Window shutters can be an excellent addition to any home, giving you privacy and better control over the brightness of an interior space. However, like many things in the modern age, it has become easier than ever to find them online, and many companies sell their shutter blinds almost exclusively over the internet. There are more options than ever before – but this also means that finding them can be more difficult. So, how can you be sure that you are looking at the right option?
Health Issues
Being a health website, firstly we wanted to point out that you should always source water based paint for your plantation shutters. Those made with Oil based paint will emit harmful VOC’s that could be detrimental to your health over the long term.
Understand Shutter Types
Shutters come in all shapes and sizes. For example, a set of PVC plantation shutters can be completely different depending on your panel configurations and frame type chosen, however they will cost the same if they take up the same amount of space as the price is always calculated per square meter. It’s important to order free samples if you are ordering your plantation shutters online, as it becomes increasingly difficult to tell what you are looking at and how it will fit into your home.
To make this easier, spend some time researching blinds that you might be interested in. Don’t hesitate to look at items that are out of your price range or don’t fit into your window, since it might reveal a new type or style of window shutters that you weren’t aware of before. If you are looking for DIY plantation shutters advice, this can still make a big difference, since it gives you more ideas to work with.
Choose Materials
If you aren’t familiar with shutters and blinds, materials might not seem all that important apart from as a visual change, however there is a considerable price difference between timber plantation shutters and those made from PVC. The right material can make a massive difference to the way that the shutters interact with the rest of your home, and might even alter how comfortable you are in certain rooms.
For example, if you look at some of the most popular plantation shutters in Australia has to offer, you might find that a lot of them are using a specific type of material to help with the harsh climate there. On the other hand, if you were to look at a country with a lot of sunlight but low average temperatures, then plantation blinds using more readily available materials would be more popular such as basswood.
Remember that different materials can impact both price and durability, too. Bathrooms and kitchens generally need water-resistant or waterproof blinds and shutters, while those in an area with a fireplace should ideally be fire retardant. Polymer (PVC) shutters are your best bet for these rooms. Even if two different types of shutter are made with different materials, you can often still get them in the same colour and style, so you don’t need to worry about mixing and matching very often.
Measure
Not all blinds and shutters use the same design. Some blinds are designed to hang down and don’t necessarily need to fit into the window entirely as long as they can cover almost all of it. Others, such as plantation blinds, are specifically designed to fit over the edges of the window as accurately as possible. If you know your measurements, you will generally end up with better results during your search.
It is important to know how much flexibility you have with your measurements before you agree to any purchases. In some cases, a small error can be ignored entirely, especially if the blinds can be adjusted in a way that fixes the problem. In the case of plantation shutters and other more fixed options, having accurate information can be the difference between a perfect fit and something that needs to be trimmed down or returned.
Where to Look
Really, there isn’t a single place to look for blinds and plantation shutters online. No matter how in-depth you need to get, there will be dozens of companies that can offer what you are looking for, so make sure that you are ready to compare multiple products at once. Two brands might produce something that looks more or less the same, but the main changes – price, materials, size, delivery times – can all make or break a purchase for you. If you’re not looking to break the bank then you will need to go for DIY shutters.
Once you have an idea of what you are looking for, it isn’t hard to find products that fill that niche. Take your time and think things over – there is no need to rush yourself, and you will end up with something much more fitting.
