Wood Shutters Offer Many Perks for Any Home
Andy West
July 20, 2010
Wood shutters are not only great for decorating your home but also provide several other benefits. Being a common material, wood allows for an affordable solution, so purchasing such shutters does not impact your budget all that much. In fact, you´ll save in the long run because they help to protect your home and also can serve to keep the interior more comfortable during hot days, reducing the demand for air conditioning and keeping down the power bills.
The immediate impact after installation is the aesthetic appeal. You can always paint or coat a plain-finish shutter if you want to, but the texture of wood always has some appeal on almost any structure. There are several different styles to choose from, depending on both personal choice and the architectural style of the home, and mixed styles such as combined louvered and raised panel shutters are also available.
Louvered style shutters alone add a bit of historical appeal to a home. They are also visually pleasant and offer a more laid back feel. If the structure of the product has open shutters, then this allows for some airflow and cool breezes to come inside. Many shutters of this style feature a single block of louvers but some have two or three different sections on one panel. Browsing a catalog of an online dealer, for example, will give you an idea of what style is best, and the choice is usually a matter of personal taste.
Solid wood shutters can offer real protection from the elements as well. They can prevent rain and wind from getting in your house and even protect delicate glass windows from debris. Cedar wood is best for hurricane-prone areas because it is able to withstand the winds of very strong hurricanes. You´ll appreciate the benefits once a storm hits and afterwards as well, when there is little damage despite a raging storm having passed.
Other choices include Board n´ Batten, which are thick panels that have a carved design and look somewhat like southwestern barn shutters. These are good for shielding the sun, and it is also interesting to create a look of ruggedness to even a new home that features modern-day technologies such as HDTV and wireless communication.
Even more slick are the Bahama and Bermuda shutters, which easily pivot upward to create an awning-like design when open. This keeps the sun from directly beating into the room heating things up as well as fading your furniture. If you´re working or sitting by the window, you´ll actually have some shade as the fresh air comes in from outside. If you keep the window open, you can have a fresh airflow through the shutter even when it is closed, and benefit from having a solid barrier to the outside at the same time.
Most wood shutters come in a choice of wood, including cedar, with Western Red Cedar a popular choice. There are also pine, redwood, cypress, mahogany, and other types of panels that provide all the benefits that the shutters provide.
You´ll also have the benefits of not having strangers able to see inside your home, so these are also a security solution as well. The wood is also a natural material that is not processed with chemicals or other compounds that could get into the air, or spread contamination to children that tend to touch a lot of things around the house.
Whether it is the protection they offer or the appeal that they add to a house, shutters come in a variety of choices. The benefits are as important as the comfort wood shutters provide and the natural appeal they add to the architecture of your home.
The immediate impact after installation is the aesthetic appeal. You can always paint or coat a plain-finish shutter if you want to, but the texture of wood always has some appeal on almost any structure. There are several different styles to choose from, depending on both personal choice and the architectural style of the home, and mixed styles such as combined louvered and raised panel shutters are also available.
Louvered style shutters alone add a bit of historical appeal to a home. They are also visually pleasant and offer a more laid back feel. If the structure of the product has open shutters, then this allows for some airflow and cool breezes to come inside. Many shutters of this style feature a single block of louvers but some have two or three different sections on one panel. Browsing a catalog of an online dealer, for example, will give you an idea of what style is best, and the choice is usually a matter of personal taste.
Solid wood shutters can offer real protection from the elements as well. They can prevent rain and wind from getting in your house and even protect delicate glass windows from debris. Cedar wood is best for hurricane-prone areas because it is able to withstand the winds of very strong hurricanes. You´ll appreciate the benefits once a storm hits and afterwards as well, when there is little damage despite a raging storm having passed.
Other choices include Board n´ Batten, which are thick panels that have a carved design and look somewhat like southwestern barn shutters. These are good for shielding the sun, and it is also interesting to create a look of ruggedness to even a new home that features modern-day technologies such as HDTV and wireless communication.
Even more slick are the Bahama and Bermuda shutters, which easily pivot upward to create an awning-like design when open. This keeps the sun from directly beating into the room heating things up as well as fading your furniture. If you´re working or sitting by the window, you´ll actually have some shade as the fresh air comes in from outside. If you keep the window open, you can have a fresh airflow through the shutter even when it is closed, and benefit from having a solid barrier to the outside at the same time.
Most wood shutters come in a choice of wood, including cedar, with Western Red Cedar a popular choice. There are also pine, redwood, cypress, mahogany, and other types of panels that provide all the benefits that the shutters provide.
You´ll also have the benefits of not having strangers able to see inside your home, so these are also a security solution as well. The wood is also a natural material that is not processed with chemicals or other compounds that could get into the air, or spread contamination to children that tend to touch a lot of things around the house.
Whether it is the protection they offer or the appeal that they add to a house, shutters come in a variety of choices. The benefits are as important as the comfort wood shutters provide and the natural appeal they add to the architecture of your home.
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