Exterior Window Shutters

Shudders for Your Home

 Introduction:

Exterior window shudders have great curb appeal. Window shutters are inexpensive and are available in many different styles. Exterior shutters are often used as storm shutter to protect the home.

Exterior window shutters were originally constructed and installed to control light, provide privacy, and protection from severe weather and flying objects. Early windows consisted of a wax paper material and later a poor quality glass that let in light but did little to keep out the elements or flying objects. In days of old exterior shutters provided the protection that most modern windows do today. Shutters were mounted to the exterior of the building and hinged to either side or at the top of the windows so that they could swing closed when necessary.

Still today exterior shutters work well during severe storms such as hurricanes to protect windows and doors against the effects of high winds, rain, and flying objects during these severe storms. They also serve as security gates over windows and doors, particularly in high crime residential neighborhoods. They are made of a variety of materials such as fiberglass, aluminum, rod iron, vinyl, or wood. High tech shutters can be installed in tracks to be quickly opened and closed by motorized controls. In some areas of Florida building codes require hurricane shutters. If you live in Florida, check with your local building inspector for code requirements before purchasing hurricane shutters.

Today shutters are primarily designed as fixed non-functional shutters that are attached to the building as purely a decorative fixture for the windows. Functional exterior storm shutters are still in use to prevent the elements from damaging your windows and allow for ventilation. They are great for filtering direct sunlight from reaching the interior of your home causing floor and furniture fading. Installing fixed shutters is an easy DIY project for most home owners. I recommend that the shutters be painted before installing.

 Non-functional shutters are usually made from wood, plastic, PVC, composite wood, vinyl, or fiberglass. Functional shutters have traditionally been constructed from solid woods that have proven to endure outside elements. A hard wood such as mahogany make the best exterior wood shutter material as it is resistant to wood rot and is impervious to insects. Composite shutters offer advantages over wood shutters such as resistance to twisting, splitting, and rotting.  However, aluminum shutters have become very popular for both non-functional and functional storm shutters because they are corrosion resistant and are easily maintained.

Before purchasing exterior shutters explore the market and the different material shutters are made from. If you are considering storm shutters I would recommend either mahogany or aluminum shutters. If you are considering non-functional decorative shutters I would recommend the fiberglass shutters over vinyl shutters because they look better and are easier to maintain.

See: Interior Window Shutters