Shopping for exterior shutters for your Toronto home will expose you to numerous options. One of the primary things people ask when looking into this home improvement project is whether functional exterior shutters are a good idea or not.
For the most part, exterior shutters are more about design than function. Improving the curb appeal of your house is going to happen when you add some type of exterior shutters to your home.
If you drive around your neighborhood, pay attention to how a house looks when it has shutters complementing the windows of each room. Then note any homes that do not have exterior shutters and see how it impresses you.
Most people agree that exterior shutters add depth and character to a home.
When you’re talking about functional exterior shutters, these were extremely popular during the 18th and 19th centuries because of their ability to add insulation to the home. When exterior shutters were drawn closed, it helped to protect against wind, rain, and even some degrees of cold outside.
Today, with modern energy efficient windows, it is not necessary for exterior shutters to be closed over them to protect from the rain, wind, and cold air.
It is also not really that practical to have functional exterior shutters. In order to open or close them, you would have to open the window first and many of today’s windows have screens, especially double hung windows which are the most popular style throughout Toronto homes.
While you may find some exterior shutters that are functional, you need to figure out whether you would ever use them in a practical sense. Some people believe that they can protect their home during serious storms in the summer, but odds are those exterior shutters are not going to be much of a match for a storm strong enough to do damage to the side of your house.
