The term ‘plantation shutters’ inevitably paints a picture of a lovely colonial-style manor. After all, plantation shutters are called that because of their widespread use in and association with American plantation houses.
That said, shutters have a long history dating back to Ancient Greece. They used to be made predominantly with stone (e.g., marble), but that material’s high cost and low availability soon gave way to wooden shutters.
Shutters consequently became more accessible and customisable, and their use expanded beyond windows (e.g., shutters for sliding doors), further popularising them and spreading their reach globally. When they reached American shores, they became a standard fixture in southern colonial-style homes and, thus, gained the name plantation shutters.
Today, many types of shutters are available. The different types of shutters, according to their operation mechanism, are sliding, bi-fold, hinged, and fixed plantation shutters. In this post, we focus on and compare the sliding and bi-fold variants, both popular types of shutters for sliding doors in Australia.
Sliding plantation shutters, also known as bypass shutters or track shutters, are shutters that operate through a bypass track system. Think sliding glass doors and windows; bypass-type sliding shutters operate exactly like them.
The sliding plantation shutters for sliding glass doors are typically composed of multiple panels. Each panel has one or more vertical sections. Two-panel shutters are common, but bypass sliding shutters may have three or more panels, especially if installed to manage light and privacy in a room with a bank of sliding doors or windows.
Every panel is installed or hangs from a track at the top of the shutter assembly. Each one has its own track, and every track is entirely separate from and parallel to each other. Moreover, individual panels have corresponding floor guides that keep them on track, off the floor and confined to their lanes, ensuring they don’t bump into adjacent panels when sliding open and shut.
The shutter panels in a bypass track shutter can slide left or right, and they move independently of each other. They can stack one on top of another on one side, or you can slide them open by different amounts so they overlap only partly, allowing in as much light as you want and opening up the room according to your preferences. Aside from sliding panels open and closed at will, you can tilt the louvres open and shut, as usual.
Bypass sliding shutters work great with sliding doors and windows. Stack all the panels on one side, one on top of the other, and gain access to the door or doors that lie underneath the shutter assembly.
Bi-fold plantation shutters, like sliding shutters, can alternately conceal and reveal windows and doors that lie behind them. They are composed of one or more shutter panels. Each panel is composed of two sections connected by hinges.
There’s a single track at the top of the door or window assembly. Only the outer corners of the shutter panels are connected to and can slide along this track.
This configuration leads to the bi-fold shutter’s unique opening and closing mechanism. Specifically, when you pull bi-fold shutters to the left or right, the panel corners roll along the tracks, while the hinges that connect the panel’s two sections fold out into the room.
Every bi-fold shutter panel can collapse fully, stacking panel sections against each other. In a series of bi-fold shutters, you can collapse one panel and slide it to the side, collapsing all the other panels along the way until they’re all gathered to one side, like the compressed bellows on an accordion or concertina.
You may pull or stack bi-fold shutter sections to the left or the right. You can also create a central opening by installing two sets of bi-fold panels that slide in opposite directions: one group of panels pulls and stacks to the left, while the remaining group of panels pulls and stacks to the right. After pulling both sides open, you’ll have a stack of shutters, one on each side, framing your sliding glass door.
Bypass and bi-fold shutters both offer granular light and privacy control with their louvres that may be tilted open and closed. Both are popular shutters for sliding doors in Australia.
If you must decide between bypass track shutters and bi-fold shutters for sliding glass doors, which should you choose?
Bypass sliding shutters are better for smaller rooms.
Bypass-track sliding shutters close by stacking on top of each other parallel to the wall, leaving the space in front and behind the shutter assembly free of obstructions.
In contrast, bi-fold shutter hinges protrude into the room as they fold perpendicular to the wall. Even the variants that lay flat on the wall after stacking still need space in front and inside the room in which to manoeuvre as they slide out of the way.
Bypass sliding shutters are the better choice if you want longer-lasting shutters.
The entire top side of bypass shutter panels hangs from and slides along top tracks, and a panel is built as a single piece that slides and moves as one. The solid construction gives bypass sliding shutters endurance over time, allowing them to withstand many years of sliding on tracks.
In contrast, only the exterior corners of bi-fold shutter panels are attached to the top track. The hinged sections along which the panels fold weigh down the panels. Over time – through repeated folding, unfolding and sliding – bi-fold shutter panels can start to sag in the middle.
Bi-fold shutters are better if you prefer full access to your sliding doors and unobstructed views.
Bi-fold shutters stack to the side and fully out of the way. They can leave the entire door open, giving you full access to your sliding doors and unobstructed views of the outside.
In contrast, bypass track shutters will always overlap on top of your doors. Therefore, at least one panel’s width of doors will always be hidden from view with bypass sliding shutters.
You can use either bypass track sliding shutters or bi-fold shutters for sliding glass doors. If your priority is longevity and space savings, choose bypass sliding shutters. Choose bi-fold shutters if full access to the doors and unobstructed views are more important.
Modern Group is a home improvement company in Australia. We are market leaders in Australian-made blinds and shutters, including bi-fold and bypass sliding shutters.
Contact us to book a free consultation so you’ll be better informed before deciding on which type to use for your sliding glass doors.
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