by George Potter
Decorative shutters are very popular because they are inexpensive and are a quick way to make the outside of any house look better. Most shutters you see now days on windows are shutters that are nothing more than props and made to look like the real thing. They dont move or have any purpose other than to look good.
A common shutter that does have a working purpose is a cafe shutter. Most of the time you will find them in kitchens and other ground floor windows and they take the place of blinds. Cafe shutters, when closed, only cover the lower half of a window and thus provide privacy. The upper half of the window is uncovered and lets light in. You can open the bottom part as well to let light in.
Of all the different styles of shutters, cafe shutters are one of the most interesting and stylish because of their unique look. They are usually used in place of blinds and give a lot more design style to a room than any blinds can. If you want interior shutters in your home but want ones that have the most flexibility, cafe shutters are what you are looking for. The ability to open them all the way or close them for privacy all the while letting some light in at the top make them very popular in houses where there are other houses close by. If you want some light but dont want people peeping in, cafe shutters are what you need.
If you are looking for even more privacy, roll up shutters might be what you are looking for. People who live in the desert states often use this type of shutter to roll down over their windows that have western exposure to block out the hot sun and help keep the house cooler. Roll up shutters cover every inch of the window and great for total privacy if they are rolled down or they become almost invisible when they are rolled up.
If you are trying to find decorative indoor shutters, they are harder to find than the outdoor variety. Indoor shutters are usually functional shutters such as cafe shutters that you actually use for privacy and to block out the light. Outdoor shutters are often just for decorative purposes and are just installed on the side of windows to make them look better. Decorative shutters are almost always cheaper than ones that actually work because they have no hinges or working parts. Decorative shutters are also relatively easy to install, as they just need to be attached to the side of the house.
Tags:
blinds,
construction,
diy,
Doors,
home security,
remodeling,
security,
shutters,
window treatments,
Windows
June 04 2009 | home security | No Comments »
by Gus Kopalinski
Even though you can't tell, most shutters on houses are there just for decoration. Many house shutters are what are called decorative shutters that look great but provide no real benefit. They are made to look like the real thing but they really are for aesthetic value only. If you have a chance, take a close look at the shutters on some houses in your neighborhood. you will most likely see that the majority of them are just for decoration.
Real working shutters, though, can provide your house with protection from the all the elements including wind, rain, and sun. In the states where hurricanes are a threat every year, people usually install storm shutters in hopes they will protect the windows in storms with high winds. Most houses though, don't have a need for real working shutters and the homeowners just like the way shutters look.
Shutters can come in a variety of styles and colors and can be tailored to give a house a vintage look. They can also come in more modern styles. All in all, decorative shutters are a great way that is relatively inexpensive to add a little flair to the outside of a house. Many people who own houses realize that with very little out of pocket cost, they can raise the "curb appeal" of their house.
Exterior wooden shutters are what most people initially want for their homes when they start investigating shutters. But wood is not the only material that exterior shutters can be made out of and in fact, it is one of the least durable. Outside shutters can be made of fiberglass, vinyl, composite, and aluminum materials many of which stand up to the elements better than real wood. The fact is that all those materials can be made to look just like wood and in many cases they wont warp and wear like real wood will.
This fact makes other materials often times a better choice for exterior shutters than real wood. Additionally, since most exterior shutters are only for decoration, they are never actually over the windows and are just mounted on the sides of the house. This mounting process is quite easy to do. The only time most people house shutters is from a distance and it is very hard to tell the difference between a real wood shutter and one made of another material.
Tags:
blinds,
construction,
diy,
Doors,
home security,
remodeling,
security,
shutters,
window treatments,
Windows
April 21 2009 | home security | 1 Comment »