Plantation Shutters by Solar Shield Blinds

Three builds: real wood, composite and poly. Real wood is the lightest of the three, can be painted or stained, and is the one for matching existing stained windows and trim. Composite and poly come in painted finishes only, are heavier, less likely to warp, and easy to clean, and the waterproof option is built for bathrooms and garages. Arches, angles and octagons in composite are built in our Woodlore Plus line. Your Design Specialist brings samples of each to your free in-home consultation so you can hold them against your trim.

Yes. Real wood shutters can be custom color matched in paint or stain, and we can match Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paints and stains, which makes wood the best choice beside existing stained windows and trim. Custom color matching is also available on our Woodlore Plus composite shutters, in painted finishes.

They do. Wood and composite shutters both have a high insulation value, and closed tight they're effective at blocking light, so they help the room hold its temperature against a cold window in winter and the afternoon sun in summer.

Very little. Keep the windows reachable and clear the sills, and leave the old blinds where they are, because our Install Techs take them down, haul them away with the packaging, and clean up before they leave. Every opening was measured at your consultation, so there's nothing for you to measure or prep. Once the shutters are in, we walk every room and operate each one with you.

Yes. Our shutters carry a lifetime warranty, and our Carefree Guarantee sits on top of it. For five years, any defect gets fixed free under the Five Year Service guarantee, and our Life Happens coverage takes care of one unintentional damage event in those same five years, also free. Beyond that, the Lifetime Product guarantee keeps the shutters free from defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the home, and the coverage transfers to the next owner at that address.

No. Dust the louvers with a soft cloth, and for a deeper clean use a little mild soap in water on a soft cloth. Skip abrasive cleaners. Composite and poly shutters are the easiest to keep clean, which is part of why they go in bathrooms and garages. If a louver or hinge ever works loose, call us, because the Carefree Guarantee covers the fix.

Yes. Doors get shutters three ways: bi-fold panels that fold back on themselves, sliding panels, or a french door cutout built around the handle. French door cutouts are available in real wood and in our Woodlore Plus composite shutters. Bi-fold panels top out at 26 inches wide in real wood and 24 inches in composite and poly, so a wide slider is a sliding panel job. Your Design Specialist checks the swing, the handle and the lock at the consultation before anything is ordered.

Yes, through Synchrony. Take up to 18 months with zero interest. The application is online, and if you're approved you get an instant credit to shop with us, built on the exact itemized quote you get on the spot at your consultation.

We offer five: 1 7/8 inch, 2 1/2 inch, 3 inch, 3 1/2 inch and 4 1/2 inch. The size changes the character more than people expect. A 2 1/2 inch louver reads tight and traditional, 3 1/2 sits in the middle, and 4 1/2 gives you the biggest view out when the louvers are open. On a tall window, bigger is almost always better, and we'll show you the difference before you decide.

Yes. A real wood panel runs up to 42 inches wide and a composite or poly panel up to 36, so a wider opening gets two or more panels side by side. Any panel over 78 inches tall needs a divider rail, a horizontal rail partway up the panel that also lets the louvers above and below it tilt separately. Your Design Specialist lays out the panel plan at the consultation.

Four. A standard tilt rod runs down the front center of the panel, an offset rod moves it to the side so it doesn't split the view, and a true Invisible Tilt upgrade hides a gear driven system inside the stile with no rod at all. Split tilt, or a divider rail, lets the top and bottom louvers move independently, so you can close the bottom for privacy and leave the top open for light.

They're the best and most functional option we have for sidelight windows. A narrow panel is built to the glass, and tilting the louvers gives you a view out with full privacy, which is why shutters are great on any front facing window. They add real curb appeal from the street as well.

A little. Composite and poly shutters are heavier than wood, so they need a slight lift when you swing the panels closed, and they aren't designed to be hinged open for long periods. If a window will spend most of its time with the panels swung open, real wood is the better fit, and your Design Specialist will talk it through with you.

Yes, as long as you pick the right build. Real wood is more susceptible to moisture and can warp in a steamy bathroom, so for a bathroom, a laundry room or a garage we go to composite or poly with the waterproof option. That build is easy to clean and doesn't mind the humidity. The arched shutter over the tub in our gallery is exactly the kind of opening where nothing else fits as well.

Yes, and we insist on it. Shutters in the same room have to be ordered at the same height, within a quarter inch, so the louvers line up from one window to the next and your eye stops noticing the windows at all. We measure every opening on site, so a sill that sits low or a header that's off gets caught at the consultation, before the order is placed.

Yes. Shutters run 8 to 10 weeks from order to install, against 4 to 6 weeks for most interior window treatments, because every panel is built to the measurements we take in your home. You won't sit with bare glass in the meantime: we hang free paper temporary shades on every window you order for, right away, and take them down on install day. Most projects are installed in less than a day.

Some will. Shutters are effective at blocking light and close up tight for a good light dimming effect, but the louvers are individual pieces, so a little inconsistent light bleed between them is normal and not a defect. If you need a bedroom truly dark, tell your Design Specialist, because a room darkening or blackout shade is the honest answer for that job, and we can show you both.

They can, and older homes have plenty of them. A consistent fit depends on how square the window is, especially on a direct mount, so we measure every opening on site rather than trusting a number over the phone. Where a crank handle or a lock sits in the way, the louvers need a buildout so they don't rub, and we check locks, cranks, tilt in systems and screen removal before we order so nothing fights the shutter later.