The Differences Between Plantation Shutters, Window Shades, And Window Blinds In Raleigh

Shutters, shades, and blinds–oh my! The many distinct window treatments available might feel a bit mind-boggling when you have to choose one for your Raleigh property. Knowing how to differentiate between each variety will aid you in determining which products will look and work best on the windows you have. Let’s explore the benefits, disadvantages, and top uses of louvered shutters, window blinds, and window shades in Raleigh.

The Pros And Cons Of Louvered Shutters

Plantation shutters are constructed of natural wood or a highly durable composite and go inside your home where they affix permanently to your window with a shutter frame attached to the window’s framework. Hinged panels within the frame smoothly glide open for full light and an unobstructed view or shut tightly to blanket your window for a dark, private interior. When the panels are shut, you can also rotate the rows of louvers for some light and adjust them to redirect light wherever you want.

The Pros

Louvered shutters rise above other options due to their unique design. Along with their unmistakable look, they also offer various remarkable advantages for Raleigh interiors:

• Give your home beautiful architectural style

• Come in neutral colors to blend with your interior now and later if you redesign

• Give You complete privacy and nearly eliminates all light when secured

• Open effortlessly for light and a sightline to your exterior

• Work with any specialized window like half-circles and hexagons

• Shift unwanted glare with the slats

• Simple to dust off

• Offer an amazing degree of energy efficiency

• An enduring part of your interior that adds to your Raleigh home’s value

• Various personalization choices to craft the style you would like while meeting all of your needs

Along with these perks, faux-wood Polywood® shutters feature their own notable benefits: 

• Unrivaled toughness with resistance to harm due to cold, heat, humidity, and the sun’s rays

• Last a lifetime without distorting, splitting, or nicking

• Patented weather sealing for exceptional efficiency and lower utility bills

Really, Polywood shutters can do any job you need a window treatment to accomplish, from enhancing your window’s appearance to blocking cold drafts and harmful UV rays. They’ll even operate and look just as superb decades later as the date you first got them.

The Cons

Plantation shutters’ single disadvantage is that they can only be found in neutral tints. Although their versatile coloring matches all sorts of style choices, you’ll be required to settle for window shades or blinds if you have your heart set on colorful or patterned window treatments.

How To Utilize Interior Shutters

You can incorporate interior shutters on any window inside your Raleigh residence. Customized shutters accommodate every size and shape of window without losing their function. Put them on rounded, angled, and French door windows just as effortlessly as regular rectangular windows.

You may also install Polywood shutters in any room. Choose them for their resilience and superior efficiency in humid bathrooms, cool attic dormers, or sun-filled south-pointing rooms. Shutters are even a great choice in high-traffic areas and kids’ rooms as they are made without cords that present a safety threat.

The Pros And Cons Of Window Shades

Window shades can be found in many differing styles, but, by and large, all feature a layer of fabric hung over your window. You typically pull the material down or up to shield and unshield your window using the bottom pull bar or corded mechanism, although you can find motorized functionality as well.

Window shades don’t have slats to manage sunlight and privacy, but more transparent or less tightly woven fiber shades will permit light into darkened rooms while obscuring the sightline into your home. Or you could use top-down/bottom-up shades that let you open up the upper part of your window for light while preserving your privacy on the lower half.

The Pros

Raleigh homeowners prefer window shades because they can be found in many different colors, materials, and styles. You’ll find shades with neutral colors and vibrant tints, one color or dramatic patterns, see-through or non-transparent styles, neatly folded fabric or fibrous materials, and many other choices. If you want a special accent while redesigning a space, window shades in the perfect color or fabric will enhance your ambience and cover your windows.

The differing window shade kinds have their own benefits too. Roller shades have a sleek look. Cellular shades offer energy efficiency. Tumble shades are nice additions to door windows. And sheer shades offer a pleasant combination of filtered light and privacy.

The Cons

Window shades aren’t as durable as solid window treatments and are often difficult to clean. Their fabric materials will in time discolor due to the sun or might pull apart, develop mold, or be tarnished with stains. You can plan on replacing window shades every three or four years as they wear out or you change up your decor.

Window shades also have less flexibility in balancing exterior light and privacy than louvered shutters. Even drawing them up part of the way means you lose your privacy on a portion of the window and you’re unable to adjust how sunshine floods in. And various window shades will display shadows whenever you have the lights on inside during the night. And rectangular window shades in Raleigh force you to decide between hiding a specialty window’s uncommon size or keeping the window exposed all the time.

How To Utilize Window Shades

Numerous Raleigh property owners opt for window shades because they prefer bold or patterned window coverings to match their decor. They work best in low-traffic rooms where they won’t wear as quickly from steady engagement.

You can also utilize various kinds of window shades for their specific purposes. Select cellular shades to help block cool air from entering. Slim roller shades work in spaces where you can’t use a bulkier window treatment. Blackout shades keep bedrooms dark to get a better night’s rest. Woven fiber shades add an element of nature to your property. And remember, custom shades will unquestionably look and work better on your windows than off-the-rack options.

The Pros And Cons Of Window Blinds

Window blinds consist of movable slats made of a rigid material that you bring down over your windows to shield them. Blinds operate with pull cords or cordless lifting mechanisms. As well as concealing windows with blinds, you can also turn the slats with a rod for more control over natural light.

The Pros

The benefits of window blinds largely depend on on their material. In principle, all blinds conceal windows to obstruct exterior light and views inside your Raleigh interior, but their material and quality play a big role how successfully they accomplish this. You might observe sunshine and shadows with low-cost vinyl blinds. Metal and vinyl blinds also bend and snap easily, which creates unsightly spaces that let in sunlight. For these blinds, their affordability and lack of durability make them suitable mostly as temporary window treatments.

More resilient natural wood and faux-wood blinds have sturdier slats that envelop windows more thoroughly. You won’t see through them, and they don’t break quickly. The wood or synthetic construction, joined with the pleasant defined edges of the slats, look more sophisticated as well. Superior natural wood and faux-wood blinds are available in versatile neutral shades that work well in any room.

Blinds allow you to manage how much light enters through your windows. You are able to draw them up for an unrestricted view and complete sunlight or lower them for privacy and an absence of light. With the blinds lowered, you are also able to rotate the slats for a limited view and some sunshine.

The Cons

Wood and faux-wood blinds have a similar appearance to interior shutters but aren’t nearly as durable. The cords that hold the slats together will fray over time, and wood slats can become misshapen and split from an abundance of moisture or intense temperature changes. Blinds also have lots of elements that can cause them to be difficult to clean, and corded blinds could get twisted up as you try to adjust them.

Although custom blinds will suit your windows in terms of size, they won’t have the full coverage around the edges that shutters do because they aren’t built into a frame. You’ll also find that both window blinds and shades in Raleigh will swing and knock against your window if jostled or caught in a gust of air. This movement lets people see in and permits exterior light.

How To Utilize Window Blinds

Custom blinds are a great choice in any room for traditionally sized windows. Be sure to use water-resistant faux-wood blinds in high-humidity areas like baths and kitchens. And automated or cord-free blinds provide safer products when you have kids or animals.

Sunburst Has It All From Interior Shutters To Window Blinds And Shades In Raleigh

Would you like to know more about the the variances between louvered shutters, window blinds, and window shades in Raleigh? Sunburst Shutters Raleigh has the most comprehensive lineup of exceptional window treatments around and can answer any questions you might have. We provide no-charge in-home consultations to display our products and give you a chance to decide which window treatments are right for your property. Schedule yours by calling 919-887-9198 or filling out the form below.