Shutters
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@Broda did you decide on which shutter company or still shopping?
I'm pricing out several:
- Express Blinds
- Custom Wood Shutters and Blinds
- JMR Inland Empire Blind Co
- GoldenWest
- OC Shutters
Hopefully will find someone with the right balance of value and price.
Things I've learned from shopping shutters. My sq footage according to each vendor is different. Do yourself a favor and measure out your windows. It'll help determine who's over measuring and over charging. Average right now I determined was about $15 per sq ft. I did opt to go with Norman shutters which most vendors are coming in at $17 sq ft.
Norman Shutters are worth it in my opinion for two reasons. 1. If there is a defect in the product, Norman is a large company with multiple authorized resellers. If your reseller ever goes under or books it on you, the company will still warranty their product. If Shutters King and parent company ever went under, you're done. That's your warranty.
Biggest reason is the tilt rod is built into the shutter and not exposed like the other shutters. Even though it's considered hidden tilt, it's a metal tilt rod on the side of the shutters. I put a picture below if you see next to the window you can see the tilt rod. Norman shutters do not show that rod...
Which Norman Shutter reseller did you go with? Is that Blinds & More?
Thanks!
How do you like the 4.5 louvers? I've heard the 4.5 louvers optically make the window look smaller from the inside, how do you feel? Why these over the standard 3.5"?
Any pics to share? Are this the ones manufactured in the US or overseas?
Thanks!
Cool, I got a quote from them but not nearly getting that low for $/sqft. It maybe cause I'm quoting for 4.5" louvres with the hidden tilt which is always extra.
Here's the $/sqft I'm getting from various vendors. I did my own measurements and using that to calc the $/sqft so it's normalized as each vendor "pads" their numbers. It's not really $15.95/sqft if they pad two inches all around <sigh>.
Standard Plantation Shutters w/ Hidden Tilt ($/sqft) on windows (using final price including any installation, tax and current discounts factored in):
Window Decorators: $17.91/sqft
OC Shutters: $20.71/sqft
GoldenWest: $21.71/sqft
Custom Shutters: $24.53/sqft
This maybe cause I'm a low sqft amount total around 75 sqft as we just want to do part of the house and not the entire place. So maybe not getting the big savings as others who are doing much larger volumes.
None the less the Window Decorators does seem to offer the best price. I'll have them over to personally take a look at their samples.
Waiting to hear back from Shutter Kings but they maybe not interested in my "small" order.
Glad to hear you're happy with your shutters!
PenguinOrange
Member
broda said:
@Broda did you decide on which shutter company or still shopping?
I'm pricing out several:
- Express Blinds
- Custom Wood Shutters and Blinds
- JMR Inland Empire Blind Co
- GoldenWest
- OC Shutters
Hopefully will find someone with the right balance of value and price.
PenguinOrange said:broda said:
@Broda did you decide on which shutter company or still shopping?
I'm pricing out several:
- Express Blinds
- Custom Wood Shutters and Blinds
- JMR Inland Empire Blind Co
- GoldenWest
- OC Shutters
Hopefully will find someone with the right balance of value and price.
Things I've learned from shopping shutters. My sq footage according to each vendor is different. Do yourself a favor and measure out your windows. It'll help determine who's over measuring and over charging. Average right now I determined was about $15 per sq ft. I did opt to go with Norman shutters which most vendors are coming in at $17 sq ft.
Norman Shutters are worth it in my opinion for two reasons. 1. If there is a defect in the product, Norman is a large company with multiple authorized resellers. If your reseller ever goes under or books it on you, the company will still warranty their product. If Shutters King and parent company ever went under, you're done. That's your warranty.
Biggest reason is the tilt rod is built into the shutter and not exposed like the other shutters. Even though it's considered hidden tilt, it's a metal tilt rod on the side of the shutters. I put a picture below if you see next to the window you can see the tilt rod. Norman shutters do not show that rod...
lucky760
New member
Installation from Shutters King took place today. The crew was only slightly friendly and pulled a few bonehead moves, e.g., the shot a nail through the face of the wall on at least three windows.
To make it easier on themselves they told me they were just going to permanently screw shut the windows at the top of my stairwell, which is ridiculous. I insisted they not do that and they continued urging until the head guy said (in Vietnamese, probably thinking I didn't understand) to just install the normal catch so that I wouldn't complain to the company.
Okay, installers aside, I'm satisfied with what we got for what we paid. There was no smell and all installed parts look and feel great on the wall (especially compared to the cardboard I had up temporarily).
My only problem overall is that the bi-fold shutters (of which we have 2) let a lot of light in through all crevices (around each slat and around each panel). This doesn't bother me in general, except that this is in my younger baby's room and it's probably going to make it difficult for him to nap during the day while the sun is directly on his window.
All in all, it was totally worth it to go with Shutters King and would recommend it to anyone with a tight shutter budget.
To make it easier on themselves they told me they were just going to permanently screw shut the windows at the top of my stairwell, which is ridiculous. I insisted they not do that and they continued urging until the head guy said (in Vietnamese, probably thinking I didn't understand) to just install the normal catch so that I wouldn't complain to the company.
Okay, installers aside, I'm satisfied with what we got for what we paid. There was no smell and all installed parts look and feel great on the wall (especially compared to the cardboard I had up temporarily).
My only problem overall is that the bi-fold shutters (of which we have 2) let a lot of light in through all crevices (around each slat and around each panel). This doesn't bother me in general, except that this is in my younger baby's room and it's probably going to make it difficult for him to nap during the day while the sun is directly on his window.
All in all, it was totally worth it to go with Shutters King and would recommend it to anyone with a tight shutter budget.
Window Decorators stopped by yesterday and "TRIED" to install the shutters. Needless to say, we experienced a hiccup.
The 4 1/2" louvers they manufactured for our house only works on 50% of the windows. The one's that have a shallower window sill does not work with the 4 1/2" louvers, as they would hit the window itself as you try to open the blinds, preventing it from reaching the completely horizontal position.
In the end, they agreed to take those shutters back and "fix" the issue by extending the frames out further.
Out of the one's that we did have, they look like they are of good quality, and I'm happy with the product at a VERY competitive price of about $10.50/ sq ft.
I will update with a more complete review once everything is installed correctly.
The 4 1/2" louvers they manufactured for our house only works on 50% of the windows. The one's that have a shallower window sill does not work with the 4 1/2" louvers, as they would hit the window itself as you try to open the blinds, preventing it from reaching the completely horizontal position.
In the end, they agreed to take those shutters back and "fix" the issue by extending the frames out further.
Out of the one's that we did have, they look like they are of good quality, and I'm happy with the product at a VERY competitive price of about $10.50/ sq ft.
I will update with a more complete review once everything is installed correctly.
PenguinOrange
Member
broda said:
Which Norman Shutter reseller did you go with? Is that Blinds & More?
Thanks!
PenguinOrange
Member
Irvine_RC said:
How do you like the 4.5 louvers? I've heard the 4.5 louvers optically make the window look smaller from the inside, how do you feel? Why these over the standard 3.5"?
Any pics to share? Are this the ones manufactured in the US or overseas?
Thanks!
Hi Penguin,
To be honest with you, I didn't even know the 4 1/2 inch louvers were non-standard. That's just what I was quoted. Maybe the 4 1/2 inch louvers were cheaper, hence they defaulted us to that setup.
Visually, they look fine. I did not get the feeling that they made the window look any smaller. However, it's not like I had a lot to compare to.
I got the shutters that were made in US, and they delivered in 3 weeks.
I will upload pictures when I get a chance.
To be honest with you, I didn't even know the 4 1/2 inch louvers were non-standard. That's just what I was quoted. Maybe the 4 1/2 inch louvers were cheaper, hence they defaulted us to that setup.
Visually, they look fine. I did not get the feeling that they made the window look any smaller. However, it's not like I had a lot to compare to.
I got the shutters that were made in US, and they delivered in 3 weeks.
I will upload pictures when I get a chance.
PenguinOrange
Member
Irvine_RC said:
Cool, I got a quote from them but not nearly getting that low for $/sqft. It maybe cause I'm quoting for 4.5" louvres with the hidden tilt which is always extra.
Here's the $/sqft I'm getting from various vendors. I did my own measurements and using that to calc the $/sqft so it's normalized as each vendor "pads" their numbers. It's not really $15.95/sqft if they pad two inches all around <sigh>.
Standard Plantation Shutters w/ Hidden Tilt ($/sqft) on windows (using final price including any installation, tax and current discounts factored in):
Window Decorators: $17.91/sqft
OC Shutters: $20.71/sqft
GoldenWest: $21.71/sqft
Custom Shutters: $24.53/sqft
This maybe cause I'm a low sqft amount total around 75 sqft as we just want to do part of the house and not the entire place. So maybe not getting the big savings as others who are doing much larger volumes.
None the less the Window Decorators does seem to offer the best price. I'll have them over to personally take a look at their samples.
Waiting to hear back from Shutter Kings but they maybe not interested in my "small" order.
Glad to hear you're happy with your shutters!