Plantation Shutter Design | Kirtz Shutters Blog

Archive for the ‘Plantation Shutter Design’ Category

Kirtz Shutter Craftmanship; assembling a quality custom shutter

Monday, August 17th, 2009

The assembly department is responsible for turning lengths of components into a plantation shutter.

First, all parts are cut to length according to the exact specifications for your custom shutter. After parts are cut, they are placed onto a cart with job sheets that details each opening in the order.

At Kirtz we take a few extra steps during assembly before the panel comes together to make sure that your shutter is built to the highest of quality standards.

Each tilt rod is given personal attention. We shape the top of the tilt rod in a machine we designed to give the rounded top that is unique to a Kirtz Shutter. Then, the top of each rod is sanded smooth so it has the same quality finished look as other parts of our shutters.

tilt-rod-shaping

After shaping it is sanded smooth

Before the shutter is put together, each louver end is burnished with a sander. Again, this extra step allows the ends of the louvers to accept the painted finish better, and eliminates the rough ends you would typically find with louvers that are cut, but not sanded.

Burnishing louver ends

Next, the louvers and tilt rod are fed through a machine that attaches them together with staples and puts pins in the end of each louver, and your shutter panel is ready to be put together.

Joinery of a Kirtz Shutter

At Kirtz we use dowels to join the stiles and rails of each shutter together. Wood glue is put into each hole that will be receiving a dowel. Then we use dowels that are slightly larger than the hole they are inserted into. This requires the use of a hydraulic clamp to put the stiles and rails together. After the shutter has been clamped together, small pin nails are applied to the backside of the shutter through the dowels, giving it an extra dose of reinforcement.

This method has been used by Kirtz for many years, and we confidently stand behind the joinery of a Kirtz Shutter for a lifetime.

The shutter comes together on the clamp table and is pin nailed for extra strength

Framing

Just like a door hangs in a frame, many times your hardwood shutter will be in a frame. We have several framing options at Kirtz to accommodate a variety of decors and types of windows. After your shutters have been assembled, the frames that surround them are built.

At Kirtz we customize many of our frames so that they fit around window cranks and lever locks. By doing these notches in the factory when possible, the notch receives a finish coat of paint instead of touch up in the field.

For more information on notches, see my post about plantation shutters in casement windows.

This completes your shutter assembly, next stop finish department!

Tags: casement window with shutters, construction of shutters, custom shutters, how to choose the best shutter, plantation shutters, quality custom shutters, window cranks and shutters
Posted in Plantation Shutter Construction, Plantation Shutter Design, Why Kirtz? | 2 Comments »

Painted Custom Shutters… Why Use Maple?

Friday, July 31st, 2009

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.”

Tags: custom shutters, how to choose the best shutter, Kirtz Shutters, maple shutters, painted shutters, plantation shutters, quality custom shutters, shutter design
Posted in Plantation Shutter Design, Why Kirtz? | 1 Comment »

A Case Study in Customization of Kirtz Plantation Shutters

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Yesterday we finished a plantation shutter installation at a new branch of SNB, a local bank, with national presence. Just like many of our jobs, this was a “one off” of Kirtz custom shutters. Let me explain, with some photos to help.

Designer Request:

Make each window opening appear as one seamless unit, and provide a finished casing around the opening. Build the custom shutters out of oak and custom stain them to match the flooring.

Sounds simple, right?

The Challenge

When the windows arrived from the manufacturer the transom portion that seamed to the lower window did not line up uniformly. This is because both outside and inside jambs of the upper unit were different widths than the jambs of the lower unit.

The Solution

Kirtz mounted the oak shutter and frame inside the window jamb with custom width framing around each unit. This allowed us to align the stiles (vertical part of the shutter) so that each shutter panel is the same width and provides a continuitous vertical line.

One issue solved, one to go…….

The Challenge

Standard work of applying casing onto a frame at the factory would not provide a cased look to the opening since this opening had to be installed as four separate shutter units due to the window jamb issues mentioned above.

The Solution

Custom width casing was milled to be applied in the field around the entire window unit. These trim pieces not only surround the outside of the opening, but run along all vertical and horizontal window mullions to provide a uniform cased appearance, eliminating any hint of the window’s irregularity.

The windows before hardwood shutters

This illustrates the different jamb widths of the window pre-shutter installation

This close up illustrates how we unified the upper and lower units to look cohesive

Thefinished unit

Tags: custom shutters, harwood shutters, oak shutters, plantation shutters, shutters in commercial spaces
Posted in Cool Projects, Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Installation | 1 Comment »

Triangle Windows (aka rake windows) and Plantation Shutters

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Architectural Shaped windows such as triangles, arch tops, ovals, circles and hexagons all present many challenges when choosing a window covering.

This blog is focusing on triangle shaped, or Rake Top window openings.

Plantation Shutters are a great choice for Rake Windows for several reasons

You can treat the entire opening, not just the rectangle portion, thus allowing greater privacy and light control
They are one of the only window treatments that once installed into the shape that are functional instead of fixed, allowing you to control the light that enters the room.
Every type of triangle is possible. Unlike other window coverings, shutters have no restrictions on width, height or degree of angle, making even the most challenging of window possible.

Just as your window is an architectural statement for your home, the window treatment you choose should complement and enhance it. If you choose shutters (which I hope you will) be sure that the company you choose makes all the louvers movable in rake tops with horizontal louvers. See my earlier post about arch top windows for more info on that subject and why it matters. If you order a burst shape, be certain that the center hub is in proportion to the size of your window so that your finished product looks like a custom piece of millwork that belongs in your beautiful window.

Custom Shutters from Kirtz Shutters do just that. The photos below are a couple examples of homes that used Kirtz Shutters to compliment their triangle shaped windows.

rake shaped windows before plantation shutterspartially open rake top shutters

Knotty Pine Shutters by Kirtz Shutters, Triangle (rake) shaped shuttters

A gothic arch show the burst concept for triangle shaped windows

Tags: angle topped shutters, architectural shaped shutters, custom hardwood shutters, knotty pine shutters, lodge shutters, plantation shutters, rake shutters, rustic shutters, shaped windows, triangle windows
Posted in Cool Projects, News & Events, Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Installation, Plantation Shutter Styles | 2 Comments »

Walnut Plantation Shutters in Commercial Spaces

Friday, July 10th, 2009

This post is about a very special project for Kirtz Shutters. We just completed installation of walnut shutters for Coach Gundy’s office, the head football coach of Oklahoma State University. Go Pokes!

Our company is composed of many individuals who “bleed orange”, no one more so than our owner, Chris. So needless to say, we felt privileged to have the opportunity to work on this project.

But lets talk about the shutters, there are a few unique charecteristics to note about this project.

1) These are WALNUT hardwood shutters. Walnut is beautiful, but challenging to finish due to the large amount of sapwood in the lumber. The sapwood produces a great deal of color variation throughout the wood. On this job we used “premium” walnut, which contains less sapwood than normal and our finish department spent many hours tweaking the custom finish between coats to give a nice even look to the wood while maintaining the beauty of the wood grain.

2) The Wall Curves: This office is located in the end zone of the stadium and we had to account for the curvature of the half wall on which the shutters sit. We did this during installation by cutting down trim on site to fit the curve of the wall, thus giving it a nice even reveal down the length of the wall.

3) Plantation Shutters Sliding on a Track: These are a great option for sliding doors. We build a frame around the shutters that allows for the installation of two tracks in the header of the frame. The shutters have cars attached to the top of them and can then by-pass each other to allow access to the doors, or be moved over the doors and the louver’s open.

4) 4 1/2″ Louvers with Hidden Tilt: This is truly becoming one of our most popular product features. Check out the photo below to see just how wonderful the visibility can be with this feature!

Walnut Shutters, Hidden Tilt, Louvers Closed

Walnut Planation Shutters, Sliding custom shutters run to the floor

4 1/2" Louvers, View Outside

gundyoffice

Tags: custom shutters, custom shutters oklahoma, hardwood shutters, hidden tilt shutters, how to install shutters, plantation shutters, shutter configurations, shutters for sliding doors, shutters in commercial spaces, walnut shutters
Posted in Cool Projects, Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Installation | 2 Comments »

Plantation Shutters for Sunrooms

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Sunrooms are great, but in many parts of the country they are down right unbearable during the intense summer and winter months.

Have you ever thought about Plantation Shutters for your sunroom?

Plantation Shutters will:

Add greater energy efficency, saving you money
Allow greater control of intense sunlight that can fade furnishings
Add beauty and charm to your sunroom

In order to maximize the original purpose of the room (openness to the outside) there are a few design tips to keep in mind.

Order a large louver size (the larger the better)
Consider adding hidden tilt, to keep the least amount of obstruction to your view
Order your shutter panels as large as is reasonable with your window configuration. This will minize the presence of too many stiles (vertical piece of the shutter) taking up more space than necessary. Kirtz will build custom shutters with warranty up to 38″ wide. We’ve often successfully built larger than 38″ wide panels, consult a sales rep for more details if you are interested.

Customization for Your Needs

The standard plantation shutter in a sunroom is typically set in a frame, and the shutter panel is hinged to the frame.

Another option is to place your shutters on a sliding track. The benefit of this configuration is that one shutter panel will slide over another, fully opening up 1/2 of the window without swinging into the room. This makes furniture placement much easier. However, determining if this application will work for your sunroom is important, as a slider shutter frame is typically 5 1/2″ deep, compared to a standard shutter frame that is only 2- 2 1/2″ deep.

sunroom before shutters

plantation shutter panels closed, louver open

shutter panels slid open, louvers closed

Tags: custom shutters, hardwood shutters, oak shutters, plantation shutters, shutters for sunrooms, sunroom window treatments
Posted in Cool Projects, Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Installation, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Kirtz Hardwood Shutters for Oval Windows

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Oval Windows, sometimes called eliptical windows, are a nice addition to any homes facade. There is often a need to treat these shaped windows when they end up in a closet area (concern with fading on clothing) or in a bathroom (often in powder baths) as they frequently do.

Here is a recent inquiry we received about an oval window, and our response with the customer:

Customer Request– Hi there. I have an oval bathroom window for which I’m looking for shutters the hieght is 30″ and the width is 40-1/2″ I’m not sure if I prefer the fan -like, or horizontal louvre orientation, but would like someone to contact me to see what you guys can do.

Our Reply– Thanks for taking the time to contact us. The oval plantation shutters are among the most beautiful we make. There are a couple of things you might bear in mind regarding your preferences.

As a woodworker I look first at function. Because of the shape and the way the louvers interact with the shape, a horizontal louvered panel should allow for more overall direct light (or sightline) to the outside. We sculpt the back edges of the louvers so that they will open to 90 degrees. There would be a slight ‘glue-in’ piece (typically not more than 1/2 of one louver width) to act as a light stop top and bottom. That means that with the louvers fully opened, there would be a slight appearance of “flattening” of the oval shape top and bottom. Most of the ovals we see are oriented taller than wider. The horizontal louvers in your case would add a little to your cost because they exceed our recommendation for maximum width. We could however orient the louvers vertically. They would either close to the left or the right depending on how you installed it and again should open to 90 degrees. I would opt for either of these if your view to the outside (or maximum natural light coming in) is your goal.

Alternately, a fan shape with all louvers radiating out from a center oval hub has a very nice visual appeal from the interior and exterior, but louver operation is more limited. If you look at the window like a clock, the louvers at 12, 3, 6, and 9 would open virtually fully. The louvers at 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, and 10:30 wouldn’t open far at all. All louvers would operate independently of one another within the parameters I mentioned. This is perhaps better if indirect natural light is desired, and/or if your view to the outside world is less than stellar. Again, as a woodworker, I think this option is the most beautiful and reflects the architecture of the window itself in the best way, but isn’t as functional as the horizontal/vertical option. Regardless, I would need a template of the opening to build it.

Customer’s Reply– Reading your response, I realized I had the height and width reversed, so ours is taller than wide, which, as you point out, is the norm. Would a tracing of the window frame work for you as a template?

Kirtz Reponse– You know, the thing I really like about fabricating custom shutters is that even after nearly 19 years with Kirtz, I still haven’t seen it all as a lot of architects/designers/window manufacturers/contractors all like to have their own ’signature’ designs. While I have seen some ovals wider than tall, most are indeed taller than wide…just thought I’d make mention of it because it had the potential to affect pricing. Otherwise, there’s no difference in your cost between the options.

A tracing of the opening will work just fine. Most of our window treatment pros do that on ‘butcher paper’, roll it up and send it over in a mailing tube. Some will make their tracing, transfer it to cardboard and put the cardboard in the window to verify before sending it (the cardboard) to us. It’s okay if the template is taped together and folded. We’ve seen templates made from the Sunday comics even!

Oval Shutter with fan shaped louvers

A comment on the fan louvers. Did you notice the size of the hub (center circle)? At Kirtz we keep that in proportion to your opening size so that it complements your window. No short cuts here…… Sure its a bit more work and requires more hand shaping of the louvers, but its worth it in the appearance of the finished product.

Oval Shutter with Horizontal Louvers

Tags: oval shutters, oval window treatments, quality hardwood shutters, round shutters, shaped shutters, specialty shape shutters, templates of shutters
Posted in Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Styles, Why Kirtz? | No Comments »

Kirtz Plantation Shutters with VERTICAL LOUVERS

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

This job was running through our finish department and I just had to share! We’ve never done ANYTHING like it before. It is two plantation shutter panels meant to install with the 5 1/2″ louvers running vertically (two firsts for us!). These panels are massive with 2 panels 62″ high x 84″ . They will sit side by side in a wood opening and will be doweled together on-site during installation. Did I mention they are a custom stained red oak?

These go in a funeral home, and the idea is to offer privacy for the family, but still allow them to see out into the chapel where the service is held. We used a hidden tilt bar so that there are no interruptions in the sight line for the family. Notice the two bottom pics. The louvers are set partially open. Notice how one side offers visibility while the other angle privacy?

More photos showing how these look in the room setting will be added once they are installed.

But really ~ have a unique project? Call us! I’m about convinced we can do any type of custom shutter, and make it look good.

View when the 5 1/2" vertical louvers are closed

vertical louvers, family view out to chapel

5 1/2" vertical louvers, chapel side

I promised an update when I had installation pictures, and here they are!

opening before installation

5 1/2" louvers (aka california shutters) run vertical, hidden tilt ~ open 5 1/2" red oak vertical louvers, closed

5 1/2" red oak vertical louvers, closed

Tags: 5 1/2" louvers, funeral home partitions, oak plantation shutters, oak shutters, oversize shutters, partition shutters, plantation shutters, vertical louvered shutters, vertical louvers
Posted in Cool Projects, Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Styles, Why Kirtz?, design | 3 Comments »

Distressed Shutters, and Specialty Finishes on Plantation Shutters

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Recently we have worked on a number of projects that have required specialty multi-step finishes. Distressed Shutters have been especially popular lately. This is one of my favorite things that we do, because we do it very well. Lots of kudos must be given to the head of our finish department, Allen. He has both the skill and the willingness to do this type of work.

How does this process work?

Any time we match a finish we request a physical sample. This is incredibly important in specialty finishes because each finish is unique. Did the original finisher have a heavy hand, or a light hand when he wiped off the glaze? What tool was used to do the distressing? A wire brush? Chains? A wheel? There are an incredible number of variables, and since these shutters are often going up against millwork or paneling, it is critical to get a good match.

So we bring a sample that shows the finished look, and the stain department does a strike-off (or sample) of their ability to replicate the finish on your plantation shutters. This is then provided to the homeowner/designer for their approval. Once approved, we proceed with the finish work. Distressed, glazed, antiqued and sand thru finishes are going to have a longer than average lead time, due to the complexity of the finish. But just like fine wine, it’s worth the wait.

Here are just a couple of photos of specialty finishes that have gone through our factory lately.

stained, distressed red oak shutters

exterior shutters with a sand through finish

painted and glazed knotty alder result in an antique distressed look

As nice as these distressed and specialty finished shutters look, they are all an effort to duplicate an old world look. And the best way to get an authentic old work look is to use old wood.

Enter wormy chestnut……

For a history of this wood, see this link to our site http://www.kirtz.com/hardwoods/wormy-chestnut.html

The short version of the story is its old, like 100 years old. So all that patina and distressing was actually earned by the wood through years of use. Pretty cool, huh? The picture below shows wormy chestnut shutters with a tobacco hued stain. It looks great with a clear finish too, but this stain really gives it some nice warmth. This wood, more than any other wood, is one that people gravitate towards when we put it on display.

Another wood that gives a nice authentic decayed look is Pecky Cypress. This wood has been attacked by a fungus that eats the wood. This in turn makes lens shaped pockets throughout the tree. The result is a very attractive multi-dimensional wood. We treated this pecky cypress hardwood shutter with a heavy black glaze, thus intensifying the appearance of variation of the surface.

Pecky Cypress with a glazed finish

This is just a sampling of our work that I could pull up quickly this afternoon to show the variety in finishing techniques we use. If you don’t see what you are after, that is only because you haven’t asked us to build (and finish) it yet. Give us a call and lets see what we can do for you!

Tags: antique shutters, custom finish plantation shutter, custom finish shutters, custom shutters, distressed shutters, distressing, glazed shutters, multiple step finishes on shutters, pecky cypress, sand through shutters, specialty finish shutters, wormy chestnut, wormy chestnut shutters
Posted in About Us, Cool Projects, Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Styles, design | No Comments »

Plantation Shutters as Doors and Partitons

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Plantation shutters can and are often used as interior doors and paritions. This is especially true in commerical applications. The primary reason louvered doors are often use is to provide privacy, or create a definitive space, and still allow for air cirulation. Dressing rooms and bathrooms stalls are both areas that you might frequently see a louvered door in commercial buildings.

In a residential application, these are frequently seen as doors in closets, water closets, or between rooms.. ie kitchen to dining.

Important things to know when using shutters as doors-

1) consider depth ~ if the door is going into a door jamb opening, pay attention to the depth of your jamb. For a water closet or closet door a standard shutter depth will usually suffice (Kirtz standard depth is 1 1/4″), but a standard interior door is usually 1 3/4″. Be sure to choose a manufacture that can provide this custom depth (Kirtz can, and frequently does this depth of shutter)

2) consider design ~ will the apprearance of a standard shutter work? Many planatation shutter manufactures use a drop rail construction. This means that the rail (horizontal solid member) is not as deep as the stile (vertical side member) of the shutter. Doors typically have a flush stile and rail configuration (all the same depth). If this is your preference, be sure to specify it.

3) louvers ~ fixed louvers are most prevelant for shutter doors. Especially in a commercial application. However, if you are sourcing a residential door, consider using a standard shutter configuration (with louvers and a tilt rod that allows louvers to be moveable). You can simply tighten the tension screw down to keep the slats at the angle you prefer. Any louver offered by a shutter manufacturer can be used for a shutter door. The most common sizes are 1 7/8″, 2 1/2″ and 3 1/2″.

4) shutter hardware ~HINGES– A single shutter from Kirtz will come standard with 3″ butt hinges, each manufacturer may offer a slightly different hinge, so be sure to ask. For a standard door configuration this will work. If you need specialty hinges, such as for a pass thru door that needs to rotate 180 degress, be sure and bring that up when you are specifying your shutter. It does effect your finished shutter size. HANDLES/KNOBS – most shutter manufacturers (Kirtz included) do not provide handles and knobs. These can easily be sourced from your local hardware store and applied after installation. However, you may want to discuss your plans with your salesperson, so that he/she can increase the stile (vertical side member) width to accomodate your hardware plans. For instance, Kirtz standard stile is 2 1/8″ wide. It can be specified at 2 1/2″ for no additional charge upon request.

Ths brief blog by no means explores every option available when ordering a custom shutter door from Kirtz. Below are some photos of shutter used as doors. If you have a special request, please call us and we will make every effort to accomodate your needs.

Cherry fixed louvered door, 1 7/8" louver

trim detail, fixed louver door

mahogany 2 1/2" fixed louver door, with divider rail

3 1/2" fixed louver door, with specialty finish

Tags: bathroom doors, dressing room doors, fixed louver doors, partition doors, plantation shutter doors, shutter doors, stationary louvers
Posted in Plantation Shutter Design, Plantation Shutter Styles, design | No Comments »

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