Naples Shutter Blog

The other day I was talking to Bill Earls, a top real estate professional in Naples, and he said I should be extremely busy at Naples Shutter with all the new building going on.  I told Bill that we are busier but, with all the new building going on, builders are limiting the options for new clients and installing 2” faux wood blinds on the windows instead of plantation shutters.  Bill said if people would step back and upgrade to plantation shutters over blinds they would benefit from the beauty of the shutters every day and recoup the upgrade cost when they sell their home in the future.

If you are like many homeowners, you have purchased AstroGuard Hurricane Fabric to protect your home during a storm.  However, if you haven't had to use it yet, you may feel a little uneasy about how to properly deploy your AstroGuard when a hurricane is approaching.  You may also be wondering about the proper cleaning and storage of your fabric.  This article provides simple step-by-step instructions on how to do both.

DEPLOYMENT

“I just don’t know what to do with my sliding glass doors!”  Many clients visit our showroom at Naples Shutter with a clear idea of what they want on their windows – shutters, blinds, shades, draperies, etc. – but the comment we hear over and over again is, “What do I do with my sliding glass doors?”  That’s why we created this handy list of the most popular and functional ways to treat sliding glass doors.  While some people choose to leave them uncovered, most clients prefer to add some kind of window treatment to these large openings so they gain privacy, light control, and heat management.  Take a look…

1:  Sliding Plantation Shutters

Okay, okay, yes we are a plantation shutter factory so we may seem biased, but plantation shutters do make a wonderful addition to sliding glass doors in many cases.  Plantation shutters are not just limited to windows.  They are the perfect complement to doors of all kinds, including sliding glass doors.  If you have shutters on your windows, create a continuous look by extending them to your doors as well.  They offer tremendous architectural appeal, light control, heat control, and a clear view outside. 

• Carry the look of shutters throughout your home

• Control sunlight by opening/closing louvers or sliding shutter panels open/closed

• Reduce heat from the sun’s glare

• Panels slide open horizontally to give you easy access to the outdoors

• Architectural appeal—visible both outside and inside

• Shutters can be completely open, completely closed, or partially open/closed for custom light and privacy management

• Add a bottom track for extra stability

• Available in unlimited paint or stain colors to match your home’s trim color

Many people who walk into our showroom at Naples Shutter announce, “I’m here to purchase poly composite plantation shutters because my friend told me that wood shutters warp.”  While we joyfully welcome clients that have done their homework and know what they want, we would like to take a minute to de-bunk this common myth.

We’ve all heard of them.  We’ve all seen them.  Some of us have even installed them firsthand.  Shiny, silver hurricane shutters made of strips of corrugated metal.  Heavy, behemoth, sharp-edged monstrosities that make my blood pressure spike just by looking at them.  Why? Because they are outdated and ineffective.  I’m in the business of protecting homeowners from hurricanes and I need to get a few things off of my chest.

Naples Shutter was recently featured on FOX 4 In Your Corner about the growing number of reports made to the Sheriff's Office on hurricane shutter theft.

Most of us Floridians know hurricane season all too well. We know that it runs from approximately May 1st through November 1st, and at any time in those parameters, we are susceptible to a storm of potentially great force.

Naples Shutter would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of our fantastic customers for voting us Champions in two categories of the 2013 Naples Daily News Southwest Florida Choice Awards!

So, you have decided on plantation shutters to decorate your windows.  Your next decision is whether to choose shutters made from natural wood or man-made poly materials.  Your friends are giving you conflicting information – some say wood, some say poly, and quite frankly, you don’t know which way to turn.  Here is an easy point-by-point breakdown of the pros and cons of each, so that you can choose the plantation shutter material that’s right for you and your home.

If you have plantation shutters, you already know about their superior beauty and functionality.  But, you may experience a time when the shutter louvers don’t stay in the desired position.  You open them, they fall closed.  Or, the opposite may be true when the louvers feel very difficult to move and you’re afraid you may break them by forcing them too hard.  Well don’t worry; this is a normal occurrence that is quickly solved using just a screwdriver.

What Happens To Your Plantation Shutters

Over the course of time, the wood in the plantation shutters can slightly expand and contract depending on temperature, humidity and other factors.  This is normal.  The change affects the way the moving parts of the shutter fit together.  When we change the tightness of the louvers, this is called adjusting the “louver tension.” Here’s how to do it: