Choosing the Right California Shutters for Your Home
Choosing the right kind of window treatment when you are redecorating your home can be a challenge with all of the different choices available today. One of the most popular choices today are the plantation or California shutters, they can make a significant impact on the way your home look and how well it stays cool in the summer.
Unlike the more common mini-blinds and venetian style blind with their narrow blades the California shutters feature a wider more effective blade that is generally made from a hardwood such as basswood, that can be stained or painted to match or compliment the rest of the décor in the room. These shutters are similar to the ones used in the deep south of the United States or the Caribbean islands where keeping the hot sun out your home was essential in the summer months.
One of the reasons that plantation or California style shutters became so popular is that while they are great at blocking the sun and heat out, unlike curtains they let the cool breezes flow through helping to keep your home much cooler without the use of air conditioning.
While the traditional California shutters were made from local hardwoods in the past, today you can also find them made from more modern materials such as plastics, aluminum, MDF or medium density fiberboard and other blends of hardwoods. In some cases you can also find vertically hung shutter made from very stiff cloth that work very well. Most of these materials work very well and unlike some of the more traditional hardwoods tend to not warp and sag over a period of time.
California shutters can be painted or color matched to add a touch of warmth to your home and because they are not cloth like curtains tend to last for many years. If you find that you do not like the colors of your room you can also repaint your shutters to match if you have shutters that are made from anything other than cloth or plastic.
If you are looking to keep your costs down the most affordable material for your California shutters that still allows for you to repaint them any time you are redecorating would be medium density fiberboard. This material is manmade and generally stands up well to the test of time, it can also be repainted any time you are changing the décor of your room.
On the other hand if you are going for that traditional old world look, you will need to find someone who still makes them using the original hardwoods such as basswood. This style of California shutters can be finished using stains, varnishes or paints to suit any room décor and will last practically forever as long as you keep them dry. If moisture is allowed to affect the wooden ones they may warp over time.
To find the best choices in California Shutters available take a look at the offerings from the M3 Design Group. With over 30 years of experience in the design, manufacture and installation of shutters of every style and type they will be able to help you find what you need for your next window treatment project.
Processing your request, Please wait....
