A common question from a shutter customer is “How are these shutters secured?” In the early days of shutters, (especially small, cafe style shutters) it was common to see a small latch on the front of the shutter panels where they join together. Although popular, it was a poor method of securing the shutters. A breeze from the window could easily strain the latch.
Today, plantation shutters typically fill up an entire window opening, not just half, and are often the size of the window itself. This makes for a substantial shutter panel and a different method of securing it is necessary.
Magnets
The Kirtz Shutter standard is to use magnets. These are not your ordinary magnets. Each magnet holds up to 25 lbs of weight and each shutter panel is held in place with at least two magnets. These magnets are placed opposite the hinge side of the shutter either on the framework that comes with the shutter, or the customers existing window jamb. They are located near the top, bottom and sometimes center of the unit. A catch plate is then attached in the same location on the back of the shutter panel itself. The result is that when the panel is closed shut, the magnets hold it in place tightly. So tightly that you need to give the shutter panel a substantial tug to get it open.
Magnet used to hold plantation shutters shut
catch plate installed on the back of the panel that connects to the magnet
Ball Catches
At times, do to special applications, unusually large shutter panels, or consumer preference, a ball catch will be used instead of magnets. A cylindrical hole is drilled into the stile (vertical part) of the shutter at the bottom and/or top of the panel. The ball catch is then inserted into the hole and secured in place with screws. A catch plate is secured onto the header and sill of the frame or the customers jamb. The amount of force needed to open and close the shutter can be changed by adjusting the ball to sit either deeper in the panel for an easier open, or further proud of the panel for more resistance.
ball catch located in the bottom of the shutter panel
Spring is upon us, and at Kirtz Shutters, its a busy season full of home shows. We are excited to try a new show this season, in Ardmore, OK.
We are displaying our plantation shutters, including our motorized shutter, at the Southern Oklahoma Homeshow March 19 & 20, 2010.
The event will be held at the Ardmore Convention Center, which is right off I35 in Ardmore. Show hours are Friday 19th 9am-8pm, and Saturday 20th 9am-6pm.
Kirtz Shutters will be in booth 55&56
Come out and see the quality of Kirtz first hand and meet Mack Tietz, Kirtz Shutter representative for Central and Southern Oklahoma.
Kirtz Shutters will be exhibiting at the Tulsa Home Show in Tulsa, OK. At this show you can examine the premier quality of the Kirtz Shutter, and visit with Don Watson, our Tulsa representative at BOOTH 841.
In our booth will be displaying our NEW motorized shutter. A perfect solution for any hard to reach window, TLC motorization is exclusively available on the Kirtz Shutter.
This weekend Kirtz Shutters will be introducing our new remote controlled shutter, TLC, at the home and garden show in Wichita, KS. A motorized shutter is the perfect solution for hard to reach windows such as those over bathtubs, high windows in rooms with two story ceilings, or any situation where light and heat is best controlled with the touch of a button.
The Wichita Home and Garden show provides an excellent opportunity for homeowners, designers and builders to see the quality of the Kirtz Shutter first hand and visit with our Wichita area sales representative. In addition to the motorized shutter, Kirtz will display a many hardwood shutters in a variety of shapes, woods and finishes.
Kirtz will be located in the Expo Hall Booth 502/504
Another unique custom shutter to move through our facility recently was an ellipse shape that was destined for a home in Florida. There are a few features that made this plantation shutter stand apart from the rest.
1) Solid Walnut Plantation Shutter2) Special 7″ deep framework served as an extension jamb designed to work with European style windows made by Tischler Und Son windows.3) Unit size was 136 1/4″ wide by 39 1/2″ tall 4) Ellipse shape required the hands of our most skilled artisans.
5) Shutter panels on the wings had fixed louvers per the customers request and the center pair were operable.
This walnut shutter spanned over 136" wide
Notice the elliptical curvature of this custom walnut shutter.
Do you have a highly custom project? If so, we can help! Call us at 800-416-6455.
We are proud to introduce TLC, or technical louver control, our new motorized shutters from Kirtz Shutters.
In development for over two years, this motorized feature is now available on Kirtz plantation shutters. It can also be retrofitted to existing Kirtz plantation shutters.
TLC is unique geared system of motorization that offers drastic improvements over the technology that has been available before today.
The SYSTEM
We use a patent pending right angle gearbox contained in the stile of the shutter to adjust the louvers. Premium quality brass gears resist corrosion and offer excellent durability.
A small, 6-Volt motor drives the gear box that turns the louvers. The
4 AA Lithium batteries that power the motor insure a long life of operation and are easily replaceable for minimal maintenance.
The motor operates with Radio Frequency transmission. This allows transmission from up to 65′ away from the motor, making motorized shutters a perfect solution for second story, difficult to operate windows.
AVAILABILITY
TLC by Kirtz is available on shutter panels that at least 12″ tall, and up to 120″ tall.
The System is compatible with standard tilt rods and the hidden tilt option, it is truly a versatile product.
Sometimes, over time, louvers on plantation shutters cease to stay in the position they are set. Fortunately, there is a simple fix to this problem.
Why does this happen?
Wood is a porous material, even with a finish on it. This means that it will slightly shrink and swell as the humidity of a room changes. The is most noticeable during season changes, from winter to spring and summer to fall. This expansion and contraction changes the amount of space between the louvers and stiles (vertical piece of the shutter) thus changing the amount of tension placed on the louvers to hold them in their set position.
What is the solution?
On many shutters (and always on the Kirtz Shutter) there is a hole in the side of the stile. Inside this whole is a screw, usually a Phillips head, and a tension system. By simply using a screw driver and adjusting the head you can tighten or loosen how easy it is to adjust the louvers. It is important to note: This adjustment will be 1/4 of a turn to one full turn. By over-tightening you can strip the screw.
A turn clockwise will tighten, and a turn counterclockwise will loosen. Remember to adjust the screws on both stiles, opening side and hinge side. Many times just adjusting one side will not be enough.
If the solution above does not fix the problem–
In all likelihood the screw that adjusts the tension has been stripped out, and is no longer pulling tighter when you make adjustments. To fix this you will need the following:
Toothpicks (preferably square, but rounded will do)
Wood Glue
Screw Driver, usually Phillips head
To repair, follow the steps below:
Back the screw out of the shutter stile, set aside
Take several toothpicks and coat with wood glue
Place them inside the hole in the stile
Put the screw back into the stile, and tighten.
The toothpicks give the screw something to grip into, allowing you to tighten an loosen your tension once again.
Homeowners who choose to build or buy log homes have one thing in common. A love for wood! Naturally, custom shutters are a great fit for log homes.
Plantation Shutters by Kirtz Shutters can be made from rustic woods such as knotty pine, knotty alder, western red cedar, cypress or reclaimed wormy chestnut.
Since all Kirtz Shutters are custom built to order, a homeowner can choose the wood that best compliments his/her scheme and have Kirtz custom match the finish used in the home, or even match the flooring!
Unlike other window treatment, custom shutters can be built to fit into triangle windows, also called rake windows, to help control light. Below are examples of rustic shutters and shaped shutters made by Kirtz.
Knotty Pine interior shutters compliment this rustic ranch home
This log home used plantation shutters for their shaped windows
Although Kirtz Shutters are primarily interior, at a special request for a previous customer, we recently built Bahama style exterior wood shutters.
There are a wide variety of Bahama style shutters available today. Solid construction methods and quality raw materials are important to get the longest life out of your shutters.
The Materials
To start with we used cypress wood. Cypress is a great choice for exterior projects. Cypress generates cypressine, which is its own preservative oil. This makes it naturally resistant to insects, decay and other damaging elements. All components were made of solid pieces, including the stiles.
The Construction
In a traditional shutter, louvers are held into place with pins. These pins allow the louvers to pivot open and closed. A Bahama style shutter has fixed louvers, and no tilt bar. To hold the louvers in place we cut a tenon in the stile to receive the louver. Then the louver is then slid into the stile 1/4″ deep on each side. Next, the stile and rail are doweled and secured with exterior glue. A screw is inserted in between the two dowels for extra stength and the hole is filled.
To finish, the shutters were coated with a marine grade exterior quality sealer so that they are further protected.
The Installation
Installed with traditional Bahama style hinges and adjustable arms, these exterior shutter provide both beauty and protection.
Bahama shutters provide more visibilty when open, by Kirtz Shutters
Bahama hardware allow these custom shutters to tilt out
bahama shutter block western sun, offer privacy on this deck
We have produced a variety of cafe doors for both public and private use. Interested in cafe doors? Consider the following when designing your doors.
Fixed louvers- typically, all cafe door louvers are fixed. The purpose of these doors is to obscure the view from one area into another and provide easy access, making fixed louvers a natural. If you prefer the look of a tilt rod, it can be ordered as such. You may want to tighten the louver tension so that the louvers are not moved unless that is your intention.
Design- the top of the cafe door can be a simple rectangular top, slightly curved or elaborately designed. See example photos below or submit your own unique design.
Proportion- as with all our custom shutters, cafe doors are built to order. Depending on the level of privacy you need, cafe doors are usually between 3′-5′ high, possibly higher. A good rule of thumb is to take your opening height and order your shutters 1/2 to 2/3 the total height. Also pay attention to where you want them positioned. Are you taller than average? You may want to hinge them higher to obstruct your site line.
Hardware- cafe doors must be installed with cafe door pivot hardware. Unlike a standard hinge that allows 90 degree access, the pivot hardware allows the shutter to rotate a full 180 degrees. For a commercial application, bommer hinges are recommended. These are spring loaded hinges that swing the door back into the closed position after being pushed open. (Please note, width deductions taken on cafe style openings are more than a standard shutter panel. This is necessary for the hardware to operate properly and allow the shutter to swing correctly.)
Installation- Solid wood jambs are the ideal surface to install your cafe doors. If you have only a drywall opening, don’t despair. Order your cafe doors with mounting strips. These square four sided wood strips can be secured to your jamb and through a stud and provide the pivot hardware a solid surface on which to mount.
