The Privacy Benefits of Cafe Style Shutters

Cafe style shutters are a great choice for properties in busy towns. If your home is overlooked by another property, or close to a pavement, then the privacy of your home is paramount and your window dressing should stop neighbours and passersby from looking into your home.

Listed as one of the “Top 10 Privacy Enhancing Window Treatments” by Houzz, cafe style shutters make your home private while letting in the light.

What are cafe style shutters?

Cafe style shutters cover your window halfway, providing privacy while the top half remains free for natural light to enter. The flexibility of louvres means that these type of shutters are the most beneficial bay window treatment, keeping your privacy for even the most prominent parts of your home.

As cafe style shutters are available in a choice of robust materials, such as hardwood or mdf, they add an extra layer between your home and the outside world, helping reduce heat loss and your utility bills.

Cafe style shutters from Totally Shutters

At Totally Shutters, all plantation shutter styles including cafe style, are made-to-measure to your requirements, meaning maximum privacy. Also, different louvre sizes can be included. The smaller the louvres, the more privacy you can achieve, while the larger the louvres you choose, the more light you allow into the room.

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For more information on the benefits of cafe style shutters, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Reducing Heat Loss With Plantation Shutters

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder, as Winter is just around the corner, homeowners are looking for new ways to reduce heat loss to control their heating bills.

Plantation shutters provide an excellent way to improve energy efficiency in your home. According to a recent study by The English Heritage, when closed, shutters can reduce heat loss through a window by more than 50%.

If you’re looking for ways to conserve energy, reduce heat loss, lower heating bills and improve home comfort, plantation shutters are the solution for you.

Are Plantation Shutters Really Energy-Efficient?

In short, yes. Plantation shutters are the most energy-efficient window dressing on the market and will help reduce heat loss in the winter months and reflect heat in the summer. Plantation shutters are great insulators, trapping the cold air between your shutter and window.

Do Plantation Shutters Prevent Heat Loss?

Plantation shutters are the best way to prevent heat loss through the window. When the shutter panels and louvres are closed, they can reduce heat by more than 50%. This percentage increases with secondary glazing.

Do Window Shutters Keep Heat In?

As plantation shutters add a layer of insulation to your window, they will keep the warm air in your room and block out any draughts. The solid material of shutters provides a more effective solution to other window solutions such as blinds and curtains.

 

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

Choosing the Right Plantation Shutter Material for your Window

Often, some customers feel overwhelmed by the many plantation shutter solutions they’re faced with, which is perfectly normal when deciding the best solution. But, Totally Shutters are on hand to help walk through the entire process one step and one decision at a time.

In this blog post, we will discuss the different plantation materials that we offer, each possessing its unique advantages. The two materials that we offer for our plantation shutters are Paulownia hardwood and waterproof UPVC:

Paulownia Hardwood

Our Paulownia Hardwood shutters are a great choice if you’re looking for a particular colour of shutters, as they can come in a wide range of colours and stains.

Paulownia is a strong and lightweight hardwood that comes from a sustainable source. Boasting an engineered core, Paulownia offers excellent dimensional stability, reducing the possibility of warping.

Paulownia offers exceptional stability which is perfect for high access areas. Due to its engineered core, Paulownia offers excellent dimensional stability which hugely reduces warping.

Due to the hardwood construction, Paulownia shutters aren’t as waterproof as our UPVC shutters.

UPVC shutters

UPVC shutters are sturdy and immune to damage from water. If direct water contact or moisture is a concern, UPVC shutters is the perfect choice.

UPVC shutters are most popular for kitchens and bathrooms. They look great behind your sink, where there is always potential for a splash, or in a wet room where they will get direct contact with water.

Not only that, UPVC shutters are our most affordable shutter material and come in a number of different styles.

 

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

Improve Your Kerb Appeal with Plantation Shutters

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A pretty exterior isn’t just easy on the eyes when it comes to selling your home, your home’s kerb appeal can make or break a sale.

It takes potential buyers just eight seconds to decide whether they like or dislike your property. If you’re looking to sell your home or have it valued, kerb appeal can be worth almost 10% of your home’s value, so it’s worth sprucing up the front of your home before letting agents and buyers view it.

Improving your kerb appeal

Along with cleaning your windows and front doors, weeding and sweeping the ground, highlighting your exterior’s best features will help to increase your property’s home appeal.

Often curtains can look good on the inside but the view from the outside can tell a different story, giving a terrible first impression. Net or shabby curtains can appear dated and this impression from the outside can taint the rest of the visit.

First impressions are very hard to override. If your house looks dated from the outside, people will expect the rest of the house to be dated too before they have walked through the front door.

Will plantation shutters add value to my home?

Stylish yet practical, plantation shutters set the highest standard of style in terms of window dressings. Plantation shutters help make your home stand out when listed on the market.

Not only do they offer privacy, light and style to your home both inside and out, but they come with the property as they are made-to-measure which means the buyers won’t have to invest in the window dressing themselves.

 

Maximising the kerb appeal of your home is essential if you’re thinking of selling your property in the future. For more information, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Can Plantation Shutters be Used on Sliding Doors? Absolutely!

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At Totally Shutters, we are seeing an increase in customers opting for plantation shutters on sliding doors within their homes.

Open plan extensions with doors that span the entire wall is an interior must-have for lots of homeowners. These incredible, impressive doors do not lend themselves to blinds or curtains, which is where plantation shutters for doors come in.

Plantation shutters for sliding doors

As sliding doors are usually made up of large panels of glass, plantation shutters are the perfect addition to sliding doors. Shutters on sliding doors offer complete privacy as well as full control over the light levels.

At Totally Shutters, we have two main options available for sliding doors: bi-fold track shutters and bypass track shutters.

Shutters on a track

Plantation shutters on a track are ideal for large doors, as they can bi-fold to the side(s) or they can bypass to the side(s) giving you full access to the door when required.

Tracked shutters are perfectly suited for wide sliding doors and large windows where you don’t want a bottom frame piece.

Bi-folding shutters

Bi-folding shutters are a concertina-style, which means you can push them back to the side of your sliding door and have them neatly stacked in front of each other. This is great as it allows your open-door space to be free from obstructions with the freedom to fold the panels back over the open door.

Bi-folding shutters are ideal if you have young children or pets that you want to benefit from the outdoor air without them running in or out.

Bypass shutters

Bypass shutters are also on a track but the panels slide in front and behind of each other. If you have a single sliding door, then this design is perfect as it will fall in line with your current door design seamlessly.

 

Plantation shutters for doors are available in all our quality hardwood ranges, available in all paint and stains. Our shutter specialist will create a bespoke design to best suit your sliding doors.

For more information, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All shutters for sliding doors come with a 5-year guarantee.

Add Warmth to Your Windows with Wood Grain Shutters

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Autumn is just a few weeks away, and with the colder months closing in, it’s now a good time to add a touch of warmth to our homes to make them feel cosy and homely.

Add warmth to your home with wood grain

The finishes you choose for your interior have a huge part in creating your home’s atmosphere. Thick rugs and autumnal colour palettes help fix your home for winter, but a more permanent solution is to add a wood finish to your property.

Plantation shutters finished with a wood grain are perfect for adding warmth to your home and windows. Wood grain plantation shutters complement all interiors, whether contemporary or traditional.

For an understated shade that doesn’t leave your home feeling cold, plantation shutters with painted finishes in white and grey could be an alternative solution.

Plantation shutters help create warmth

Made-to-measure plantation shutters are made to fit your window and designed to complement your interior. Wood grain plantation shutters can be stained in a variety of different shades and can be stained in warmer colours to add a glowing look at your window all year round.

What’s more, plantation shutters help to create warmth in your home during the colder months. Working as a barrier at your window, they help to keep the chills out and warmth in.

Plantation shutters are flexible too, giving you the option to keep the frames closed and drafts at bay while allowing the autumnal light in by positioning the louvres to suit you.

 

For more information on wood grain plantation shutters or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey in time for Autumn, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All bay window shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Blackout Blinds Behind Shutters

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Whilst plantation shutters won’t provide complete blackout in a room, there are solutions to help achieve this. Blackout blinds behind shutters is a great way to blackout 99% of all external light.

Blackout Blinds Behind Shutters

Blackout blinds behind plantation shutters are an excellent and cost-effective way to achieve near blackout. At Totally Shutters, we have worked with clients to achieve this approach ourselves.

The combination of blackout blinds and plantation shutters ensures maximum blackout and minimal noise for any room at any time of the day, great for nurseries, children’s bedrooms and shift-workers. Usually, honeycomb blackout blinds are recommended for this approach.

With blackout blinds, you can roll them up halfway and allow a small amount of natural light entering the room through the plantation shutter slats to create a sense of ‘it’s bedtime’ in summer months, but allowing a small amount of natural light for waking.

Plantation shutters with blackout blinds are a good option if you have never had shutters before and are used to Venetian blinds or curtains.

Shutter & Shade Range

Our shutter and shade range has an integrated room darkening blind as standard which helps to blackout 99% of all light. As well as providing complete privacy, our shutter and shade range blocks out external noise too, making them the ideal addition for bedrooms, nurseries and bathrooms.

Our shutter and shade range is more insulating than shutters and honeycomb blinds and offers superior light reduction. Shutter and shade is the best option for those wanting a complete blackout.

For more information on plantation shutters with blackout blinds and our shutter and shade range, or to book your free, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All bay window shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Plantation Shutters for Doors

Do you have patio doors? They can pose a real problem to dress. Options can feel limited, leaving many homeowners opting for patio doors curtains. Here’s why plantation shutters are a better option for patio doors than curtains:

1. They offer privacy and light control

Plantation shutters offer privacy and light control in a way that patio door curtains do not. Some homeowners are reluctant to cover their patio doors because they like the light entering their homes during the day, but for reasons like privacy, and cosiness during evenings, having no window dressing is sometimes not an option.

Shutters are the only window dressing option that accentuates the light, rather than block it. With their adjustable slats, they can be positioned fully or partially open, giving you better privacy and light control. Curtains, on the other hand, can only be opened or closed.

2. Plantation shutters are bespoke

Plantation shutters are custom-made, so you don’t need to worry about large or irregular measurements of your patio doors. All shutters from Totally Shutters are made to measure, and securely fit the opening of your doors and/or side windows.

3. Shutters can disguise unsightly door handles

Plantation shutters are a great way to hide your door frames or handles, bringing character and style to your home. Plantation shutters can come with a mid rail to be positioned any height you require. Mid rails are useful for adding separation to shutters allowing you to split the function of slats, but can also be positioned to hide your door handles.

4. They prevent pets and children going outside

Installing plantation shutters to patio doors is a great idea for pet owners or parents with young children. In hotter months, when you require more ventilation, you can leave the doors open and have the plantation shutters as a barrier to exit.

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For more information on plantation shutters for patio doors, or would like to book your FREE, no obligation in-house survey, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

Do Plantation Shutters Warp?

Plantation shutters are an investment for your property, and just like with any investment comes concerns. A big concern for customers is whether their plantation shutters will warp, expand or contract when exposed to direct sunlight, different weather conditions and/or moisture. Here’s what you need to know for your own peace of mind:

Wooden plantation shutters

At Totally Shutters, we use only the finest materials. All our wooden shutters are solid hardwood and are not hollow or composite, making them incredibly durable. They are also coated with several layers of UV protectant and sealant, so can withstand high heat and direct sunlight without warping or cracking.

Although incredibly durable, hardwood products do not cope well with excessive moisture. Wood is a natural fibre which responds by swelling and then shrinking back as it dries out. This can result in warping, which in turn leads to ill-fitting plantation shutters.

Waterproof plantation shutters

Our UPVC waterproof shutters are 100% waterproof, built to withstand high moisture and humidity levels. These can be installed anywhere throughout the house, but are highly recommended for kitchens, bathrooms and en-suites.

UPVC waterproof shutters have excellent temperature operating properties that prevent warping, peeling and flaking. They’re made to fit all shapes and sizes, and are available in all shutter styles, louvre sizes, paint and stain colours.

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For more information on plantation shutters or our UPVC waterproof shutter range, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963. All plantation shutters come with a 5-year guarantee.

What Does Our 5-Year Shutter Guarantee Cover?

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At Totally Shutters, we understand that purchasing and installing made-to-measure plantation shutters in your home is a big decision. That’s why our shutter specialists are here for you from start to end, from initial quotation to installation.

What’s more, with our 5-year guarantee as standard with each of our plantation shutter options, we offer a no-hassle replacement in the rare case of any manufacturing defects.

Quality plantation shutters you can trust

One of the biggest concerns we often get asked is what if the material starts to crack or fall apart, and will the colour will fade over time.

At Totally Shutters, we only use the finest materials and the best techniques, so you can rest assured that this will not be the case. Our wooden plantation shutters are made from 100% solid hardwood that will never hollow or composite, and our polyvinyl plantation shutters are solid with a reinforced aluminium core that will last for years to come.

All our plantation shutters are treated with a UV protectant and sealant that’s applied in layers for a long-lasting beautiful finish that will not yellow, fade or peel, even in high heat and direct sunlight. Our polyvinyl plantation shutters are waterproof, withstanding warping in wet or humid conditions.

Your 5-year shutter guarantee

Your 5-year shutter guarantee starts from the day your window dressings are fitted and extends up to the fifth anniversary of your fitting date. For a nominal call-out fee, we promise to repair or replace any faulty shutters completely free of charge.

Our exclusions are:

  • Shutters are used for the purpose provide
  • Altered products are not covered
  • The shutters are for internal use
  • Normal wear and tear is not covered
  • Fading is excluded beyond 1 year

For full terms and conditions on our plantation shutters 5-year guarantee, contact Totally Shutters today on 0203 960 6963.