How to open and close your plantation shutters!
Plantation shutters are a beautiful addition to the design of your home as well as a multi-functional window treatment. One of the main functions of a plantation shutter is that it lives on your window. But sometimes you will have to move them. Here’s the guide on How to open and close your plantation shutters.
How to tilt the louvers
There are two ways you can open and close plantation shutters. The first, and most used way to move your shutters is to open and close the slats of the shutter. On plantation shutters, these slats are called louvers. The louvers decide how much light and privacy you will have.
If you have a tilt bar, it will be located at the front of your shutter. You can move the louvers by pulling the bar up or down. If you have clear-view shutters, you touch one of the louvers with your hand and tilt it to the desired position. A clear-view shutter provides the same function as a shutter with a tilt bar but without the design feature.
Sometimes you might need to help the louvers close fully at both top and bottom by giving them a little push. This will minimize the light leak.
How to open the shutter panels
The second way to open a shutter is to open the entire panel of the shutter. This is generally only done when you need to access the window for fresh air, or cleaning. Except a bypass shutter which is generally located in front of a sliding glass door. So, how does this work?
Operate a hinged shutter
When a window treatment specialist installs your shutters, they start by adding a shutter frame to your window frame. This frame is screwed in and will be stationary at all times. Within the frame, the installer will hinge a panel or a couple of panels, depending on the size of your window.
The hinges can be found on either the left or right side of the frame. This depends on the layout of the room and how visible the hinges would be. These will allow the panel to swing open like a door.
To make sure the panels stay closed, your window specialist can install either a panel lock or a magnet. At SunCoast Blinds, we install magnets on our shutters. This allows our customers to open and close their panels easily. You will hear a clicking sound when your shutter is fully closed.
Grab one of the panels in one of the parts that does not rotate to open or close your shutter. With a gentle pull, your shutter panel will loosen from the magnet and swing open.
To close the shutter, push gently in the opposite direction. You should hear a small clicking sound. When you do, you’re finished.
Open and close a bypass shutter
A bypass shutter operates differently than a hinged shutter. The panels are attached at the top to a track that spans the width of the window. Instead of opening the panels like a door, you have to slide the panels left or right.
Depending on the installation and preference, some bypass shutters only allow sliding the panels when they are closed. This is a matter of preference and installation. This is to save space when the panels are stacked together on one side of the room.
Questions about your shutters or thinking of buying shutters for your home?
SunCoast Blinds is a full-service window treatment store located in Bonita Springs, FL, and Fort Wayne IN. With 30 years of experience in the business, there is no shutter question we haven’t come across. Visit our contact page to reach out to us.
