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

Shutters, shades, and blinds–oh my! The range of different window treatments out there can feel too much when you are looking to select one for your Boise home. Understanding how to differentiate between each kind will aid you in determining which styles will look and work best on the windows you are covering. Let’s explore the pros, drawbacks, and top locations for louvered shutters, window blinds, and window shades in Boise.

The Pros And Cons Of Louvered Shutters

Louvered shutters are made of hardwood or a highly durable composite and go inside your residence where they affix permanently to your window with the product’s frame built around the window framework. Hinged panels within the frame smoothly glide open for total light and an unobstructed view or shut tightly to encompass your window for a darker and private space. Whenever the panels are shut, you can also turn the slats for the right amount sunshine and manipulate them to angle the light where you want it.

The Pros

Plantation shutters are distinctive from other products because of their specialized design. They not only look quite different but provide several incredible advantages for Boise interiors:

• Enhance your home with beautiful architectural detail

• Come in neutral hues to blend with your design at the moment and later if you change your home’s look

• Provide absolute privacy and nearly eliminates all light when shut

• Open quickly for sunlight and views to your property

• Fit any uniquely shaped window like arches and angles

• Move sun glare with the slats

• A cinch to dust off

• Offer an amazing degree of energy efficiency

• A permanent fixture that adds to your Boise home’s value

• Many customization options to design the look you would like and meet all of your needs

In addition to these perks, faux-wood Polywood® shutters feature their own notable assets: 

• Unmatched durability with resistance to harm from heat, cold, damp conditions, and the sun

• Never experiences distorting, cracking, or chipping

• Innovative weather sealing for exceptional efficiency and cost-savings

Actually, Polywood shutters can do any job you ask a window treatment to accomplish, from enhancing your window’s appearance to stopping cold drafts and harmful UV rays. And they operate and look just as nice decades later as the moment you have them installed.

The Cons

Louvered shutters’ one drawback is that they are only available in neutral tones. While their adaptable coloring matches all kinds of designs, you’ll need to settle for window shades or blinds if you are determined to install window treatments with patterns or bold colors.

How To Use Louvered Shutters

You may utilize interior shutters on any window within your Boise residence. Custom shutters work with every size and shape of window without losing their function. Put them on half-circle, rake angle, and French door windows just as easily as standard square or rectangular windows.

You are also able to place Polywood shutters in any room. Pick them for their longevity and superior efficiency in damp bathrooms, cool attic dormers, or sunny rooms. Shutters even work great in high-traffic spaces and kids’ rooms since they don’t use cords that pose a safety threat.

The Pros And Cons Of Window Shades

Window shades can be found in many contasting styles, although, by and large, all consist of a layer of fabric hung over your window. You usually pull the material up or down to uncover and cover your window via a built-in pull bar or cord, but you can discover motorized options too.

Window shades don’t use louvers to provide partial light and privacy, but sheer or loosely woven natural fiber shades are able to let light into dark rooms while blocking views into your property. Or you could utilize top-down/bottom-up styles that give you the chance to open up the upper region of your window for sunshine while maintaining your privacy below.

The Pros

Boise property owners enjoy window shades because they are available in a range of colors, materials, and styles. You’ll discover shades with neutral colors and vibrant tones, solid color or eye-catching patterns, sheer or blackout opacities, neatly folded fabric or woven fibers, and numerous additional options. If you would like a stylish design element when redecorating a space, window shades in just the right color or fabric will enhance your decor and shield your windows.

The differing window shade kinds have their own perks as well. Roller shades have a sleek appearance. Cellular shades are energy efficient. Tumble shades are smart choices for door windows. And sheer shades provide a pleasant blend of light and privacy.

The Cons

Window shades aren’t as durable as solid window coverings and can be a chore to clean. Their soft materials will in time fade from the sun or may pull apart, grow mold, or get stained. You can plan on replacing window shades every few years as they get worn down or you alter your interior design.

Window shades also provide less versatility in adjusting sunlight and privacy than plantation shutters. Even opening them a bit means you give up your privacy on half of the window and can’t modify how light enters in the open section. And various window shades will show your shadow whenever your lights are on during the night. And rectangular window shades in Boise compel you to choose between concealing a specialty window’s distinctive dimensions or leaving the window uncovered permanently.

How To Utilize Window Shades

Many Boise residents opt for window shades when they prefer bold or patterned window treatments to go with their interior. They work best in less active areas where they won’t get damaged by persistent use.

You are also able to utilize some types of window shades for their specific purposes. Go with cellular shades to help block exterior airflow. Slim roller shades accommodate places where you need to avoid a bulkier window treatment. Blackout shades keep out light so you can sleep. Woven fiber shades bring a natural element to your property. And of course, custom shades will without a doubt operate more smoothly and look better on your windows than off-the-rack shades.

The Pros And Cons Of Window Blinds

Window blinds feature long, connected slats constructed with a rigid material that you lower over your windows to cover them. Blinds function with a cord or cordless lift options. As well as shielding windows with blinds, you can also turn the slats with a wand for more control over exterior light.

The Pros

The virtues of window blinds largely depend on on the materials they’re fabricated with. In theory, all blinds conceal windows to obstruct sunlight and the view within your Boise interior, but their type of material and construction determine how successfully they achieve this. You might observe sunshine and shadows with low-grade vinyl blinds. Vinyl and aluminum blinds also bow and fracture easily, which creates unsightly openings that let in sunlight. For these blinds, their bargain pricing and limited longevity make them beneficial primarily as temporary window products.

More resilient natural wood and faux-wood blinds utilize more robust slats that cover windows more thoroughly. You won’t have to worry about seeing past them, and they don’t fall apart quickly. The wood or synthetic construction, combined with the pleasant horizontal lines of the slats, provide a more elegant appearance as well. Premium wood and faux-wood blinds can be found in adaptable neutral colors that go with the decor of any space.

Blinds let you control the amount of light that comes through your windows. You can move them up for an unrestricted view and total sunshine or lower them for privacy and darkness. With the blinds lowered, you may also turn the slats for a restricted view and the right amount of natural light.

The Cons

Wood and faux-wood blinds appear similar to plantation shutters but aren’t as tough. The cords incorporated into the slats can come apart over time, and wood slats could become misshapen and splinter from excess humid air or extreme temperature changes. Blinds also come with a fair number of components that will make them a challenge to clean, and the common pull cords might get tangled up or stick if you try to manipulate them.

Despite the fact that custom blinds will suit your windows in terms of size, they don’t have the full protection around the edges that shutters do as they aren’t built into a frame. You’ll also find that both window blinds and shades in Boise will swing and smack your window if run into or caught in a gust of air. That motion opens a sightline to your interior and lets in exterior light.

How To Use Window Blinds

High-end blinds are a great choice in any area for rectangular or square windows. Only choose water-resistant faux-wood blinds in moist areas like bathrooms and kitchens. And automated or cord-free blinds offer safer products when you have little ones or four-legged friends.

Sunburst Has It All From Louvered Shutters To Window Blinds And Shades In Boise

Want to know more about the differences between louvered shutters, window blinds, and window shades in Boise? Sunburst Shutters Boise boasts the best selection of high-end window treatments in the area and will is pleased to answer any questions you might have. We offer complimentary in-home consultations to exhibit our choices and show you which window treatments make the most sense for your property. Schedule yours by dialing 208-609-9129 or submitting the form on this page.