Installing Plantation Shutters

Although plantation shutters can be attached to the outside of the windows many people prefer to install them inside. When they are installed you can open and close them as you prefer. They are designed to allow the light to pour in and to regulate the free-flow of air in the home. These shutters are also referred to as louvers or jalousies and can be purchased at your local home improvement store. They are available in a wide range of colors, sizes, shapes, and prices.

Installing plantation shutters

When buying plantation shutters they are factory hinged and prefabricated so it is not hard to install them. There are also fabricated holes in which the screws have to be wound through to make installation easier.

• Measurements—make sure that you have the appropriate measurements with you when you are looking at plantation shutters. You should consider a horizontal measurement from the top, middle and bottom. You should always consider the largest measurement. The next measurement is the length of the windowsill. Mark the center of the windowsill with a pencil blot.
• Mounts—these are what has to be installed on the interiors of the window. You also need to think about the exterior mount. You will need a wood shim to help the shutter stay in position. Because most of the plantation shutters have pre-drilled screw holes you do not have to worry about drilling holes in the mounts to mount the shutters.
• Position your shutters—after you have the mounting strips in place you want to look closely to make sure that they are in alignment. Add one side, left or right, and then the other side. Once you have them screwed into place make sure that everything is okay and aligned correctly. Make sure that the screws are tight so the shutters will stay secure.
• Screw covers—put the screw cover over the screws and hammer them lightly to make sure that the covers are secured. So you do not mar the covers put a towel or something over the covers before you hammer.

Once they are installed you can add some final touches such as plush knobs to your plantation shutters. To make sure that the plantation shutters shut tightly you can affix magnetic clamps on the windowsill. If you decide to buy plain wooden plantation shutters and paint them you need to paint the outsides first and move toward the insides. You can paint them before or after you install them but it might be easier to paint them first.