Blocking Out Fireworks With Plantation Shutters

It’s autumn, and as leaves adorn our streets, fireworks start to brighten up our nighttime skies. This can be a worrying time for pet owners, as the loud bangs can result in the distress of their animals. And although there’s a great deal of advice out there on the best solutions to help calm firework-related anxiety, it can all be a little bit too overwhelming to comprehend.

Fear not, plantation shutters may be the solution you’re looking for.

The noise reduction benefits of plantation shutters

Plantation shutters boast a range of benefits including light, privacy and temperature control, as well as insulating properties. On top of these great benefits are the noise-reducing possibilities that shutters provide.

No matter what material you opt for, having plantation shutters fixed to your window frame can quieten any outdoor noise, including the loud bangs of the fireworks.

Shutters may not completely block out all sound from the outside, but they do help to significantly reduce the noise in a more efficient way than other window dressings. Having plantation shutters on bonfire night can be a blessing.

If you have plantation shutters installed, utilise the noise reduction benefits by keeping the panels and slats closed to help keep your animals and home happy during the fireworks displays.

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For more information on plantation shutters or to book your FREE in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Can You Open Windows With Plantation Shutters Installed?

A common question we get from customers is, “can you still open your windows once plantation shutters are installed?”

In most instances where interior plantation shutters are installed to windows, the open and close function of the window remains operational. However, there are some exceptions where a window opening may be restricted.

For instance, with an inward opening window and a shutter frame that restricts the range of the window operation, the window will not open or close. If this is the case, the Totally Shutters experts will inform you of this during your free, no-obligation in-house survey.

Your plantation shutter choice

How your window will operate once your plantation shutters have been installed depends on the style of window and choice of shutter. During your free, no-obligation in-house survey, we will explain to you your different options and how your window will operate with each one.

With so many different options available in made-to-measure plantation shutters, there is always a perfect option for both the window opening function and the aesthetic of the shutter you want.

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For more information on plantation shutters or to book your FREE in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

4 Ways to Soundproof Your Nursery

Babies and young children need an ample amount of sleep, ranging from 8 hours a night to 14-17 hours a day for newborns. Making your nursery soundproof is incredibly important to ensure your child is as comfortable as possible and their sleep is undisturbed.

Here are four ideas to help you soundproof your nursery and ensure your children have a good night and day sleep:

1. Soundproof your door

Most homes have hollow-core doors and these can let in a lot of noise. Opting for a solid-core door will prevent noise from seeping into the room.  Adding door strips around the edge of the door is also a great option to stop sound from entering the room. 

2. Consider your flooring

Sound echoes in an empty room, and this applies to rooms with solid floors. Opting for carpets in your child’s nursery can help to keep the noise levels down. If you have a wooden floor and would rather keep it, opt for a rug or two instead. 

3. Decorate your room

An empty room is a noisy room. Filling up the space with things like bookshelves, couches and picture frames will help muffle sound and make a huge difference. Placing as much furniture against the walls as possible will help optimise soundproofing.

4. Invest in plantation shutters

Noise from outside can be incredibly disruptive. Even if you’re in a rural area, outdoor noises such as birds can ruin your baby’s or young child’s sleeping pattern. Ensuring you have the correct window covering is essential. Plantation shutters can reduce outdoor noise from coming in. 

 

For more information on nursery plantation shutters for your child’s bedroom or to book your FREE in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Should My Plantation Shutters Be Lighter or Darker Than My Interior?

Plantation shutters are made-to-measure to your requirements and bespoke to your design taste. And with every custom product, you decide on the specific details on how you want your plantation shutters to look and work. 

Some decisions come naturally, or with research, where as others can be hard to decide. Colour choice is often one of the decisions that our clients struggle with, even when slat sizes, shutter style and material are confirmed.

Light or darker plantation shutters?

Just like all design choice, the answer is personal preference and what you’re looking to achieve in your interiors. Do you want your shutters to blend seamlessly into your architecture? Do you want your shutters to make a statement? Or perhaps you’re looking to achieve a uniformed look from the outside?

Our most popular colour option is white as white shutters are timeless and will go with any interior design, should you choose to redecorate down the line. However, our most common choice for bespoke painted shutters is a finish that is the same colour as the walls.

That said, choosing darker shutters can create a wonderful contrast, and we’ve helped many homeowners achieve that look over the years.

What if I cannot decide on a colour?

If you’re still unsure what colour to go for with your plantation shutters, don’t worry, one of our shutter specialists will come to your home as part of our in-house survey, armed with advice and lots of colour samples to help you choose the right colour for your home. 

If none of our standard colours take your fancy, we have a colour match service that will match your shutters to any colour of your choice.

 

For more information or to book your FREE in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Reduce Hayfever with Plantation Shutters

Daytime is getting longer, the sun is finally making an appearance, and Summer will be here before we know it. 

As much as we love the sun, let’s not forget the rise in pollen count over the Summer season. And for those who suffer from hayfever allergies, sneezing, puffy eyes, and other symptoms can be too overbearing to handle.

What if we told you plantation shutters help reduce allergies in your household?

Plantation shutters for hayfever 

As pollen and dust come through the window, fabric curtains and blinds absorb these elements and make it hard to handle for hayfever sufferers. As a result, many sufferers choose to overheat in their homes rather than open their windows.

Plantation shutters, on the other hand, are the ideal choice for hayfever suffers, as you can open your windows and block these elements by keeping the shutter slats closed. They are also easy to clean, removing the pollen and dust build-up with a quick wipe down.

Great for pet allergies too

It’s not just pollen allergies that can be a nightmare to deal with, as pet hair can contribute to all-year-round allergies. Just like pollen and dust, pet hair collects on fabric, but because plantation shutters are made from hardwood, nothing sticks to them, and they’re easy to wipe down.

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For more information on plantation shutters for your home and their benefits or to book your free no obligation in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

How Do Plantation Shutters Open and Close?

In terms of flexibility, plantation shutters are the ideal window treatment. You can tilt the slats to adjust privacy levels and light control, and you can create separate sections of moving louvres using mid-rails. You also choose how many shutter panels you have in each window opening and how those panels open.

How plantation shutter slats open and close

Plantation shutters are designed with the louvres closing fully flat in the upward position. This design provides you with the optimum light blockage and privacy, as no passers-by can peer into your home through the slats. 

The louvres slightly overlap one another which creates a seal that blocks light and insulates your home. You can also add a mid-rail to separate the upper and lower sections of the slats for separate control, keeping the bottom closed for privacy while letting in light from the top.

Central tilt rod vs hidden tilt rod

With a hidden tilt rod, the louvres are connected by a thin metal rod in the back of the panel, hidden off to the side near the hinges. To move the louvres, you will turn one by hand, and the rest on that rod will move in unison.

For windows over 42″ in height, a central split tilt may be added to the hidden tilt rod to allow separate control of the upper and lower slats as well as for overall structural integrity. The split tilt gives the same functionality as a central mid-rail without having a solid rail separating the upper and lower sections.

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For more information on plantation shutters central tilt rod and hidden tilt rod or to book your free no obligation in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Choosing the Right Plantation Shutters for Your Children’s Bedrooms

Are you looking for a new window covering to dress your child(ren)’s bedroom(s) but unsure which option would be best? If you’re looking for a stylish option that would provide maximum light control, privacy and safety, plantation shutters may be the option for you. 

Benefits of Plantation Shutters for Children’s Bedrooms

Plantation shutters host a range of benefits, including maximum light and privacy control. However, they also have a handful of benefits that are paramount to children’s bedrooms:

Safety: 

Certain types of window dressings are not ideal for children, particularly blinds that have a long drawstring. These window dressings can be very dangerous for a baby or small child to play near. Plantation shutters are installed safely inside the window frame with no drawstrings, keeping the whole ensemble out of reach.

Security:

Plantation shutters add an extra layer to your home. Made-to-fit your window perfectly, they make it impossible to see inside of your home, so no passers-by will be able to peek inside. The shutter slats can be angled to let light and fresh air in without making it easy for people to see inside your home. 

Light blocking:

Plantation shutters help children sleep better at night by blocking out outside noise and sounds. They block sunlight from entering the house when it’s time for sunrise. This is particularly useful for nap times and during the longer days of the year. 

Choosing the perfect plantation shutters for your children’s room

If you’re preparing a nursery, you may have a colour scheme in mind, and you may be considering shutters in that colour. However, you must remember that your baby will grow up, and this colour may not serve them through the years.

We advise keeping your plantation shutters neutral and consider adding a splash of colour to your nursery with paint, furniture and other decorations. 

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For more information on plantation shutters for children’s bedrooms or to book your free no obligation in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Can You Still Open Windows with Plantation Shutters?

victorian-bay-window-shutters

A question we get often get asked by customers is: “will I still be able to open my windows with plantation shutters installed?” The simple answer is yes. 

If your windows slide up and down or left to right, plantation shutters will not get in the way of this function. For windows that crank out or windows that tilt in, you can still open and operate your windows, but it is paramount that you select the correct mount for your shutters to avoid blocking these functions.

Plantation shutters for windows that open inwards

If your windows tilt in, an inside mount shutter frame can block your windows from fully operating. Some customers prefer the look of an inside mount shutter frame and will forego this function. However, an outside frame will allow your windows to keep the tilt in function.

An outside mount frame attaches to the wall or trims surrounding your window. Therefore when you open the entire shutter frame, it will be outside the window recess, allowing you to open your window fully and easily.

Shutters for windows that crank outward

For windows with a crank mechanism to open the window, the easiest option would be an outside mount. This way, you will have full access to reach the crank handle and operate the locks with the space required.

This is not to say that an inside mount would not be possible for windows with a crank mechanism.

Other considerations 

If there is limited depth inside the window opening and the shutter frame could potentially block your access to reach the handle or lock to open your window, an outside mount frame would be advised.

If you want to hide or cover a locking mechanism for aesthetic reasons or because it may obstruct your slats from opening, a mid-rail can be added to your shutter.

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For more information on plantation shutters and shutter mounts or to book your free no obligation in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

What are Plantation Shutter Tilt Rods and Why are They Important?

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Whether you have chosen to invest in plantation shutters for your property or are just comparing your options, the chances are you will want to understand the window covering and shutter style options available.

Totally Shutters have a range of shutter designs available, including full height, cafe-style and tier-on-tier shutters with a range of tilt rod options for practicality. 

But what are tilt rods and why are they an integral part of the plantation shutter design?

What are shutter tilt rods?

Tilt rods are poles that can be hidden or visible on either side of the shutters or horizontally on the slats to form part of the design. Simply, tilt rods allow the louvres to move at the same time and sit at the same angle.

Small shutter designs will require one tilt rod to connect all the louvres, whereas, for large windows, a split tilt rod may be needed. For shutters higher than 130cm, a hidden split will be used.

Why are tilt rods an important aspect of the shutter design?

Shutters are one of the most flexible window coverings, and this is due to the tilt rods allowing full control of light, privacy, noise and heat. Without tilt rods, you would have to open your plantation shutter louvres manually. This means it would take much longer to adjust your shutters. 

Should I have a hidden tilt rod?

When it comes to tilt rod options, you have three choices: central, offset and hidden. Both central and offset tilt rods are visible and run down the front of the shutters, either in the middle or to the hinged side. Shutters with hidden tilt rods, conceal the rods inside of the vertical side rail for a sleek and minimal look. The choice comes down to practicality and design choice.

For more information on plantation shutters and tilt rods or to book your free no obligation in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Winter Shutter and Window Maintenance

Shutter-and-Window-Maintenance

Many homeowners find themselves battling the brisk weather to keep their windows in the best condition during the colder months. Here are some tips from our shutter experts to maintaining your windows and shutters in the heart of winter:

Tackle condensation issues 

The biggest risk to damaging your window coverings as temperatures plummet is condensation and the lasting exposure it can cause. However, maintaining a consistent temperature will keep condensation at bay and will help your windows in the long run. 

Purchasing moisture trappers if condensation is a regular issue may be useful. Making use of extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchen fans when cooking will also help with moisture.

Keep on top of shutter after care 

Keeping up with your shutter aftercare will ensure your plantation shutters are in the best possible condition. Looking after your shutters will continue to benefit your home for many years to come. 

For general dusting we recommend using a feather duster to gently remove the dirt off the shutter surface. Be sure to dust the shutters before using a slightly damp cloth on the surface to avoid wetting the dust and damaging the shutter.

If you’re considering installing plantation shutters in a room that has particular high levels of exposure, you will want to consider UPVC shutters that are water-resistant. The UPVC material has excellent thermal properties which stops moisture and humidity from damaging the window cover, withstanding the test of time.

For more information on installing plantation shutters in your home or to book your free no obligation in-house survey, call Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.