The large slats on the shutter panel are called louvers. Tilt them up or down to direct light. Keep them closed for privacy and maximum energy efficiency. The shutter panel can also swing open for an unfettered window.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shutters
Here are some common questions that the Polywood Shutter Company gets regarding plantation shutters. Contact your retailer for more information about the products from the Polywood Shutter Company, or if your question is not answered below.
The Polywood Shutter Company has a few different types of interior shutters to choose from. Polywood® shutters are made from faux wood and bring both durability and energy efficiency to the window. Ovation® shutters are made from hardwood and give off a more elegant look. And reclaimed wood shutters have a unique, sustainable style.
Polywood plantation shutters are one of the only shutters that are 100% constructed and put together in the U.S.
The Polywood Shutter Company offers four different types of plantation shutters. Polywood® shutters are custom-crafted from faux-wood. The white polymer will not warp or splinter, and the white finish will not fade from the sun. Ovation® shutters are made from hardwood, and can be stained or painted in a variety of natural-looking colors. Reclaimed wood shutters use salvaged planks to form a traditional plantation shutter with an eco-friendly look. Studio shutters work for those on a tighter budget, using Polywood, but with more standardization and less custom details.
Interior shutters make it easy to control privacy and light. Tilt their large louvers to direct sunlight, close them for maximum privacy, or swing them completely open for an unfettered window. They are directly installed in or on the window frame, and work in most design schemes. Interior shutters can also be custom-crafted to fit any specialty window.
Polywood shutters have additional benefits derived from their synthetic materials. The faux wood is durable enough to never warp, splinter, or chip. The white paint that’s baked in also has UV inhibitors so the shutter won’t discolor or fade over time. Plus, Polywood shutters insulate up to 70% better than a comparable wood shutter.
The plantation shutter slats – or louvers – can be moved by tilting them up or down. Typically, a tilt rod mounted on the front controls the louvers. But, shutters may also use a rear-mounted tilt rod, which means the louvers will have to be tilted by hand. Either way, a room will receive the most light with the louvers open and receive the most energy efficiency and privacy with the louvers closed.
Our Polywood shutters last 50+ years – more than any other shutter on the market. That’s why these plantation shutters are a permanent fixture that boosts your home’s resale value. Learn more about the durability of our shutters.
In general, interior shutters last longer than other window treatments and can be seen as a permanent fixture in the home. Wood interior shutters last anywhere from 10-20+ years. Polywood shutters last 50+ years due to their patented polymer material.
To clean interior shutters, just dust them like furniture. However, do not use any caustic chemical cleaners. Just gently tilt open the louvers and dust them with a cloth.
Plantation shutters are custom-made to fit the window it was measured for. Once installed, they become a permanent fixture in the home, adding to its resale value. This means they can’t be moved from one house to another.
A half shutter -- called cafe style shutter -- only covers the bottom and leaves the top open for light and view. Other homeowners can reach a similar effect by using a full-length shutter with a divider rail. This lets the homeowner close the bottom louvers for privacy while leaving the top louvers open for light.
Talk with a dealer for product samples, warranty information, and ordering procedures.
All shutters from the Polywood Shutter Company are available in an array of frame styles to fit naturally into a home’s existing window trim. A shutter frame can be hung over trim to give the home a cohesive style. Or they can be installed inside the window opening to keep the existing trim.
If the window has no trim, the shutters install right onto the drywall around the window to secure the shutters to your window opening.
For narrow frames, the shutter will use an outside mount installation that attaches to the trim or wall outside the window cavity. Shutters will still have identical capabilities and energy efficiency and will blend superbly into your design scheme.
Polywood shutters are 100% made in America, from the manufacturing of the patented Polywood material to the building of the shutters themselves. Reclaimed Wood shutters are built using lumber harvested from sources across the country, from homespun Southern barn doors to sturdy Texas ranch fences and more. Studio and Ovation shutters are also made in America.
The primary difference between painted and stained shutters is how the shutter material interacts with the color. Paint sits on the top layer of the shutter, covering the surface. Stains on the other hand permeate the shutter, becoming a part of the natural wood.
There tend to be a larger number of color options for painted shutters. With stained shutters, the color won’t obscure the natural wood grain, making the random knots and bumps of the material stand out.
Seasoned home DIYers might be familiar with some of the processes involved in installing shutters. However, taking on DIY shutters might be a little tricky -- especially for specialty windows. Many prefer to leave measurement and installation to a certified and insured professional to reduce damage to the shutters and windows.
The most popular shutter build-out starts with white Polywood® material. Then most homeowners prefer a 3.5” louver, non-textured finish, with an interior-mount Z-frame. However, every home and window is different, and the best shutter options for a particular window may not be the most popular options.
Shutters with a smooth finish have a more modern look, while shutters with a textured finish look more natural. But the benefits to each style of plantation shutter finish go a little bit farther and ultimately come down to style. The finish on the shutter will not impact the way the louvers open or close or the energy-efficient benefits of the window treatments.
Usually, more shutter panels are needed the larger the surface area of the window. The optimal design is to use a single panel for windows up to 26 inches wide, two panels for windows up to 50 inches wide, and four for windows up to 98 inches wide.
Single wide panels are not as user-friendly as multiple panels. Oftentimes, wide panel shutters won’t fit flush against the wall due to their width. Multiple smaller panels don’t have that same issue. Small shutter panels are also easier to open and get more support from the shutter frame when operated.
If the louver is separated and drooping from the frame, most likely that the louver pin needs replacement. To fix this, take out the pin from both the louver and the stile with a set of needle-nose pliers or a utility knife. Once the pin is taken out, stick the replacement pin base into the same hole in the shutter stile, then slide the louver onto the pin. Talk with a dealer for replacement louver pins.
Shutter staples attach the tilt rod to the louvers. Locate and pull out the damaged staple out of the louver with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Then dab on some adhesive (like wood glue or epoxy) to coat the legs of a new staple. Thread the staple into the loop on the louver and guide its legs into the existing staple holes on the tilt rod. Talk with a dealer for replacement shutter staples.
Shutter staples attach the tilt rod to the louvers. Locate and pull out the damaged staple out of the louver with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Then dab on some adhesive (like wood glue or epoxy) to coat the legs of a new staple. Thread the staple into the loop on the louver and guide its legs into the existing staple holes on the tilt rod. Talk with a dealer for replacement shutter staples.
Sliding doors still retain their functionality and a full range of motion because the interior shutters will be custom-crafted to seamlessly fit.
With new configurations in sliding door shutters and frames, shutters
can be custom crafted to fit any sliding glass door, regardless of how
much space there is above or around it.
Polywood shutters, Ovation natural wood shutters, reclaimed wood shutters, and Studio Shutters can all be custom-built for sidelights.
Yes. Interior shutters are effective window treatments for window cutouts on the actual door.
Not in all cases. A “hidden tilt rod” is available so the shutters are adjusted by tilting the louvers up and down.
Interior shutters come in a wide array of colors and wood stains to match just about any kind of door and trim.
Shutters are custom-crafted to fit any window, including specialty windows. The Polywood Shutter Company hand-shapes each shutter uniquely, taking into account the exact curvature and dimensions of the window.
Arched shutters are available in a selection of mount options, and are able to fit any window style or existing trim.
The louvers on every shutter are adjustable. Unlike with normal louvers, there’s no tilt rod to operate the louvers on a Sunburst-style arch, but they can be adjusted individually by hand.