Currently, shutters are made in a number of different materials, with wooden shutters still being the benchmark for quality window coverings.

Quality wood shutters are designed to last for the lifetime of your home. Deciding on the material for your shutters is the first step in making things work.

Selecting your shutter style:

There are two basic styles of shutters available. The traditional style uses a narrow shutter panel with 1-1/4″ louvers. Traditional shutter louvers are normally wedge shaped, being thicker in the front and narrower in the rear. Plantation type shutters are generally 1-18″ thick with larger louvers.

Selecting the shutter finish:

Shutters can be stained, painted, or both. Almost all companies offer a number of paints with stain colors, while some don’t. Paint colors will generally include a variety of whites and lights. The stains will help enhance wood grains in a number of tints and tones, starting from light natural tones to an almost black pitch. Keep in mind, both synthetic and wood composite shutters can’t be stained.

Determine the price:

Because of their material options, shutters will come in a wide range of prices, with many suppliers calculating the price on the square foot. Prices are calculated based on the exact window size, shutter, style, finish, and number of panels involved.

Installing exterior shutters to a window is a quick and easy way to add style and flair to the outside of a home. Both historical and modern houses will benefit from the timeless accent of having exterior shutters.

As with all types of home improvements, the quality and longevity of the exterior shutters should be evaluated before you make a purchase.

Materials used in preparing Exterior shutters:

The exterior window shutters for your home are available in many different shapes and materials. Vinyl or wood shutters are easily available at most home improvement stores, and they can also be a cost effective option. You can also make wooden shutters operable with functional hardware.

Exterior shutters can also be made out of several types of wood. The best wood to use is cedar, as it offers outstanding durability and resistance to decay. Cedar also provides long service with minimal maintenance in applications involving mud, silk, window shades, fencing, poles, and even exterior shutters.

Why cedar is preferred for exterior shutters:

The tannin oil in cedar is what really makes it an ideal wood for exterior shutters. It will prevent moisture penetration - and bugs hate it. Keep in mind, exterior shutters shouldn’t be left unprotected. It is however, best to finish the shutters before you install them, so that all surfaces can be fully covered.

A lot of companies claim to sell custom shutters, although they may actually be selling customized interior shutters. Customized types of shutters will start as pre-built individual stock size shutter panels, which are then cut down and hinged together to achieve a specific size of shutter.

This will generally result in shutters that are a poor fit for the windows of your home. The shutters aren’t proportional to the window size and depending on how much of it were trimmed-the panels themselves may also be compromised.

Synthetic customized shutters:

Synthetic shutters on the other hand, normally use pre-made stiles, rails, and louvers, then cut them to size for quick production. This can also result in an improper fit and components that aren’t in proportion to the window.

Other companies out there sell custom made shutters, which are shutters specifically, made from the start for each individual window. Even though this may sound very nice, the results are normally those you wouldn’t want to display on your home. With your home being very important, the last thing you want is shoddy shutters.

At some point in time, all of us have come across mini blinds at the local home improvement center. They look really nice sitting there, although no one wants to spend a few days removing the dust from them. Regardless of what you may hear or think, it doesn’t always have to be this way.

Detail oriented:

It will probably seem obvious, but you should close the slats prior to dusting. Weekly mini blind dusting is the best way to go, using a lamb’s wool duster, as lamb’s wool will naturally attract dust and can help prevent buildup of dust on the mini blind as well.

If lamb’s wool isn’t available, a paint brush may also do the trick. Make sure you place some towels underneath the mini blinds to catch any excess dust. If you want to be thorough, you can also take the mini blinds down and clean them in your bathtub.

To remove the grease from the mini blinds, an all purpose cleaner can be used. Spray on the mini blinds good and then let the cleaner work on them for a few minutes. Then, wipe the cleaner off with a soft cloth, although rinsing the cloth will make it even more effective. To clean the other side of the mini blind, flip it over and do the same thing as mentioned above.