Hi there, today we’ll be covering five unexpected benefits of having plantation shutters. Just a quick disclaimer on this video, we know that plantation shutters are not something that will be for everyone. It’s just something that can be pretty expensive. 

Expected Benefits

And when we finally got them, there were a few things that we expected and kind of anticipated that they would do for us. But there were about five that we just didn’t expect. Now, the first thing we did expect was privacy. We wanted to be able to close the shutters and make sure that no one could see in day or night, we had our privacy, and they do that just as expected. The second thing we wanted them to do was to block light. Generally, we wanted to make sure that when we close them that it was not so light in the room and that we could control the sunlight based on those shutters. Now, the third thing, and this is probably highest on my list was curb appeal. They look really good. They really can class up any room, any window. And they look good from the inside as well as from the outside. And so we love the idea of having these really good looking, classy, plantation shutters in our home.

Unexpected Benefits

1. Light Blocking Capability

Now those are a few things that we did expect from the plantation shutters. But the first thing that we did not expect was that these would block out so much more light than the traditional blinds that we’d had before. We were using the two-inch faux wood blinds. We’ve had them in this house and in our last house on all the windows and they do an okay job. And they’re pretty basic. The upgrade to plantation shutters means that you’re blocking out way more light. When you push these things closed, it gets it just about pitch black in any room, which is awesome. And on that note, if you do want to make it even darker, like let’s say you have a home theater situation or a room where a baby is sleeping and you want it all the way black, these are compatible with blackout blinds that you can put behind, just like we did in this room.

2. Lifetime Warranty

Another benefit that we discovered is that these actually come with a full lifetime warranty on the entire setup, which is really awesome. If you’ve ever had those blinds where one of the pieces of the blinds gets knocked out, it kind of gives that missing teeth look from the outside. It looks really bad. It looks bad from the inside as well. The strings can get jumbled up. There’s all kinds of issues that can happen. If you go with a company that gives you a lifetime warranty, then that’s something that you never have to worry about again. Both the tilt rods, the louvers, the casing, and the whole nine yards are totally covered.

3. Increased Home Value

Now, the next thing I didn’t expect has to do with the real estate value of your home. So I actually called several real estate agents and got their opinions on does it matter if you have plantation shutters. On the most conservative side, what I was told was that it’s always going to be a positive leg up as far as the competition, if you’ve got plantation shutters and someone else does not, it’s definitely going to be a win for you if you’ve got that advantage. And then others that I spoke to said, actually, you can look at a $4,000 to $6,000 home value increase based on having the shutters. Not only will it help you sell the house when the time comes, but it will also help you get more value out of it.

4. Sound Reduction

One of the benefits I actually least expected was that these block out a lot of the sound that’s coming from outside your house. So we live in a place where there’s a fairly major road near us, and then there’s the street out front as well. So a lot of that traffic can come into the house through the windows. And fortunately with plantation shutters that blocks so much more of that than we expected, we didn’t expect anything, honestly. If your neighbor is mowing the lawn, then it will do a great job at helping to muffle that sound, making it a little bit more of a sanctuary inside the house.

5. Thermal Insulation

Now I think probably the number one benefit that we see from these that we had no idea was coming, was thermal insulation. It’s the middle of summer right now. It’s 88 degrees outside. And you can see here on this thermal camera, that the temperature difference between where the blinds are open or the shutters are open and where they’re closed is pretty massive. You can get several degrees easily. And in some cases, even up to about 30 degrees, which is a huge energy savings for your home.

Conclusion

Now, definitely do your research, take a look around and see what’s the best value for you. Now, plantation shutters can work wonders for privacy and light and the look of your windows. But if you’ve got hard water stains, like I’ve had on the outside of your windows from sprinklers and secondary water, then I’ve got a really cool trick that will help you to get that off quickly and easily. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are plantation shutters expensive?

Yes, plantation shutters can be quite an investment, but they offer long-term benefits.

2. How do plantation shutters improve energy efficiency?

Plantation shutters provide thermal insulation, helping to maintain indoor temperatures and reduce energy costs.

3. Can plantation shutters help with noise reduction?

Yes, plantation shutters can significantly block out external noise, creating a quieter indoor environment.