Don’t Settle For Cheap Shutters

When you started the process of picking a company to install plantation shutters into your home, you probably started by looking at websites from companies that offer them.  You see the images of different styles of shutters that they offer, and you see photos of the installations they have done over the years.  These pictures are generally taken on the day of the install, and ultimately will all look very good as long as the photographer understands how to use a camera.  After seeing the different pictures that all look like different colored versions of the same product, you begin comparing the prices of the shutters based on as much information as you can get from the websites, and then narrow your choices down to the companies that are within your budget.  When you finally meet with the salesman and look at the samples, they will probably all look relatively the same to you, and you might make the mistake of simply choosing the cheapest company.  After all, shutters are shutters right?

In Las Vegas, the answer is no.  Shutters are not shutters across the board, and unfortunately Las Vegas is the type of climate that will completely destroy lesser quality materials over just a few years.  This means that if you are going to plan on keeping your shutters for the lifetime of your home (which most people do) then you are going to ultimately spend more money in the long run having the broken shutters replaced or fixed than you would if you simply bought the better quality ones in the first place.  With regards to shutters, the way that cheaper companies keep their prices lower is by using a poly material or a wood blend in order to manufacture a product that looks good but will probably warp and crack if exposed to heat over a period of time.  There is no way to avoid this with cheaper compounds, and in order to assure that the shutters you pay for last in the Las Vegas sun, you have to have them made from top quality basswood.  This material is more expensive than poly, but it is far tougher and will withstand the abuse of the Las Vegas sun more effectively.  In addition, the installers will need to take extra time doing the things that will help the shutters stay intact longer.  For example, if nails are used instead of screws to affix the shutters to your window frames, over time the nails will loosen and gaps will form.  It will take the installers less time to do the job, but ultimately it will cut years off the life of your shutters themselves.  These small elements make a slightly more expensive product and installation, but make all the difference in the long run.  Ultimately affordable shutters do not need to be cheap, and if you cut costs by using cheaper materials or installation techniques, your customer will end up paying more for them than if they just did it right the first time.