At Kirtz we like to do things different, not just simply for the sake of being different, but because we want to bring something above average and a little special to our customers. In our painted plantation shutter, that something special is the wood we use.
The founder of our company was a woodworker, in fact he got his start in the industry as a trim carpenter until the economy and life took him a new direction (I’m sure a few of you can relate given the world’s present state). So when he decided to make shutter, he picked the wood that from his experience, would the best wood for a plantation shutter– MAPLE.
Why Maple? In one word, STRENGTH.
Maple is about twice as dense as shutter industry standard woods such as basswood and poplar. What does that mean for the you, the buyer? An awful lot in the long run. Your shutter is put together with fasteners, staples that hold the louvers into the tilt rod. Time and use of the product stresses these fasteners. In softer woods, such as basswood and poplar, they often come loose over time. The result is that the shutter does not function as it was originally intended. A Kirtz Shutter is guaranteed never to have this problem, and if it did, it would be covered by our warranty.
Have you ever had a piece of pine furniture? Did you notice how easy it was to dent the wood if something accidently bumped or banged into it? The same is true of a poplar or basswood shutter, they can easily dent and ding at the slightest impact, thus increasing the look of wear and tear on the shutter.
The strength of maple also gives us ultimate FLEXABILITY IN DESIGN.
In Height: The Kirtz Shutter does not need a midrail (also called a divider rail) until after 96″ in height. Industry standard is 72″. That means you can have two more feet of unobstructed louver space by using a custom shutter by Kirtz out of maple.
In Width: With shutters warrantied up to 38″ in width, customer’s have the ultimate flexibility in designing their shutters for the best fit to their space without the constraints of industry standard shutters.
Often I meet with customers who are confused with the variety of materials that a plantation shutter can be made from and the variety of pricing that goes along with them.
My advice to them, and to you, is this –
Plantation Shutters are one of the largest financial investments in window treatments that you can make. They will provide beauty and protection for many, many years. All shutters are NOT created equal. In an economy where every dollar counts, we all want to make sure we spend our money wisely.
Choose the plantation shutter that will provide you the best product experience over the life of your shutter, not just in the beginning. And just as important, choose a company that you can trust to provide you great customer service, both before the sale and years after your shutters are installed. That, in my life experience, is true value that pays dividends long after the check has cleared the bank.
I’ll end this (and step off my soap box) after I share my favorite quote. I try to live it every day, in the products I represent to the products I purchase for myself and my home.
“The bitterness of poor quality, lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
