The Benefits of Plantation Shutters

The Benefits of Plantation Shutters
Robert Morrison
10/17/2014
Updated:
4/23/2016

There are many different types of window blinds, shutters and other solutions available to you to meet your needs regarding the way in which light is controlled when entering a room in your home. If you’re looking for something simple and straightforward, for example, a traditional set of window blinds may be to your liking. Apart from regular dusting, these types of blinds require very little maintenance and will commonly last for decades or more. In recent years, plantation shutters have become increasingly popular in a variety of settings: from retail businesses to homes to offices and everything in between. There are a few key benefits that can’t be ignored.
 
One of the major benefits of plantation blinds has to do with the way in which they will increase the overall energy efficiency of your home. Increased energy efficiency is particularly apparent if you have a central heating and air conditioning unit.

The slats that are used to create plantation shutters are commonly manufactured from a high quality material that is inherently durable, like certain types of wood. Because of this, they are one of the most effective solutions that a person can invest in when attempting to block some or even all light from entering a room during the day. As far as energy efficiency is concerned, because light can effectively be eliminated from a room by closing the shutters, the temperature of the room itself will not get nearly as hot during the day when it is exposed to period of direct sunlight. As a result, the air conditioner in that room (or across the entire house if plantation blinds are installed across the entire building) will not have to work as hard to regulate the temperature in those areas. You can save a significant amount of money on your cooling bills during the warm summer months of the year just by keeping plantation shutters closed during the day.

The same concept is also true during those cold winter months of the year. If you have a window in your home that is naturally drafty and can’t fix the problem by applying a new coating of caulking, plantation shutters may be a viable (and less expensive) alternative to replacing the windows altogether. When the shutters themselves are closed, they would effectively prevent cool air from getting into the room in question and dropping the temperature in a noticeable way. The benefit is another that would cause your home heating system to work more efficiently when it comes to temperature regulation, thus saving you a noticeable amount of money each month on your heating and cooling bills.
 
Another major benefit of plantation shutters has to do with the fact that they are commonly considered to be one of the most attractive solutions for a particular home. They are commonly seen as sophisticated, for example, and are often used to provide a custom, elegant window treatment solution for any room in a home. Because they can also be customized to fit within the existing visual aesthetic of a home, they are also seen as a versatile solution for these needs.

One of the most important benefits of plantation shutters is that they have actually been proven to help increase the resale value of a home. They are commonly made to the exact specifications of a window due to the fact that they are essentially a permanent addition to that location. With a traditional set of window blinds, for example, it is relatively easy to change blinds at any frequency that you'd like. You only have to use a drill or a screwdriver to remove the rod holding the blinds in place (similar to the setup that you would see with a pair of curtains) and install the new blinds using essentially the same method.
 
With plantation shutters, they are installed into the window frames themselves.

They are considered by many to be a significant upgrade over traditional blinds and much like installing new windows themselves, are a great way to get more money for your home in the event that you ever choose to sell.