Introduction

It can be quite easy to produce a professional looking finish on your plantation shutters.  The main ingredient is time.  This is the case no matter if you are a do-it-yourselfer or a shutter factory.  Time is the biggest factor, and expense, in finishing plantation shutters.  That is why there is such a big difference in the prices between the two.  So, if you have the time and patience to do a good job, why not roll up your sleeves and give it a try?  You stand to save quite a bit of money, plus you will have the bragging rights that go along with any well done project. 

Let’s start out with some general instructions below.  The general instructions will cover topics that you may not normally consider and are applicable whether you are going to stain or paint your plantation shutters.  After that, you will see the specific steps outlined for finishing.  These instructions will cover both painted and stained finishes for your plantation shutters.

General Instructions

There many different ways of finishing furniture.  Plantation shutters are nothing more than furniture for your windows.  Therefore, many of the same techniques used to finish furniture will work with plantation shutters.  These instructions will cover the most widely used methods.  However, these instructions are not exhaustive.  If you talk to factories, you will get many different opinions and techniques.  If you talk to furniture finishers, you will get even more.  The reason that I point this out is because I do not want you to feel like you HAVE to do it the way spelled out in these instructions.  This article is an attempt to summarize the best practices, but if you feel like you want to try something different, please do.
 
Start Small:
For starters, here is something that you may not hear from most plantation shutter dealers:  start out small.  That is right.  As great as it would be to sell an entire house full of plantation shutters, try ordering and finishing one or two smaller windows first.  This way, you can take what you learn from the first job and apply it to the next.  Further, if you find out that would rather order them finished, you can do so.

Wear Breathing Protection: 
Always wear breathing protection when you finish your plantation shutters.  This goes for sanding and applying finish.  Masks that protect from paint fumes and sawdust cost very little these days.  The fumes from most finishes, even water based finishes, can be noxious.  It will make the entire finishing process much more enjoyable, plus protect your health at the same time.

Clean place of work:
Make sure that when you get around to applying a finish coat to your plantation shutters, you do it in a clean, dust free area.  Nothing is more frustrating than looking proudly at your hard work while it is drying, only to come back and see dust, lint, or insects to have settled into the finish.  Small dust may be able to be polished out, but more than likely a light sanding followed by another coat of finish is the best cure.

Spray, Do Not Brush: 
Factories utilize many different methods to apply primer, paint, and clear top coats to their plantation shutters.  Some use standard air sprayers, others use airless sprayers, while I have heard that some others even dip the shutters into vats.  Although the most widely used method is the use of air sprayers, both air sprayers and airless sprayers each have their advantages.  However, I have never heard of any factory using any method using brushing.  It may be possible to achieve a high quality finish using a brush method, but I have never seen it.  Therefore, I suggest that the do-it-yourselfer use a spray method to achieve a professional finish.  If you do not have the necessary equipment, it can be rented from most hardware stores or rental facilities. 

Now that I have touted the use of air or airless sprayers, I will confess that the vast majority of do-it-yourselfers simply use old fashioned spray cans.  I have seen plantation shutters finished with spray cans and they can look great.  The reason I put spray cans as a second choice is for several reasons.  Since the finish is so thin, it has a tendency to run or drip.  This can be overcome by using several thin coats verses one or two thick ones.  Another reason is because the finish in spray cans is typically poor quality.  This can be overcome by purchasing higher quality spray can finishes.  Do not go for the cheapest finish in a spray can you can find.  Spend a little extra on a higher quality finish and you will be much happier with the results.  One other consideration is that the spray pattern from spray cans tends to vary as the can becomes empty, making a consistent finish more difficult.  However, if you take your time and purchase high quality finishes, with care you can produce a fine finish - even with spray cans.

How To Apply Finish:
One trick that the professionals use when finishing their plantation shutters is to hang them up when applying a finish.  This is done by running one or more two inch wood screws about one inch into the top of the shutter panel.  Do not run the screws near the joint where the rail and stile meet and do not use fat screws that will crack the shutters.  You may want to predrill the screw holes just in case.  The shutter panels can then be hung from the exposed end of the screws.  Some factories run screws into the top and bottom of the shutter panels, allowing them to be hung horizontally.  This helps the finish to settle and set evenly.  You can then flip the panels over to finish the opposite side.  When your plantation shutters are finished, you can fill the holes left by the screws with wood filler or caulk.  Since you never, or rarely, see the top or bottom of the shutter panels, this is a perfectly acceptable practice.

Applying finish with an air or airless sprayer is essentially the same.  Airless sprayers put out the finish FAST, so be ready to move.  Airless sprayers are a bit more manageable for the do-it-yourselfer.  Spray cans, although quite convenient, are slow as molasses.  When applying finish, you should hang your plantation shutters as explained earlier.  Tilt the lovers to a 45 degree angle and spray one coat.  Be sure to get the inside of the stiles between the louvers.  You can spray both sides.  When the finish has dried adequately, tilt the louvers to a 45 degree angle in the opposite direction and apply your next coat. 

A professional finish on your plantation shutters is best achieved by spraying with smooth, even strokes.  This means you should think of your arm as a piece of machinery.  It must take the sprayer across the entire surface at the same speed and at the same distance from the surface.  Do NOT point the sprayer at the panel, squeeze the trigger and then start moving.  You should start moving the sprayer BEFORE you squeeze the trigger.  You should squeeze the trigger a few inches BEFORE the panel, then spray consistently across the panel, and let go of the trigger a few inches AFTER the panel.  This is one stroke.  Overlap strokes by about 25% to ensure consistent coverage.  Probably the best advice anyone could give is to practice.  Practice spraying a flat surface about the same size as your shutters.  This will also allow you to dial in your specific sprayer.  Every sprayer is different and so practice is key.  If you use a spray can, most of the advice given here still applies.

Sanding Between Coats:
It is good practice to lightly sand between finish coats.  Priming or staining will “lift” the grain of the wood.  You will want to sand lightly after priming or staining to smooth out the grain of the wood again.  When spraying top coats (paint or clear top coats in the case of stains), no matter how smoothly or evenly you apply them, it is still a good idea to sand between the coats for a professional looking finish.

Before sanding between coats, be sure the finish is dry.  Use 250 or 300 grit sand paper to sand lightly.  I personally like to use 0000 gauge steel wool to sand between coats.  However, do not use steel wool if you are going to be using water based finishes.  No matter how well you blow off the shutters, tiny bits of steel wool may be left.  Not only could they oxidize and stain your shutters (tiny rust stains), but steel wool also contains trace amounts of oil which will play havoc with your water based finishes.  There is synthetic steel wool available which can be used with water based top coats.  Do not sand so much that you cut through your finish or else you will need to touch up the damaged area.  Stains in particular are difficult to touch up because if you overlap a dried coat with a fresh coat of stain, the overlap may become noticeably darker.

Step 1:  Test Fit

Before you do anything, you will want to test fit your plantation shutters.  I suggest that you fully assemble all frames, mount all hinges, and install your shutters into the window opening.  This way, if there is a problem in fit, it is much better to find out and fix it now than after you complete all of your finishing work.

Step 2:  Preparation Sanding

Preparation sanding is probably one of the most important steps to professional looking plantation shutters.  Before you start to put on your primer coat or stain your plantation shutters, be sure that the wood is properly sanded.  Most unfinished plantation shutters come with what is called a “production finish”.  This means they have been sanded, but does not mean you can just jump in and start out.  Be sure that the panels are smooth to the touch and do not have any visible scratches or moulder marks.  Moulder marks are repeated marks left by the blades of the moulding machine.  Understand that finishing will not cover up imperfections, but rather accentuate them and bring attention to them.  The only exception is color imperfections.  If you are painting your shutters, then any color imperfections in the wood will obviously be covered up.

It is good to sand with fine sandpaper for preparation sanding.  You should use 200 or 250 grit.  You should not need to go any more fine than that.  If you use more course sandpaper, you run the risk of putting scratches into your shutters that will take a lot more work to sand out.  Be sure to sand with the grain – not across it.  Ensure all the surfaces are sanded, including the inside of the stiles between the louvers. 

Basswood tends to “fuzz up” when you sand it.  That is perfectly normal.  Blow off the plantation shutters thoroughly before finishing.  Be sure to sand the hard to reach areas.  Finishing, especially staining, will accentuate unevenly sanded areas.

What not to sand: 
It is not necessary to go overboard on the top or bottom edge of the plantation shutters since they will most likely never be seen.  Just like the top and bottom of doors, the top and bottom edges of plantation shutters are rarely given much attention at the factory as well.  Many factories do not even fill holes in the top and bottom of the panels left by screws used to hang them during the finishing process.  The exception is if they are café shutters and those are addressed below.  Also, although it is nice to sand the ends of the louvers and tilt rods, I do not see a need to go overboard here as well.  It is really up to you how much attention you want to give them.  Some people like them to be finished smooth.  However, most factories do a quick sanding on the ends of the louvers and that is all.

Café Shutters: 
If you have café shutters, the top of the panels will most likely be seen and you should ensure they are finished in a similar manner as the rest of the panel.  If your panels have some holes in the top, you will want to fill them and sand them smooth.  You can fill them using either wood filler or spackle.  I recommend using wood filler.  It is readily available at any hardware store.  If you will be staining your plantation shutters, be sure to get stainable wood filler or get colored wood filler in a color similar to your stain.

The factory usually fills holes in the top of shutter panels with spackle.  If the plantation shutters are painted, there is no need to match colors.  However, if you are going to stain, spackle is stainable.  Thus, the filled hole should closely match the surrounding wood when complete.  If you decide to use spackle verses wood filler, I recommend a medium or heavy weight spackle.  You can get it at any hardware store.  Different spackle accepts stains at different rates, so when you buy the spackle you will want to test it first.  Test it by putting a little on a piece of wood and letting it dry, then put your stain over it and see if it stains the way you want it to.  A little trick you can also try is to mix the stain into the spackle first, then fill the holes.  You may want to test this as well just to ensure the stain does not adversely affect the hardening of the spackle.

Step 3:  Finishing 

There are two main methods of finishing plantation shutters, painting and staining.  Although there are numerous other methods utilizing color washing, pickling, or even antiquing, painted or stained plantation shutters are by far the most popular.  Instructions for both are given below.

Painting Steps 4 through 6

Staining Steps 4 through 6