Ultimate Guide to Plantation Shutters

When renovating your home, window shutters are often a hard thing to settle on–especially since very few aspects of window blinds have changed over the years. This could even make your traditional window shutters seem a little outdated next to today’s flooring and carpeting products. This is why more and more people are opting for plantation shutters instead.

A plantation shutter is a great way to spruce up your home to make it look more modern and be more energy efficient with less maintenance than blinds.

In this article, you can learn about all of their features and details. So without further ado, here’s our ultimate guide to plantation shutters so you can make an informed decision about your interior window renovation needs.

What Is a Plantation Shutter?

A plantation shutter is a type of interior window shutter that uses louvres (a.k.a blades or slats) made from a combination of wood and polymer material. Plantation shutters have a frame that is fitted to the inside of the windowpane and can be opened up like a small door. Because of this door-like feature, plantation shutters typically come in bookended pairs. This makes it really easy to adjust to the sunlight compared to blinds or normal shutters.

How are Plantation Shutters Better than Regular Window Blinds?

There are many reasons why people prefer plantation shutters over regular window blinds. Some of them are practical, while others are more decorative. No matter what your priority is, there are many great reasons to consider getting plantation shutters installed for your windows.

1) Plantation Shutters Are Modern & Clean Looking

Many people find plantation shutters to be much more visually appealing than standard window blinds, especially as they give a beautiful sleek look. Plantation shutters perfectly match modern, minimalist and Hampton-style homes to mention a few, and are extremely versatile with different flooring, furniture and wall colours. Many home owners are switching from blinds and curtains towards plantation shutters like bifold plantation shutters purely for the interior design. Especially for bay windows, they look very nice.

2) Better for Adjusting Sunlight

A lot of people complain about how regular window blinds don’t always keep out all of the sunlight. This isn’t too surprising, considering the softer materials they are made from like cotton, polyester, wool or silk.

Planation shutters on the other hand are made from tougher, more durable materials like timber or PVC. this makes the individual blinds lock together easier, making it harder for sunlight to peep through any cracks. Our expert craftsmanship ensures that your plantation shutters are manufactured to the millimetre of precision to keep out sunlight.

3) Better for Energy Bills and Ventilation

Many people choose plantation shutters is because they are great for insulation, depending on the season. Plantation shutters are especially popular in hotter climates because they help make the hot days a little more bearable, and also help keep you warm during winter.

The white paint and wood polymer material are designed to reflect sunlight, unlike aluminium shutters that absorb heat. The paint we use is state of the art and completely fade resistant unlike 99% of the options out there in the market.

This also comes with the benefit of saving a little extra on your energy or heating bills, making a plantation shutter a good long-term investment compared to standard window blinds.

4) Better for Sound Insulation

As mentioned above, plantation shutters are made from denser materials as opposed to softer fabrics. This makes them great not just for temperature insulation but sound insulation as well.

If you live in a loud neighbourhood or near any major roads with a lot of traffic, a plantation shutter can be great at reducing the annoying sounds from outside. Conversely, you can also help keep noise in your home to not bother any next-door neighbours if you’re a fan of parties or loud music!

5) Better for Privacy

Because the plantation shutters can be shut tight with little to no cracks, they can augment your privacy in ways that curtains never could. This can be a useful feature for anyone who is wary of any nosey neighbours.

6) Better for Custom Measures

One of the best features of plantation shutters is that they can be custom-made to fit any window of any shape or size. This includes rectangle, square and round shapes. Finding the right window blinds or curtains that perfectly fits a window can sometimes be a hassle, but all you need to do for plantation shutters is get an on-site measurement from a certified installer and then have the perfect shutters fitted to your window!

It doesn’t matter whether your window is the size of a small TV or is large enough to cover nearly an entire wall – plantation shutters have the adaptability to work in any situation.

Plantation Shutter Materials

Though plantation shutters can be made in a variety of materials, there are three that you should focus on the most: Wood polymer (PVC) shutters, timber plantation shutters, and aluminium plantation shutters.

PVC Composite Plantation Shutters

As the most popular plantation shutter material in Australian homes, the wood and PVC composite offers many benefits for people both new and experienced with this style of window treatment. PVC Composites are made from a combination of wood and polymer which hails many benefits!

The rise in popularity of PVC composite shutters results from their low maintenance. Wood and polymer is very easy to clean, 100% waterproof, and simply last a long time with very little work. You don’t need to worry about them staining, cracking or warping, even after decades.

At FloorVenue we don’t cut costs when manufacturing. Our PVC shutters only use 100% fade-resistant paint that won’t decolour under direct sunlight over the years of its lifetime. Furthermore, we reinforce our louvres with an aluminium rod that runs through the centre. This allows your shutters to withstand four seasons without changing shape whereas lower-quality options may. Unlike cheaper alternatives, we strive to do it once and do it right with our PVC plantation shutters.

Timber Plantation Shutters

The other great plantation shutter material option to look out for is timber. Much like flooring, timber is considered a premium material for plantation shutters, and for good reason.

For one thing, timber shutters simply look stunning. As briefly mentioned earlier, the style and looks of timber shutters can match hardwood flooring and high-end wooden furniture extremely well. This makes them an excellent choice for people looking to have the fanciest rooms possible, or for those who are at least looking to improve the resale value of their home.

While timber shutters aren’t quite as low-maintenance as PVC ones as they often require a wood polish once in a while, they are still very easy to dust off in comparison to soft curtains or shades.

Another benefit of wooden shutters is their capacity to make longer louvres. Unlike PVC composite louvres, wood is less susceptible to bowing when exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight. On this note, just as vinyl is pretty good for heat insulation, timber shutters are even better. They’re also more durable, meaning they are more likely to survive any rough impacts or drops compared to PVC or vinyl shutter blinds.

However, when it comes to rain and water, wood plantation shutters are not 100% waterproof and may change shape if exposed to moisture for too long. This gives PVC a slight edge over wooden options.

In terms of pricing, timber shutters will be similar to or slightly costlier than our PVC composite plantation shutters.

Aluminium Plantation Shutters

The third common material (although less popular than PVC or Timber) is aluminium. These metal shutters are often selected for their superior durability and waterproof nature which makes them low maintenance.

Aluminium is a type of metal that is lightweight and somewhat flexible which makes it suitable for many purposes, including plantation shutters. They can be used in both indoor and outdoor shutters because of the versatility and low maintenance characteristics that aluminium can offer.

The biggest drawback is that aluminium plantation shutters absorb heat when exposed to direct sunlight and can increase the temperature of your home during summer.

Furthermore, they can cost around 50% more than timber or PVC shutters because aluminium is a more expensive material, and more difficult to manufacture and install.

At FloorVenue, we recommend PVC plantation shutters because they are low maintenance and not overly expensive. These are most commonly selected by home owners for a good reason – they are waterproof unlike timber, and don’t make your rooms hot like aluminium.

Conclusion – Are Plantation Shutters Any Good?

In short, a set of plantation shutters can be an easy yet excellent way to add a lot of value to your home. Unlike standard window blinds or shades, plantation shutters are much less likely to go out of style, making them a fantastic way to make your home feel cosier.

And because they’re so easy to clean and maintain, you’ll feel much less of a hassle with them around your windows compared to curtains.

Ultimately, plantation shutters are considered the premium when it comes to interior window coverings. If you are looking for something that looks great, properly keeps out light, and lasts a long time with minimal maintenance, plantation shutters are the way to go.

Contact FloorVenue for Your Personal Plantation Shutter Consultation & Quote

If you’re interested in learning more about how to install plantation shutters in your home, how to get your hands on some free samples, help to get custom measurements or advice on deciding on PVC or timber shutters, feel free to contact us at FloorVenue at any time for a consultation.

Whether you’re looking for the right size, the right price or the right colour, we’ll custom manufacture the perfect shutter panel for your home. We offer free on-site inspections and appraisals where you will get a quote on the spot after measuring!