Shutters arrived on the scene even before glass windows did. In fact, 500 years ago, it was incredibly common for homes to have shutters. Made of solid wooden boards, they certainly didn’t look like the best window shutters you can buy today. They did, however, help cover the windows and provide some security. These days, shutters don’t necessarily provide security, but they do help cover your windows, and they offer some serious bonuses when you choose these window coverings over the other options on the market.
Benefits of Shutters
Wondering why you should choose shutters over the other window treatment options on the market today? There are a number of benefits, no matter what type of shutters you select. Take a look at a few:
- Better Light Control: No one wants the bright sun shining in at the most inopportune moments, and shutters offer much better light control than many other choices. More than that, though, is the fact that you decide how much light you want in your home. It’s flexibility redefined when it comes to deciding how much natural light you want in your home, and that’s not only a huge bonus for you, but it’s a benefit for your furniture and flooring, too, as it can help protect both from UV rays.
- Property Value: Shutters can actually increase the value of your home. Since they’re often custom-made for your windows, they tend to remain with the home when it’s sold, and that means they may even factor into the appraisal value of your home, something many other choices on the market don’t do.
- Energy Efficiency: Shutters can help change the energy efficiency of your home. They can block the heat from the sun’s rays or even the cold from the winter wind from coming into your home. For you, that translates into a much lower energy bill in the long run.
Types of Shutters You May Want to Consider
Maybe you’re ready for shutters, but now you have to choose among the types available on the market today. A better understanding of each may help you decide on the right choice.
Shaker Style
You may know Shaker style as the ultimate in minimalism, and the shutters that are made in this style are little different. They feature the clean lines and depth many people love about Shaker furniture, and instead of a number of louvered panels, you get a single panel for each window. They’re typically flat in nature, and they completely eliminate the light in a room or let it all in at once. They’re less flexible in terms of light control than many others, but they offer a simplicity other types just don’t.
These are the most common type of shutters you’ll find both in homes and on the market today. They typically have wide louvers, and you can decide how much light and air you want to let in a room with this type of shutter. The popularity of this choice means one other thing for you – lots of options when it comes to wood and style. You can choose from faux wood shutters, which may help save you some money to other options including plenty of bright colors to meet your needs.
Cafe Style
If you love the look of shutters but hate the fact that they’re going to cover your whole window, cafe-style may be the way forward. They were originally popular in France where they covered the bottom half of windows to offer patrons some privacy, and they can do the same for your kitchen or any space in your home where you need a little privacy but you want lots of natural light too. Like plantation shutters, they’re typically louvered so you can control the amount of light that comes into your space.
Shutters for doors are also possible. They typically come styled like plantation shutters do. Installed over French doors or patio doors, they’re one of the best window coverings on the market today. They’re an elegant alternative when you consider most people only look to drapes or vertical blinds.
Ready to get started? We offer a great selection of all of these types of shutters as well as custom shutters to match the style in your home. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today.