Plantation Shutters: An Explanation
Thought they are known as plantation shutters, these blinds actually have roots much further back than the days of the southern plantations. Yes, they were used in this time period, but would you believe that plantation shutters and hurricane shutters were actually used as far back as the Holy Roman Empire? It’s amazing yes, but absolutely true! It seems that they come into style for a few short decades, fade out, and are re-introduced. The time has come again as plantation shutters are making their comeback and you can now see them in a number of different modern homes. For those wondering, plantation shutters can be composed of a number of different materials including the following:
Hardwood – Can become warped and ruined in humid weather or if they inadvertently become wet.
Faux Wood(synthetic) – This is tougher and will endure the elements, but they are more expensive. Note however that they can be installed in any room of the house which includes the bathroom and kitchen – locations off limits to genuine plantation shutters.
Plantation Shutters: The Benefits
There are plenty of benefits to owning plantation shutters, some of which you may not yet be aware of. For one thing they are much easier to clean than curtains as curtains will need to be taken down, cleaned, dried, and rehung. This is a lot of effort, and with plantation shutters you can simply do a wipe down while they are hanging.
Plantation shutters can endure the sunlight weather you are dealing with faux shutters or hardwood shutters. Curtains would eventually fade, even if you were using the more expensive ones. Some people will believe the solution is to use cheaper curtains which works in theory, but have you ever stopped to look at those cheaper curtains? Chances are that you don’t want them anywhere near your living room. In the long run it will be cheaper and easier to purchase plantation shutters as you will not need to replace them anytime soon and you will not waste water in cleaning them.
One of the best things about plantation shutters is the amount of privacy that they can afford an individual. With most shutters and blinds you would be forced to endure at least a small amount of light seeping through in the daytime, and if you work during the night, then you need your room to be pitch black. Your plantation shutters can block out all natural lighting in the way the more expensive black out curtains can.
Reduced Energy Costs
Reducing energy costs is very important to homeowners right now and with good reason. The economy is taking quite the nose dive, and hurricane shutters actually provide a bonus to that energy efficiency. By keeping drafts down and blocking the flow of air to windows, less air would escape, thereby providing a more energy efficient flow within the home.
Types of Plantation Shutters
There are many different types of plantation shutters that one would need to consider when designing their home ore simply remodeling. Let’s take a look at the different types so that you can have a better idea of what you’re looking at:
Hardwood Plantation Shutters: These plantation shutters are made from either Poplar Wood Alder Wood, or even Cedar Wood. Compared to most other types of shutters, they have the best finish and are understandably higher in price.
Basewood Plantation Shutters: Basewood shutters, unlike hardwood plantation shutters can resist warping due to weather. In addition to that they have a beautiful grain along with some incredible staining properties.
Vinyl Plantation Shutters: These shutters are mostly intended for those who simply cannot afford the other types, but that does not mean they are cheaply made. As a matter of fact you will more than likely find that these are resistant to wear and tear, and that they do not fade in the face of natural lighting.
As you can see, there are more than a few types of plantation shutters available, and it may take you some time to choose the best ones for your home or office. In the end however you will come to realize that these plantation shutters offer some amazing advantages that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere!