Exterior shutters

Exterior window and door shutters can make an huge style statement and impact the style of the building you live in. By choosing the right exterior shutters carefully we not only improve the aesthetics of the building with classic lines but also meet the primary function of exterior shutters which is to protect the windows and interior against weather conditions such as rain, wind or sun. Operable exterior shutters also improve the ambiance inside the room as they allow excellent light control as well as ventilation when windows are open in the warmer months. Other benefits of exterior shutters are to protect from noise or act as blinds when privacy is required away from the street or back yard.

One of the first criteria to take into account when considering exterior shutters is the material of the shutters according to the needs of your situation and the location of your home. The most common shutters are made from PVC, solid wood shutters are also suitable for exterior applications, and iron or metal shutters for protection of severe weather conditions and added security for your home. Secondly, the shutters need to match the interior of the room in style as they will inevitably be seen in some capacity from your homes’ interior.

PVC shutters are recommended in some instances as they are light, relatively cost effective and practical, requiring low levels of maintenance just like PVC windows. PVC exterior shutters facilitate a broad range of bright colours and design options which make them a flexible choice. Often they are painted with vinyl safe paint to reinforce their quality and durability as well as offering further aesthetic value. You might want to consider the impact of the environment if choosing PVC as the production of these plastics are quite fuel intensive, although you can of course weigh up their durability and low maintenance requirements in your environmental equasion.

PVC exterior shutters are ideal for a modern style window covering and the colour of the shutters to be chosen dependent on the room interior as well as home exterior. An example for instance is that you might consider brightly coloured shutters to compliment children’s bedrooms, or cream based and or pale colours to match any neutral room as are current trends in interior decoration.

Wooden exterior shutters is a material which is the most widely used and recommended for an extended life of your shutters. There a variety of woods that differs in quality and durability. Wood exterior shutters provide a traditional look, especially when the wood is left in its natural colour. Various stains and paints can be applied to match your exterior shutters with decor and home exteriors. As with any natural product wood will require maintenance over time, however you can expect a hard wood exterior shutter to last for decades. If the wood is left untreated you will notice a change in colour depending on the wood chosen, but they will last for many many years if maintained periodically - perhaps every 2-4 years. Think about garden furniture which is wooden and you’ll get an idea of the durability of hard woods when used for exterior shutters.

Iron and metal exterior shutters are the right choice where extremely severe rains and winds occur, painted in dark colours metal shutters can provide of a medieval style to match gothic architecture. Not perhaps the choice for a chic modern city pad, but great if you reside in the town’s scariest building at the end of the lane!!

We’ll be looking further into exterior shutter material choices in other articles so please call back here soon!

If you have any questions relating to this please get in touch and we’ll try and answer your exterior shutter questions.