The Best Custom Shutters, Blinds & Shades!
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Blinds vs Shutters

Given the choice between blinds and shutters, which window treatment is the ideal solution for your Clearwater home? We recommend you compare them!

Blinds are a traditional window treatment that have been covering windows in Clearwater for as long as memory serves. And shutters are a modern window treatment that has skyrocketed in popularity in the past 20 years. Let’s discover how these two window treatment veterans go up against each other when it comes to durability, energy efficiency, cleaning, special window shapes, and home resale value.

 
 
 

Styles

Blinds come in metal, hardwood, faux wood, and vertical styles. With more than 300 colors and textures to pick from, blinds let you match your window treatments to your style –right down to the pattern.

Plantation shutters are available in Polywood® and Ovation® wood. We offer Polywood in three premium white paint colors – and a custom paint color program for tints of beige, yellow, and grey. Ovation wood shutters come in 28 wood stains and 11 paint colors.

Durability

When properly maintained, blinds last an average of 5 years. While shutters can last more than 50 years. 

Energy Efficiency

When closed, the thin slats on blinds don’t have much effect on blocking airflow and heat from outside. But shutters, with their thick louvers and tailored mounting, seal off the impact of the external temperature. As a matter of fact, Polywood plantation shutters insulate up to 70% better than similar traditional wood shutters – and 1600% better than aluminum blinds!

Cleaning

Dusting the thin slats of blinds can be challenging – especially with the cords that run through from top to bottom. When plantation shutters are mounted with a hidden or rear-mount tilt rod, you simply tilt the large louvers back with your hand and wipe the louvers, unhampered.

Special Window Shapes

Traditional blinds can only cover rectangular-shaped windows, not arched, circular, octagonal, or triangular windows. And blinds would only hide the exquisite window you fell in love with when you bought the house, anyway. Shutters, however, can be custom-built to fit your windows precisely, regardless of their shape, letting you have access to the view and control over privacy – while enhancing your specialty-shaped windows’ beauty.

Home Resale Value

When your home is estimated for resale, all the permanent fixtures are examined. Blinds can be moved from one house to another, but shutters are custom-fitted and become part of your windows and home. Actually, they add value to your home not only by being a permanent asset, but also by being an energy-efficient one!

We recapped the differences between blinds and shutters in this table for you. Picking between the two window treatments is based on your style, your windows, and your budget. 

 

Blinds

Shutters

Styles

Metal, Hardwood, Faux Wood, Vertical

Polywood and Ovation Wood

Durability

Last about 5 years

Last 50+ years

Energy Efficiency

Minimum

Maximum

Cleaning

Difficult

Easy

Special Window Shapes

N/A

Customizable to fit any window shape

Home Resale Value

No effect

Increases home resale value


Between Blinds and Shutters, Which Is the Right Solution for You?

It comes down to personal preference. And, when you’ve decided, we’ll be here to walk you through the process of designing them for your windows. Call us at 813-580-7288 or fill out the form below to schedule your free in-home consultation today!