of their own which will be used for more detailed build specifications.
Where can I buy plantation shutters?
We always recommend searching around for at least 3 quotes from local shutter companies since there’s such a wide range for both product quality and prices.
To help avoid falling for the shutter middlemen that we mentioned earlier, ask these questions during your consultation:
Where will my shutters actually be built?
Are the shutters made of polywood, or hardwood?
How long will it take to build & install my shutters?
Does each shutter come with a lifetime warranty?
Is there a difference in cost if I select different paint or frame options?
For more details behind each of these questions and why they’re important, read our article on “Important Questions to Ask During a Consultation for Plantation Shutters.”
Looking to buy plantation shutters in Houston?
Get in touch to discuss if we’re a good fit for your shutters project. Schedule your free in-home consultation below at whatever day/time best suits your schedule.