External window shutters are installed on the exterior of a home and come in two types:
Protective: Some shutters are used to provide protection from extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, tornados, or storms. They’re attached to the exterior of your home with hinges, so you can close them over the windows to prepare for storms.
Decorative: Some shutters are non-operating and used for decorative purposes only and simply placed on either side of your outside windows. They can add greatly to the exterior look of a home.
Exterior shutters can be made out of wood, vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic, or steel depending on the type of shutter you want.
Wood exterior shutters are often sold unfinished so you may need to paint them yourself. Vinyl shutters typically offer the greatest variety of color choices and can match almost any desired color scheme.
There are more economical alternatives to wooden shutters. Non-operating vinyl shutters are fast becoming the most popular type of shutter because they’re easy to install, highly durable, long lasting, and cheaper than shutters made of other materials. Although vinyl shutters aren’t the best choice for protective exterior needs, they’re ideal for decorative additions. Vinyl shutters also require very little maintenance after they’re installed and are very easy to install by do-it-yourself enthusiasts.
Internal window shutters are used primarily for privacy and security. Unlike draperies, internal shutters allow you to control the amount of light that is filtered into a room.
Interior shutters are typically made of wood composite or plastic. They can be either solid panels with hinges which open and close, or they may have horizontal slats that can be opened or closed, either just a little or a lot, to let in desired amounts of light and privacy. They’re installed in the home and are attached to the inside of your windows. The solid shutter panels also usually have accordion-style vertical folds that can be closed over a window or folded back and open to allow maximum light into a room.
Newer interior shutters with movable horizontal slats, known as louvered interior shutters, are highly customizable and allow you to adjust how much light you want to let into your home. With louvered shutters, you can also adjust privacy levels so you decide how much someone outside can see into your home. All interior shutters are usually made to custom-fit your windows and come in a great variety of styles and colors.
