Lighting Plays an Important Role in Establishing Mood

Slouching is close to a sin in my family. I remember walking alongside my mother while shopping.  Several times she would stop what she was doing, turn, and command me to “Stand up straight!” I’ve grown to agree with her.  Standing tall communicates a confident presence.  Slouching isn’t the best way to visually gain credibility.

The same thing goes for plantation shutters.  One of the reasons people prefer interior shutters over other window treatments is their ability to offer variable light control.  When you set your louvers at a specific tilt, you determine how much light enters into the room and at what angle.  As lighting plays a large role in setting the mood of a room, it’s imperative that shutter slats stay where you set them to provide that effect.

Thus there is a high level of frustration that comes with slouching shutter slats.  It can be very irritating to set your louvers at a certain pitch, only to have them droop downward.

So how do shutter companies avoid slouching slat syndrome?

• Tension Screws

Tension screws are the first line of defense against slouching slat syndrome on every shutter.  It’s plantation shutters 101.  If your provider doesn’t offer a shutter with a tension screw, send him packing because he probably doesn’t know what a louver is either.

A tension screw is roughly 2 1/2″ long and connects the stile to a louver.  When tightened, the screw pulls the louver closer to stile, and the resulting friction helps prevent the slat from sagging.  The size of the shutter panel will determine how many tension screws are needed.

• Tension Pins

Wheras most louver pins are smoothe and simply permit the slat to spin on them, tension pins “drag” in the stile, making it more difficult for the louver to turn.  The ratio of tension pins to louver pins in a shutter stile is dependant on the size of the louver itself.  The bigger the louver, the more tension pins you should have.

Tension pins come in two forms.

• • Single Piece

These pins look similar to a regular louver pin, but the end that inserts into the shutter stile has a groove cut into it.  Every time the louver turns, the groove catches against the wood and causes drag, thus helping maintain louver tension.

• • Two Piece

These pins come in two parts and are ideal for synthetic shutters.  One part is a bushing with grooves all around it.  This end fits into the poly stile, and the grooves latch onto the soft polymer.  The other part is a pin that fits snugly inside the bushing.  When the louver turns, the pin turns within the bushing.  The tight fitting pin causes friction in the bushing and helps hold the tension.

Since tension pins are more expensive and more difficult to insert, some shutter companies avoid using them.  Beware! The price savings you receive up front will pale in comparison to the frustration of slouching slat syndrome.

• Off-Setting the Louvers

Did you know your plantation shutter louvers may be losing tension while they’re not even being moved?  It’s true!  The tilt rod that spans the louvers is constantly being pulled downward by gravity.  As infinitesimal a thing as that may seem, over time the pressure of gravity will cause the louvers to lose tension.  Because of this, some shutter companies choose to install the louvers ever so slightly toward the rear of the shutter panel.  Doing so off-sets gravity’s pull on the tilt rod and reduces the tension on the slat pins.  Just another way quality plantation shutter companies strive to provide you with long lasting quality!

Nobody likes a slouch – either in person or in product.  When purchasing plantation shutters, be sure and ask your provider what measures he or she is taking to prevent slouching shutter syndrome!

I ran across an incredible blog written by Jim Deitch, COO of Southern Crafted Homes.  As I read his take on the three elements of a home purchase, I realized how closely related these are to the highly competitive industry of window treatments, particularly blinds and plantation shutters.

I’ve decided to repost his blog here.  Well done Jim!

EXTREME QUALITY

July 21, 2009 at 2:04 pm | In Green Bulding, Home Buying Tips
Tags: extreme quality, green homes, green homes tampa, homebuilders tampa, new homes, new homes tampa,quality, tampa homebuilders, tampa new homes

Not long ago in a customer focus group a participant used the words “Extreme Quality” during a word association exercise where the facilitator threw out a builders name and the respondent had to reply with their first thought. Being personally vested in our organization I took great pride in that. But it also occurred to me that therein was our distinct USP. Our unique selling proposition. Extreme quality in our product, our service and as important the customer experience itself.

In today’s world you don’t hear much about quality. Everyone is focused on price. But it can’t be about price. Things have become out of balance. The cost of land remains mostly unchanged, the cost of building materials has remained constant and in some cases continue to escalate. Lumber for example just saw increases in the double digits. Labor costs have decreased in terms of salaries but overhead and employer burden continues to rise as the cost of health insurance continues to escalate. Every homebuilder has shaved as much cost as they can at this point out of the cost of building a home. But as foreclosures and short sales continue to dominate the market, the inequity in home pricing continues to be in the forefront of consumers minds and rightfully it is confusing.

I heard someone say once that you can have a great price but that doesn’t spell a great value. That person was absolutely right. Those who compete on price alone will ultimately lose; seller and buyer equally. There are three elements to a home purchase. Quality, service and price. Pick two because you can’t have all three. Someone will always be there to sell it cheaper so we choose to offer quality and service. For the consumer that this still matters to we are the homebuilder of choice poised to deliver the highest quality with the most exceptional service that can be found. Extreme Quality includes the customer experience and this is what makes Southern Crafted Homes unique in the market. Our uncompromising commitment to quality comes from our absolute adherence to our core values of honesty, integrity, respect, and our belief in excellence in everything we do. We believe that still counts for something. Let us show you the value in that.

Jim Deitch
Chief Operating Officer
Southern Crafted Homes

Ask for the real deal.  Ask for a Sewell Shutter

Plantation Shutters from Sewell

The other day a dealer called our office, upset that she may lose a project to another company because Sewell’s plantation shutters were higher than the competitor’s bid.  She asked me to contact the homeowner direct to explain what sets a Sewell shutter apart.  The homeowner was very receptive, and the result was a sale benefiting our company, our dealer, and (ultimately) our customer.

It’s important to anticipate sticker shock when selling custom plantation shutters.  When consumers are under the impression that “a shutter is a shutter is a shutter,” they can easily shift their entire focus onto the price tag.  This will lead to them compromising quality and not receiving the full benefit an investment like plantation shutters has to offer.

Here is a copy of the email I sent:

[BEGIN EMAIL]


Good morning,

[Sewell Shutters Dealer] said there was some concern over pricing for the shutter quote we’d sent you last week.

We are definitely a high-end shutter company that produces for high end clientele.  But I think our upgraded service and product is priced within reach of most homeowners.

Some things to look at when comparing shutter companies include:

1. Is the warranty lifetime transferable?
2. Is the construction built to last using mortise and tenon connection?  Watch out for wood dowel construction!  What about the staples that connect the tilt rod to the louvers?  The shorter they are, the more likely they are to pull out of the louvers!  Make sure they are at least 5/8” long! And what prevents the louvers from losing tension over time?  Does the company expect you to tighten them with a  tension screw or do they take preventative measures such as using more expensive tension pins along with standard smooth ones?
3. Is the material solid wood or MDF (e.g. glued sawdust filled with harmful chemicals).
4. Can the shutters be produced in three to four weeks or will you wait for six?

Shutters are an investment in your home, and raise the value of the property!  Make the wisest decision you can that stays within your budget!

Thanks,

Stephen Wade

Director for Marketing

Sewell Shutters, Inc.


[END EMAIL]

Are your customers experiencing sticker shock?  Are they under the mistaken impression that a “shutter is a shutter is a shutter”?

KNOW THE FACTS! Contact Sewell Shutters today for a free e-booklet.

Ask for the real deal.  Ask for a Sewell Shutter.