One of the important decisions you’ll make when ordering shutters for your home is what style of tilt rod you want on your shutters. When considering which shutter design options to choose, it’s important to know what’s available. Let’s explore the features and benefits of the different tilt rod options we offer at Austin Window Fashions.
Center Tilt Rod
Center tilt is the standard system that comes on our wood plantation shutters if you don’t specify any other style. It represents classic styling. It consists of one wooden rod with a continuous metal linkage attached to each louver with staples, positioned in the center of the panel. It’s often considered a more traditional look for plantation shutters.
Horizon Dual Side Tilt Rods (Exclusive to Austin Window Fashions)
The Horizon side tilt rod option is one of the most popular upgrades and has many benefits over the standard center one. Horizon consists of two rods, one positioned on each side of the louvers. This leaves an uninterrupted view when the louvers are open, which fits well with a modern design aesthetic. The tilt rods are both contoured to overlap the vertical stiles, which provides nice light blocking when the louvers are completely closed.
Horizon Solo Single Side Tilt Rod (Exclusive to Austin Window Fashions )
The Horizon Solo tilt rod is a single contoured rod, on one edge of the louvers. This is on the hinge side of the panel, on the front of the shutter. This option is fine in the right situation, but sometimes customers are disappointed in selecting the Horizon Solo because the one contoured rod blocks the light gap on the one side, which makes it even more noticeable that there is a natural light gap on the other side. Upgrading to the Horizon Dual system is a better choice if the light gaps at the edges of the louvers are a concern.
Mirage Dual Rear Tilt Rods (Exclusive to Austin Window Fashions)
Mirage Dual rear tilt rods are mounted on the rear side of the shutter on both edges of the louvers. No visible rods means a clean, open contemporary look and complete privacy when closed. The rods are contoured to cover the gap between the louvers and side-stiles. This results in the ability to block an average 99.99% of direct light. Exclusive to Austin Window Fashions, this is superior to other rear tilt systems offered by competitors because of the light-blocking feature. The competitor’s clear view option is just a thin metal rod that leaves the light gap on both sides of the louvers, just like a center rod would.
Mirage Solo single side rear-tilt rod (Exclusive to Austin Window Fashions)
The Mirage Solo is a new stye of tilt rod that is just coming to market. It’s just like the Horizon Solo, but on the back side of the shutter panel. One rod is located in the rear, at one edge of the louvers, on the hinge side of the panel. This is a truly superior alternative to everybody else’s aluminum strip up the back as you get a contoured wood rod with the embedded aluminum linkage for strength and stability.
It’s a great alternative for those who prefer the rear-tilt option. But, in the same way, there can be drawbacks in regard to light gaps. If this is a concern, Mirage Dual might be the perfect solution. It offers rear tilt and dual light blocking contoured tilt rods, only available at Austin Window Fashions. When ordering new plantation shutters for your home, talk to our knowledgeable Design Consultants. They will gladly offer the pros and cons of all the different options. We want you to choose the best one for your windows, after all!