Complete Window Shutter Buying Guide in the Research Triangle

At Carolina Shutter & Blinds, we have been providing quality, luxury custom window treatments to our community since 1991. We have a team of design consultants on staff who work closely with each client to fully understand their needs and goals and find the perfect window treatment for each room. Our goal is to use our expertise and our quality window treatments to enhance the beauty, privacy, comfort, and value of your home. We will use our window shutter buying guide to consider every aspect of your home décor and architecture, provide custom shutter design advice, and help you bring your vision of your dream home to life. Keep reading for the ultimate guide to selecting the perfect home shutters, and then call us to schedule a personalized, in-home consultation for window shutters in the Research Triangle.

What to Consider When Selecting the Perfect Home Shutters

There are many different factors you should consider when selecting the shutters for your home. Our design consultants can guide you through the process step by step so you can make an informed decision about enhancing the aesthetics and comfort of your home. These are the most important home shutter style tips to consider when picking out custom plantation shutters for your home:

• Louver Size – The louvers are the slats on your shutters that open and close to control the amount of natural light you allow into each room and the level of privacy you need. The size of the louvers affects the level of natural light and privacy. Larger louvers can be opened to allow a lot of natural light into a room. They are perfect for living room windows, family room windows, kitchen windows, and dining room windows. Smaller louvers offer more privacy and don’t allow as much natural light. They are perfect for bedroom and bathroom windows and the windows in children’s bedrooms.
• Material – Shutters are available in a wide variety of materials. The material you choose will affect the shutters’ durability, care and maintenance, appearance, value, and function. Natural wood, composite, PVC, and vinyl are the most common shutter materials.
• Color – You have a choice when it comes to the color of your home shutters. If you choose natural wood shutters, you can have them stained to enhance their beauty and durability. If you choose composite, vinyl, or PVC, they can be painted in almost any color. You will need to decide if you want them to complement or contrast with the room’s color scheme or your home’s exterior.
• Professional Installation – It’s crucial to invest in professional home shutter installation to ensure your shutters fit snugly and operate properly. Poor shutter installation can affect the privacy, security, durability, and beauty of your shutters.
• Durability – The material you choose for your home shutters will impact their durability and longevity. Natural wood shutters can be vulnerable to water damage, wood rot, humidity, pests, and insects. However, with the right care and maintenance, they can still last for decades. Vinyl and  PVC shutters are highly durable and relatively low maintenance.
• Care and Maintenance – Finally, consider how much care and maintenance you want to invest in your shutters. You will have to consider cleaning, repairing, painting, staining, and refinishing your shutters every so often to make sure they look beautiful and stay safe and functional.

Choosing Your Shutter Material

After choosing the right type of shutter for your home, you must consider your shutter material. Each type of material has its advantages, and your choice will come down to your aesthetic preferences, your home’s architecture and decor, and the amount of care and maintenance you want to commit to. The most common home shutter materials are:

• Natural Wood – Natural wood shutters are elegant, attractive, versatile, and timeless. They are incredibly durable and can be treated to be moisture- and pest-resistant. You can stain or paint wood shutters in almost any color. Natural wood can be used on louvered, panel, mission, Bermuda, and board and batten style shutters.
• PVC – PVC shutters are made from polyvinyl chloride, a high-strength thermoplastic material used for pipes, medical devices, and more. They are very low-maintenance and incredibly durable. They are also lightweight and moisture-resistant, so they can be installed in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and basements. 
• Composite Wood – Composite wood shutters combine natural wood’s durability and strength with vinyl’s moisture-resistant properties. They are created from a natural wood core and an outer vinyl layer. They are available in a wide variety of colors, are relatively low-maintenance, and can be installed anywhere.

Evaluating Window Shutter Styles

The style of window shutter you choose may be influenced by the architecture and design of your home and whether they are interior or exterior shutters. Our design consultants can help you evaluate your home’s age and architectural design and find the right style of shutters for your unique vision. The most common styles of shutters and the architectural styles they complement are:

• Plantation Shutters – Plantation shutters are a specific type of louvered shutter. They have wide or narrow louvers that can be opened or closed and are typically installed in the interior of a home. Plantation shutters are perfect for historic homes, as well as Farmhouse, Mediterranean, Spanish, and Colonial-style homes.
• Cafe Shutters – Cafe shutters are installed on the interior of the window and only cover the bottom half of the window. They offer some privacy and light control while allowing unobstructed views from the top of the window. Cafe shutters are perfect for Farmhouse, Cape Cod, and French Country-style homes.

Why Choose Carolina Shutter & Blinds

At Carolina Shutter & Blinds, we pride ourselves on being the foremost expert in custom window treatments in the area. Established in 1991, we have built a reputation for excellence over our 30 years in business. Our clients know they can count on us for the highest quality window coverings that not only look amazing but also enhance their homes’ comfort, energy efficiency, and value. Our custom window treatments are manufactured here in North Carolina in our Mocksville, NC, manufacturing plant. We specialize in residential and commercial window treatments and personal design consultations to determine the best shutters for your home value. Our goal is to provide highly personalized services, quality workmanship and manufacturing, versatile design, durable products, professional installation, and exceptional customer service. We want to exceed your expectations and ensure you get a quality product that looks amazing and lasts for as long as possible. In addition to custom shutters, blinds, draperies, and shades, we also offer professional window treatment cleaning services. Our service area includes the Designated Market Area , including Asheville, Cary, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Spartanburg, The Research Triangle, The Triad, and Winston-Salem, NC.

Contact Us to Get Custom Shutter Design Advice

Are you ready to transform your home with custom window treatments? Our team of design consultants at Carolina Shutter & Blinds can help. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free, in-home design consultation. We offer custom shutter design advice in the Research Triangle to help you choose the perfect shutters for your aesthetics, home décor, architecture, and goals. Installing the perfect window treatments can elevate the beauty of your home, enhance its architecture, add visual interest and texture, and complement your existing home décor. Our high-quality, luxury plantation shutters are manufactured here in Mocksville, NC, and are the most durable, versatile, and customizable home shutters in the area.