House Shutters

House shutters have grown into a standard on many American homes.  They were originally designed to block the sun and elements from the home, while allowing air to pass through.  Over time, and with the invention of air conditioning, they have evolved into more of an accessory.  Many homes will still use them to regulate temperature when the AC or heater isn’t needed, but more often than not they are purely aesthetic.

Exterior House Shutters

In the South, some neighborhoods require that homes have shutters installed to keep the traditional look and feel.  Even if you don’t live in one of these neighborhoods, you can still get that same benefit with exterior house shutters.  Stationary house shutters are an affordable way to get this look.  Many times, these are made from vinyl, rather than wood, so that they are less expensive and lighter weight.  The best thing about vinyl house shutters is that they require almost no maintenance, all you have to do is give them a bath every once in a while.

Wood house shutters also do a great job of protecting a home’s windows in a storm.  Obviously, the shutters have to be functional and have a way of latching for them to provide this protection, but they work great.  All you need is a little heads up before a tornado or hurricane to help block flying debris from smashing through your windows.  Fixing a broken shutter is easier and cheaper than having to replace your windows after every storm!

Interior House Shutters

Interior house shutters are usually designed for the sake of blocking out the sun.  Most will have some sort of louver that will allow you to adjust how much light can pass through.  Painting these shutters to match the motif of the room is usually the best design choice, or adding a fabric print into the center.

All interior house shutters are functional.  You want to be able to open and close them with ease, so high windows will probably need some sort of extension to allow you reach them.

House Shutter Hardware

Shutter hardware can be as plain or as decorative as you wish.  It’s generally just a hinge on functional shutters, or a set of screws for non functional ones.  Shutter dogs are the hardware that hold it in the open position.  These are very important, or your house shutters are going to flap back and forth in the wind.

Installing house shutters, whether functional or not, is a great idea for any home.  They work to protect your home from the elements and look great.  What else can you ask for from something so easy to install!

Choosing outside house shutters is obviously a matter of taste, but there are some things that will hold true for almost every set of them.  Functional and non-functional shutters are going to have very different characteristics that you want to look for when shopping, so I want to share some of those with you so that you can get the ones that work perfectly for your home.

Non functional house shutters are generally made from vinyl or other lightweight, long lasting material.  They are this way so that they are easy to install, and able to take years of abuse from the elements without breaking or fading.  Appearance and color are extremely important with this type of outside house shutter.  You want something that works how a picture frame makes a picture look better, rather than being a distraction.  Look at the shapes and angles of the window and the rest of your home to determine which style of shutter is going to look best.  Colors should be contrasting from the color of the house, but not harsh.

Functioning outside house shutters are generally going to be made from wood.  They work to protect your windows and regulate the home’s internal temperature.  These shutters have to look good both open and closed, so some other considerations have to be taken.  It can be very hard to visualize something like this, so many shutter companies will bring some samples to your home so you can see it with your own eyes. Color rules apply the same for these as they do for vinyl ones (see paragraph above).

Another thing to consider is how much coverage you need from your shutters.  If you don’t live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, or wind storms you don’t necessarily need a shutter that covers the entire window.  With this in mind, there are a lot more shapes and sizes available to you.

Outside house shutters are much more aesthetically pleasing than shades, screens, or nothing at all.  Spend a good amount of time checking out your options before making a decision.  Have salespeople come to your home and show you exactly what they are going to look like to get the best idea, rather than trying to rely on your imagination!

When shopping for house shutters, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the number of choices and materials.  Picking out the style that you want is tough enough, but when you have to factor in which material you need to use it can be too much.  Luckily, this post should clear up when you should use wood house shutters, and when you shouldn’t.  It’s actually much easier than you think!

Put simply, use wood house shutters when you plan on actually using them.  Save the other materials for faux house shutters.  Using wood for fake shutters doesn’t make much sense because of how they deteriorate, vinyl house shutters are much better for this application since they last forever without much maintenance.

Unfortunately, vinyl doesn’t work very well for protecting your windows from the elements.  Wood works to keep flying debris from breaking your windows during heavy winds, while looking great on the days that you don’t need to use them.  In order to get the most from your wooden house shutters, you need to have a secure latching system for them to remain closed.  This system has to be fast and easy to use so that you can secure them quickly in the event of a storm.  Many times the wooden shutters alone will work to save your windows, but in a very heavy storm boards may also have to be used.

Wood shutters can also be painted or stained however you want.  It takes some work and refinishing later on to keep them looking good, but it is only done every couple of years.

Wood exterior shutters with louvers also work great to regulate the temperature inside your home.  They allow air to pass while blocking out the sunlight.  This allows you operate them as a thermostat on days that aren’t hot enough to require air conditioning.

While they do require some maintenance and a easy to use latching system, wooden shutters are an excellent addition to any home that will actually use them as they are designed.  If you just want a frame for your window choose vinyl, but if you want shutters that are going to regulate temperature and protect your windows go with wood!

Shopping for vinyl house shutters can be a tough job.  There are a lot of different styles, from a ton of manufacturers.  For this reason, I would like to show you how these shutters work, some of the different styles, and how to save money on them.

Vinyl shutters are almost always non-functional.  For house shutters that actually work to protect your home from the elements you need to choose wood.  Vinyl is the perfect choice for faux shutters because it is very lightweight, easy to install, and are very waterproof.  Some of these shutters are designed for you to paint them, whereas others are colored when you receive them.  Make sure that you know which you are buying when it’s time to make a purchase.

Installing a vinyl shutter usually involves a drill and a couple of screws.  There isn’t much at all that goes into installation, so almost anyone with these tools and a ladder can usually get the job done themselves.

One of the most common themes with exterior vinyl shutters is that they have a wood “grain” to them to create a realistic appearance.  Most people will never get close enough to your windows to notice, but those who do won’t be able to tell they aren’t wood.

All of the standard styles of shutters are also available in wood.  These common styles are louvered, raised panel, shaker, plantation, and batten.  When shopping for yours it’s a good idea to have a picture of your home and a closeup of one of the windows so that you can get a feel for how each style will look.  An even better idea to shop somewhere that will work with you inside your home.

To save money on vinyl house shutters you have to do a lot of shopping around.  The best place to do this is online since you can visit dozens of different retailers in a couple of hours.  Vinyl shutters will cost between $50 and $100 per pair, and when you factor in how many pairs you need to cover a house this turns into a lot of money!  Shopping around the local stores on the internet is usually the best plan since you can go pick the shutters up, rather than having to ship them to your home.  Shipping on these is very expensive!

Navigating through all of the different types of vinyl shutters can be tough, but it’s certainly not impossible.  Shop around until you find some styles that you like, then start working with local stores to find the best price!

There are a lot of different styles of exterior house shutters, more than you probably think, and it’s important to know the difference between them before starting to shop for ones of your own.  House shutters are a great addition to any home, and when you can get the ones that suit your needs you are going to be even more happy with them.

Before doing any sort of shopping or research, you have to first determine whether or not you want these shutters to be functional, or purely aesthetic.  Some homeowners don’t want to deal with the maintenance that comes with having functional shutters, so they choose ones that are there solely to look good.

Faux shutters are a great addition to a home’s appearance, especially when they are painted a contrasting color.  Many times these are made from vinyl, which makes the maintenance on them close to zero.  All you have to do is take them off every couple of years and give them a quick rinse.

Functional house shutters can provide a lot of benefit to your home.  They block sunlight, while allowing air to pass freely through, so you can get the classic look of shutters with the same benefit that dark screens have.  Most of them have louvers which allow you to adjust how much sun you want to pass through.  Heavier duty shutters can also function as your window’s first line of defense in a hurricane, tornado, or wind storm.  Replacing windows is a pain, and many times the shutter will be enough to protect them.

There are different styles of shutter design.  Plantation shutters are common in the South, and required in some New Orleans neighborhoods.  Beach style house shutters evoke a Mexican casita feel.  Traditional ones look great in almost any application.

Exterior shutters can be anything that you want them to, from a frame for a window to a functional protection plan.  Determine your needs first, then work backwards to find the shutters that look good and do the job that you want them to.