Are Plantation Shutters the Right Choice for Your Windows?

"Traditional" shutters are not the same as plantation shutters. They have the smaller, narrower louvers and are more often found in the New England states. Traditional shutters are rarely installed today since the trend is toward letting in lots of light and keeping the view open to the outside.

The Spanish introduced shutters to the Americas. Large plantation homes in the South often used the wider louvered style shutters, giving them their name.

The shutters shown here are designed with a narrow divider rail. This allows for separate control of the top and bottom louvers, a feature that comes in handy when evening arrives and you would like some privacy.

Today's plantation shutters come in many different styles and louver sizes. The most popular louver size where I live is 2 1/2 inch as shown in this family room.

The shutters depicted here in this room appear to have the larger 3 1/2 inch louver style. What size louver you choose is really a personal decision. The 2 1/2 inch louver is more traditional and is a great choice for average size rooms with normal ceiling heights. If you have huge rooms with soaring ceilings, the 3 1/2 inch louver may be a better fit.

When shopping for plantation shutters, there are important features to look for. A custom shutter company will measure your window exactly and build your shutters to fit. These shutters appear to have been custom built because of the location of the divider rail. Beautiful.

When shutters are are built specifically for your windows, you will have lots of choices regarding how they are designed. For a window like this, the two panels could open from the center or bi-fold to one side.

If you never plan to actually open the panels back against the wall, having them open from the center is fine. But if you plan to throw open the panels and there is something in the way on one side (like the pipe running up the left side of this window) then bi-fold is the way to go. They work similarly to bi-fold doors, folding one on top of the other, off to the side.

This window is designed to offer the homeowner many options for controlling the view and the light. First of all they are designed in a "double hung" fashion. This will allow opening of the top louvers while the bottom louvers are closed. And because they are double hung, the top panels could actually fold all the way back against the wall leaving the bottom panels in place. The homeowner also could throw all the panels back opening up the entire window. Pretty cool all the function you can get with a plantation shutter!

These wonderful, old re-purposed shutters show how shutters designed to bi-fold would work.

How your shutters are designed will depend on your needs/wants and the style of your windows. This window seat has three windows across the back. Since they are narrow, one large panel was designed for each window, as opposed to two skinny ones. This allows for lots of light and view. Also, they are designed with a divider rail for separate control of the top and bottom louvers.

When shopping for shutters, ask about:
1. Tension adjustment screws (to prevent issues with drooping louvers later)
2. Mortised hinges (looks better in a frame install and from the outside on bi-fold panels)
3. The wood from which they are made (never buy pine shutters, bad to bleed sap)
4. Rabbited edges (prevents light gaps through the center where panels meet)
5. Siderails at least 1 1/2 inches in thickness (prevents warping of panel)
6. References (and check your BBB). All shutter companies are not created equal.