Commercial spaces, like offices, retail stores, restaurants, hotels and hospitals, are beginning to realize the advantages of using plantation shutters. Because shutters have an extremely long life, are highly energy efficient, and require minimal maintenance, they are being viewed as a good long term option for many commercial establishments.
The trick to making plantation shutters "work" in your commercial space is thinking through the design and install parameters.
Many commercial applications desire a poly shutter, rather than a real wood shutter. While poly shutters are a tad more expensive, the durability under heavy use, coupled with fire retardant ratings designed for commercial applications especially important in hotels and hospitals more than makes up for the slightly higher price point. Of course offices and restaurants which are designing for a rich wood stain look are well served by stained wood shutters.
From a functional perspective, thinking through the special requirements of a commercial space, which significantly differs from a residential application, is paramount - i.e. special hidden tilt features designed for total privacy, mounting depth requirements which may require outside mount frames, and smaller 2.5" louver sizes for tilting clearance.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly is considering how the shutter might be secured. Plantation shutters in commercial spaces can be very heavy because of their large size. Considering whether there is wood to mount into, aluminium frame, concrete, or I-beam steel, is very important. Or,maybe there is nothing behind the drywall where the shutter needs to be mounted. A shutter must be properly secured, and as such commercial applications require very attentive inspection of what will structurally hold the weight of the shutter. For example, I-beams and empty space are problematic and generally require some additional carpentry work to provide "sound" mounting surfaces for your commercial shutter application.
Of course, we would love to help you with your commercial plantation shutter project. Also, check out our online shutter cost calculator for a rough idea of what new shutters might cost.
The trick to making plantation shutters "work" in your commercial space is thinking through the design and install parameters.
Many commercial applications desire a poly shutter, rather than a real wood shutter. While poly shutters are a tad more expensive, the durability under heavy use, coupled with fire retardant ratings designed for commercial applications especially important in hotels and hospitals more than makes up for the slightly higher price point. Of course offices and restaurants which are designing for a rich wood stain look are well served by stained wood shutters.
From a functional perspective, thinking through the special requirements of a commercial space, which significantly differs from a residential application, is paramount - i.e. special hidden tilt features designed for total privacy, mounting depth requirements which may require outside mount frames, and smaller 2.5" louver sizes for tilting clearance.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly is considering how the shutter might be secured. Plantation shutters in commercial spaces can be very heavy because of their large size. Considering whether there is wood to mount into, aluminium frame, concrete, or I-beam steel, is very important. Or,maybe there is nothing behind the drywall where the shutter needs to be mounted. A shutter must be properly secured, and as such commercial applications require very attentive inspection of what will structurally hold the weight of the shutter. For example, I-beams and empty space are problematic and generally require some additional carpentry work to provide "sound" mounting surfaces for your commercial shutter application.
Of course, we would love to help you with your commercial plantation shutter project. Also, check out our online shutter cost calculator for a rough idea of what new shutters might cost.
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