Louver Shop of Boston Product Glossary
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Louver Shop of Boston Product Glossary

Learn More about Our Shutters, Blinds and Shades

Create the window treatments you want with custom shutters, blinds and shades from Louver Shop of Boston.

It can be challenging to know where to begin, but our product glossary can give you a hand. As well as planning a free, in-home design consultation with your local Boston designer. We’ll transport the window treatment showroom to your living room.

Keep reading to discover more about your options—all crafted in the United States.

Interior Window Treatments

Plantation Shutters

Plantation shutters are a great choice for privacy, light diffusion and airflow. Some styles are built for improved energy efficiency.

  • Plantation Shutters: Classic style for current homes. Wood or cellular PVC shutters with wide louvers (2.5”, 3.5” or 4.5” options at no additional cost). Fully customizable and available in a collection of colors. Louver Shop of Boston exclusive. Also known as plantation blinds.
    • Classic Plantation Shutters: Premium wood and cellular PVC plantation shutters that bring a traditional style in any home. Our most popular shutter.
    • Heritage Diamond Select™: Solid wood plantation shutters crafted with top-of-the-line materials. They will set your home apart from the rest.
    • LouverWood®: Cellular PVC plantation shutters that insulate three times greater than wood.
    • Signature Shutters: Solid wood plantation shutters with an exclusive build only available from Louver Shop of Boston.
  • Traditional Shutters: The “original” interior wood shutter with narrow frames and small louvers (1.25”).

Blinds

Make your home more cozy and fashionable with Hunter Douglas blinds from Louver Shop of Boston. As rugged as they are beautiful, there’s a window blind for every room. A strong option to filter light and enhance privacy.

  • Horizontal Blinds: Traditional window treatment available in wood or PVC.
    • EverWood®: Moisture-resistant PVC blinds that have the look of wood.
    • Parkland®: Classic horizontal hardwood blinds.
    • Plantation Blinds: Plantation blinds have wider slats, like plantation shutters. Usually crafted from wood or faux wood.
  • Mini Blinds: Horizontal aluminum blinds with long, narrow louvers.
  • Vertical Blinds: Individual louvers clipped into a sliding track at the top of the blind.
    • Cadence®: Soft vertical blinds with the look of drapes.
    • Skyline®: Gliding vertical fabric panels with contemporary style.
    • Somner®: Custom vertical blinds in vinyl, fabric or aluminum.
    • Vertical Solutions®: Budget-friendly fabric or vinyl vertical blinds.

Shades

Hunter Douglas shades can lessen sunlight, reduce heat transfer and defend against damaging UV rays.

  • Honeycomb Shades: Brings superior energy efficiency. Many air pockets give them a honeycomb-like shape and strong insulating qualities.
    • Applause®: Budget-friendly, energy-efficient honeycomb shade with triple-cell construction.
    • Duette®: Most energy-efficient honeycomb shade available.
  • Pleated Shades: A single piece of fabric that stacks into neat pleats when raised.
  • Roman Shades: One piece of fabric that hangs flat while closed and stacks when raised.
  • Roller and Solar Shades: Simple, budget-friendly shades. Curls around a roller when raised. Some models provide increased insulation and light-filtering capabilities.
  • Sheer Shades: Brings both light and privacy. Features vertical or horizontal adjustable vanes floating between backings.
    • Nantucket™: Affordable sheers that integrate drapes and floating horizontal blinds.
    • Pirouette®: Customizable sheers with exceptional light control that combine drapes and floating horizontal blinds.
    • Silhouette®: Premium sheers with exceptional light control that combine drapes and floating horizontal blinds.
    • Luminette®: Combines the look of drapes and floating vertical blinds.

Hunter Douglas Operating Systems

Hunter Douglas offers a collection of motorized and manual operating systems for your blinds and shades. Available systems vary based on the product.

Motorized Operating Systems

  • PowerView®: Wireless operating system controlled or scheduled via a remote or mobile device.
  • SoftTouch™: Battery-operated system with wand operation.
  • Vertical Motorized System: Remote or wall-mount system for vertical blinds.

Manual Operating Systems

  • UltraGlide®: Retractable cord or wand stay at a consistent length when raising or lowering shades.
  • LiteRise®: Cordless system works with your touch, pushing up to raise or pulling down to lower.
  • Duolite®: Light diffusion and shade darkening in one product.
  • LightLock™: Brings 100% blackout capability for Duette® Honeycomb Shades.
  • Top-Down/Bottom Up: Open your shades from the top, bottom or somewhere in between.
  • Vertiglide™: Cordless operating system for Duette® and Applause® Honeycomb Shades. Available in either manual or motorized.
  • SimpleLift™: Contoured bottom rail removes the need for a handle, making raising and lowering shades easy.
  • Cordless Lifting System: Cord-free spring-assist system to raise and lower large window coverings.
  • EasyRise™: Pull on a loop to raise or lower a shade.
  • Clutch-Operated Continuous Cord Loop: Continuous loop works on a pulley, rotating a clutch to raise or lower a shade.
  • Custom Clutch: Smooth operating system that offers the smallest gap possible between a shade and a window to block the most light.
  • Standard Cordlock: Locks into place for easy operation and cleaner appearance.
  • Combination Wand/Cord Control: Offers single control to traverse or rotate the vanes or louvers.
  • Wand Control: Replaces looped pull cords with a wand.
  • Chain and Cord: Offers smooth operation and exceptional light control.

Parts and Features of Shutters, Blinds and Shades

We frequently refer to these parts and features on our window treatment product pages.

  • Architella®: Premium option for unique Hunter Douglas products. Features exceptional energy efficiency.
  • Cells: Sections that form a honeycomb shade.
  • ClearView™: Proprietary Hunter Douglas feature that increases the outdoor view for select window treatments.
  • de-Light™: Proprietary Hunter Douglas option for blinds that hides cord holes and diminishes light leakage.
  • End Retention System: Proprietary Louver Shop option on hurricane shutters that takes away the need for storm bars.
  • IllumiCell™: Proprietary Hunter Douglas light-diffusing feature for Duette® Architella® Honeycomb Shades.
  • Invisi-Lift™: Proprietary Hunter Douglas feature for shades that floats horizontal vanes on a sheer backing.
  • Louver: Wide horizontal panels in a plantation shutter.
  • MagnaView®: Proprietary Hunter Douglas component for select horizontal blinds that approximately doubles the view.
  • Polymer: Also called faux or fake wood. Suited for rooms with high moisture.
  • PerfectView: Louver Shop of Boston offers a current operating system for our shutters that hides the traditional tilt bar from being seen. This provides smooth operation and enhanced view through the shutter.
  • Slat: Individual strips that are part of a horizontal blind.
  • SofTrak™: Proprietary Hunter Douglas option for vertical blinds ensuring effortless, quiet operation.
  • Tilt Rod: Used on shutters to open or close louvers.
  • Trielle™: Proprietary option for Hunter Douglas Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades that enhances energy efficiency.
  • Vane: Hanging panels in a vertical blind.

Exterior Shutters

Decorative and Operational Exterior Shutters

Bring curb appeal to your home with decorative exterior shutters. Functional shutters have options to safeguard your home from severe weather and damaging sunlight.

  • Bahama Shutters: Tropical-style shutter installed above windows to improve shade and let in breezes while open. Increases privacy and protection against wind and rain when closed. Crafted from wood, aluminum or fiberglass.*
  • Board and Batten Shutters: Suited for rustic homes like lake houses and cabins.
    Built from wide vertical planks connected by a horizontal bar referred to as a batten. Constructed in wood, composite, vinyl or aluminum.
  • Louvered Shutters: Our best selling exterior shutter. Offers a classic, colonial look to any home. Available in aluminum, fiberglass, hybrid (composite/wood), vinyl or wood.
  • Raised Panel Shutters: Our second most requested exterior shutter. Regularly used to protect against wind and storms.* Comes in aluminum, composite or vinyl.

Storm and Security Shutters

Louver Shop of Boston has you covered when seeking rolling storm and security shutters. Whether you need to protect your home from extreme weather. Or defend your business against outside intrusion. And particular models feature extra insulation, keeping you cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

  • Rolling Hurricane Shutters: Aluminum and stainless steel rolling shutters secure in place to safeguard your home from winds up to 230 mph.** Provides shade and insulation during clear days. Stored in a housing box above a window or door until they’re lowered. Built with manual or automatic operating systems.
    • LouverShield™: Rolling hurricane shutters with an extra-small housing space. Defends against winds up to 230 mph, insulates and improves security.
    • LouverStorm™: Rolling hurricane shutters with the smallest housing box in the industry. Defends against winds up to 200 mph, keeps out water, insulates and increases security.
  • Rolling Security Shutters: Aluminum, stainless steel, plastic and galvanized steel rolling shutters lock in place to defend your home from winds up to 140 mph.** Stored in a housing box above a window or door until they’re lowered. Available with manual or automatic operating systems.
    • LouverSafe™: Rolling security shutters designed to be subtle and aesthetically pleasing. Built from 60 percent recycled aluminum.
    • LouverTite™: Rolling security shutters that resist intruders and withstand winds up to 140 mph. Made from aluminum, stainless steel, plastic and galvanized steel.
  • Storm Bahama Shutters: Aluminum Bahama shutters. Designed to rapidly help you defend your home from severe weather.
  • Storm Louvered Shutters: Aluminum louvered shutters. Designed to rapidly help you protect your home from from severe weather.
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