Baltimore's Frequently Asked Questions About Shutters

For more than 1 year, we’ve been asked every question about shutters you can think of from our customers in Baltimore. And we’ve collected the top ten of them here. Maybe in these questions and answers you’ll find answers to questions of your own. If not, please don’t hesitate to contact Sunburst Shutters Baltimore directly. We’re here to assist you and happy to do so.

That hinges on how you want the shutters to mesh with your home’s décor. Do you want a shutter that contrasts your wall paint color and has clean lines? Polywood® plantation shutters are perfect for you. Or are you looking to replicate the wood in your home as closely as possible? Ovation® wood shutters are the ultimate fit for you.

Plantation shutters are celebrated for being energy efficient. And to get the greatest energy savings, our Polywood Shutter Insulation System is the only choice.

For the budget-conscious, blinds can be temporary window treatments to cover your windows. Chances are, store-bought blinds will deteriorate over time, with its strings breaking and the loops that hold the slats in place falling apart. Additionally, they’re not easy to clean. Even if you're budget-conscious, Sunburst Shutters blinds have the durability and craftsmanship lacking in off-the-rack, store-bought, or online blinds.

Shades offer a host of colors, materials, and unique patterns, turning your window into artwork. By effortlessly pulling up the fabric of the shade, your entire window is exposed and you can see out onto your Baltimore neighborhood.

Draperies also offer a wide collection of color, fabric, and patterns. They are a traditional alternative for a window treatment. Placing thick panels between the drapes and the window allows for light and temperature block-out capabilities. And unlike other window treatments, there’s no rush to clean draperies for five years.

If you’re looking for a window treatment that lasts beyond 10 years, saves you real dollars on your energy bills, and looks charming on your windows, shutters are the choice for your home. Not only are shutters durable, but they’re also magnificent and energy efficient. In fact, Polywood shutters insulate up to 70% better than a similar wood shutter. That's energy savings you will miss out on with any other window treatment.

Plantation shutters are unparalleled when it comes to control over privacy and light. And with their large louvers, Polywood plantation shutters give your room a clean contemporary feel whether they’re closed or open.

A poorly installed window treatment can be tough to open and can get damaged easily. We have an expert installation crew that comes to your home and installs your window treatment just right, double checking that each one moves smoothly – and doesn’t get damaged throughout.

But before we start installing your shutters, we bring shutter samples to your home so we can custom design your window treatment together. Learn more about our free in-home consultation.

Your plantation shutter slats – or louvers – can be moved simply by pushing them up or down. Most commonly, a tilt rod mounted on the front of the shutters allows you to adjust the louvers. If you want to move the louvers with your hand, we suggest buying shutters with hidden tilt-rods or rear-mounted tilt rods. This gives your shutters a clean, contemporary appearance.

Our Polywood shutters last more than 50 years – more than any other shutter you can find. That’s why these plantation shutters are a permanent fixture that increases your home’s resale value. Learn more about the durability of our shutters.

Plantation shutters are a breeze to clean because they have large louvers and their tilt bars are either hidden or mounted on the rear. Just tilt them open and dust them like furniture – or wipe smudges with a wet cloth.

Plantation shutters are custom crafted to fit your windows down to the last one eighth of an inch. They become a permanent fixture of your home, adding to its resale value. It’s not possible to move these shutters from one house to another.

Plantation shutters are an investment that provides you with temperature control, energy efficiency, and privacy. They are custom manufactured and installed on your windows to become permanent fixtures. Not only are they magnificent and energy saving, but plantation shutters also boost the value of your home. We’ve seen it first hand in Baltimore!

A half shutter gives you privacy on the bottom and leaves the top open for light and view. It’s called a café style shutter. But is it the ideal look for a plantation shutter?

Cafe Shutters Cafe Style Shutters With Divider

Ultimately, it’s a style choice – whether you like the look of a half shutter or that of a plantation shutter with a divider rail.

A full length shutter with a divider rail “completes” your window, giving it a well-rounded look – and giving you the option to close the bottom louvers for privacy while leaving the top louvers open for light. At night, you have the option of closing the top louvers as well for privacy and security. This also comes in handy during the day when the sun is hindering you from watching TV. And don’t worry about forgoing any of your view. A 3.5" or 4.5" louver will almost disappear when opened flat and gives you plenty of of a view to look through.

Easy! Call us at 301-321-7998 or fill out the form below to schedule your free in-home consultation, and we’ll guide you from there. We come out to your home to measure the windows you want to cover with shutters and bring samples of all of our shutter products and their available options. Once you’ve selected a shutter that matches your style, we can provide you with the best shutter estimate for your project. Schedule your in-home consultation today!

Absolutely! There’s a need to get rid of or do work on your existing window trim when you buy new plantation shutters. Natural Ovation wood shutters and premier Polywood shutters are offered in a variety of frame styles to fit naturally into your existing window trim. If your windows are trimless, you can choose a specific frame style to install directly onto the drywall around your window to fix your stunning new shutters to your window opening.

Your installation crew will measure each of your house’s windows during your free design consultation to ensure that your window trim is tastefully complemented by the frame of your new shutters.

Sunburst Shutters Baltimore is happy to provide a range of shutters made right here in America. Our top-selling Polywood plantation shutters are 100% American-made, from the creation of our exclusive Polywood material to the construction of the shutters themselves. Not only does that mean a lower final price without unnecessary shipping and handling costs, it also gives you the benefit of knowing you’re choosing an all-American product for your Baltimore home.

And Polywood isn’t the only shutter that’s from America. Our naturally beautiful Reclaimed Wood shutters are constructed with lumber repurposed from sources across the country, from homespun Southern barn doors to beautiful New England fences and more.

The main differentiator between paints and stains for shutters is how the color interacts with the shutter material. Paint lays on the top layer of the shutter, just coating the surface. Stains on the other hand seep into the shutter, bonding to the natural wood or Polywood material.

Both methods come with their individual benefits. There tend to be more color options for paints. With stained shutters, the color doesn’t interfere with the natural wood grain, so you’re able to see the random knots and bumps of the material without it being hidden by a layer of paint.

For your in-home window design consultation, we’ll bring samples of all our color options directly to your home so you can perfectly color match with your current design.

The entire plantation shutter process, from your initial consultation to installing the shutters, usually takes approximately four to six weeks. The reason it takes this long is because we strive to build the perfect shutters for your windows. To do that, we need to take exact measurements, use advanced software to design them, assemble your brand-new shutters manually, and deliver them to your home for installation. Real wood shutters tend to take longer than faux wood because of the extra steps needed to stain and treat the wood.

It will take a little time, but it’s absolutely worth the wait.

We offer a start to finish in-home shopping experience. We’ll send shutter expert to you to take precise measurements of your windows, walk you through your options, and provide an accurate quote. The in-home consultation is absolutely free. That’s the simplest way to start your shutter project. If you only want a quick estimate, you can submit the measurements of your windows either by phone or through our contact form.

The answer will depend on your personal style. If you want to keep the trim you already have, we can build custom shutters to complement your current trim. If you like our shutter frames better, then you can remove the trim—but it’s not a requirement. If you’re trying to go trimless or replace your trim, we’ll help you choose the right option to fit your perfect vision.

If you’re a seasoned handyperson, you’re probably familiar with what goes into a shutter installation. However, DIY shutters can be a little complicated for most Baltimore residents. Our recommendation is to leave the installation to our certified and insured professionals, so you won’t risk damage to your shutters, windows, or injuring yourself.

Far and away our most popular shutter options are our classic white Polywood® plantation shutters, and Ovation® wood shutters.

To get more specific, the most common shutter configuration we sell is a 3 ½” louver, non-textured finish, and an interior-mount Z-frame. If none of that makes any sense, that’s ok. We’ll be delighted to demonstrate what all that means in person. Schedule your complimentary in-home consultation and we’ll help you figure out what will look best in your space.

Smooth finish shutters tend to look more modern and sleek, while textured finish shutters look a little more natural. However the perks to each style of plantation shutter finish go a little bit farther, and ultimately it comes down to your own personal preference.

Perks of shutters with a smooth finish – A smooth finish to your shutters offer a clean, sleek, modern look. If your home doesn’t have any other wood accessories like hardwood floors or furniture, you might not want a smooth finish. A smooth finish makes dust easier to see, in comparison with a wood grain finish. We usually recommend a smooth finish for faux wood shutters like Polywood.

Perks of a textured finish for shutters – Shutters with a textured finish give you a more natural look in your home. That’s awesome if you want to bring the beauty of nature indoors, particularly if you want to match the look of your hardwood flooring. A textured finish on your shutters will also make dust more difficult to see, which means you can wait a little longer between regular cleanings. A wood-grain finish looks especially great on real wood shutters in Baltimore.

For the most part, the larger the window, the more shutter panels you’ll want. The optimal design is to use a single panel for windows up to 26” wide, two panels for windows up to 50” wide, and four for windows up to 98” wide.

Single wide panels are not as user-friendly as multiple panels. Oftentime, wide panel shutters can’t fit flush against the wall because of their size. Two smaller panels resolve that.

For windows that you may open or shut regularly, you’ll be better off with multiple panels, since it’s easier to open them and they have better support from the frame when you do operate them.

With Sunburst Shutters Baltimore, any and all measurements for shutters will be done for free by one of our installers as part of your in-home consultation. If you happen to have windows in a difficult to reach area of your home or you have windows with a distinct shape, our installers can get you an accurate measurement so that the final product will fit your windows seamlessly.

During your free shutter consultation, your Sunburst Shutters expert can help you narrow down your options from our extensive variety of Baltimore plantation shutters, including options for panel width, stain colors, and custom framing options.

So schedule your shutter consultation today by calling 301-321-7998 today.

Sunburst can assist you in picking the ideal shutter for your rooms, regardless of how thin your frame. We will work with an outside mount installation that connects to the trim or wall outside the window cavity . Your window treatments will still have equivalent capabilities and energy efficiency, and will tie in seamlessly with your established decor.

If the louver is separated and hanging from the frame, you likely have a damaged louver pin. To repair this you need to take out the pin from both the louver and the stile with some needle-nose pliers or a utility knife. Once the damaged pin is withdrawn, put the replacement pin base into the same hole in the shutter stile, then guide the louver onto the pin. To receive additional complementary louver pins, just call us at 301-321-7998.

The cost of plantation shutters depends on the selected product line and window dimensions. While we can offer you a basic quote over the phone, exact costs are offered after our no cost in-person consultation. Call 301-321-7998 to ask for an appointment today.

Locate and remove the damaged staple from the louver with some of needle-nose pliers. Then dab on some adhesive (like wood glue or epoxy) to cover the legs of a replacement staple. Thread the staple into the loop on the louver and guide its legs into the previous staple holes on the tilt rod. For extra shutter staples, call us at 301-321-7998.

Polywood shutters are known as some of the safest window coverings in Baltimore. The durable, cord-free design is safe for pets and kids. The non-toxic and hypoallergenic paint, polymers, and materials will never chip, splinter, or peel. And because Polywood is pest and moisture resistant, you will not have to check for bugs, mold, or wood rot.