1. Lower cost usually means lesser quality materials, workmanship or warranty. You may not be getting the product you think you are with a lower cost product. Most of the quality shutter manufacturers sell products at a very similar cost due to similar material, labor and customer service expenses.

2. There are a lot of shutters sold that say 'solid wood' but many shutters are actually made of MDF (particle board) with a vinyl wrap. Despite the lower cost, MDF shutters are very heavy which, over time, can cause sagging and have less long term durability than a shutter made from solid basswood or poplar.

3. Some manufacturers will use thinner wood in the louvers, rails and stiles. This will give you the shutter look but the shutters will be flimsy and lack long term stability and durability.

4. Consider how long the manufacturer has been in business. If they have only been making shutters for 1-3 years and are selling their products at a lower cost to get in the door, they may not be around down the road for any warranty work.

There are 3 main reasons for adding divider rails to standard tilt rod shutters:

1. Structural Stability. All shutter panels over 82 inches tall must have a divider rail.

2. Light Control. A divider rail allows more flexibility in controlling light coming into a room.

3. Privacy. A divider rail allows for the top and bottom sections of a panel to be independently adjusted. A person can close the bottom section to block a view while allowing the top of a panel to be open to still allow light into a room

No. Although many people use divider rails for this purpose, the divider rails provide options for light control, privacy or structural stability as mentioned above. Depending on window measurements a divider rail can be put at the window sash but it will not always hide the sash from view. If you are standing 10 feet away you might not see the sash while standing. Depending on your perspective or line of sight the divider may not completely cover the window sash. A divider rail can be located at multiple locations within a shutter panel. Many people today prefer them to be located in the top third of a panel for more privacy and light control.

1. Yes, you can put divider rails on shutters with hidden tiltrods. If the shutter panel is over 82 inches tall it must have a divider rail for structural stability.

2. The hidden tiltrod has a unique feature that allows the manufacturer to cut the hidden tiltrod mechanism to provide the same benefit of a divider rail but without the solid piece of wood.

* Hidden tiltrod shutters operate much better when the hidden tilt mechanism is split into quadrants.