With winter fast approaching now is the time to think about keeping your home cosy and secure by investing in plantation shutters or solid shutters. As the evenings get darker and the nights colder, we want to switch on the lights, turn up the central heating and make our homes warm and snug. Shutters offer an attractive way to keep the heat in, whilst also maintaining your privacy. This article will look at the benefits of plantation shutters and solid shutters to keep your home safe and cosy this season.
Plantation Shutters and Solid Shutters – A Great Choice for the Home
Originating from pre civil war America, plantation shutters are louvered panels which can either be fixed to the inside, or outside of windows and doors. They are available in hardwood, painted wood or can be waterproofed for use in bathrooms, wetrooms, shower rooms and swimming pools.
Plantation shutters come in three types: café style shutters, full height shutters gateshead and tier on tier shutters. Café style shutters were originally used in France to create an intimate dining experience without compromising on natural light. They cover just the bottom half of the window, helping to maintain privacy whilst still allowing in plenty of natural light. Café style plantation shutters are a very smart and cost effective way of introducing shutters in the home.
As the name implies, full-length shutters cover the entire window and are a simple and appealing choice for the home or office. The third alternative, tier on tier shutters, cover the entire window aperture in 2 sections. These offer a versatile solution, as the louvered panels can be opened independently of one another to control lights levels and privacy.
Solid shutters were used in Victorian times to keep the heat in. Unlike plantation shutters, they consist of solid panels, instead of louvers and are popular today in restored period homes. Made from cedar wood, or stained or painted in a wide range of finishes, solid shutters bring the home-owner many benefits. For example, they insulate the home, shut out external noises and completely block out the light. In addition, solid shutters make good partitions as they can be used as high quality, light folding doors.
Keep Heating Bills Down with Solid Shutters and Plantation Shutters
When the weather turns cold outside, it can quickly affect the temperature inside. Winds, frost and rain can rapidly reduce the temperature of a home or office and cause you to put on an extra layer of clothing or turn up the heating, leading to higher household bills.
Both solid shutters and plantation shutters can help to insulate your home against the cold, by reducing heat loss through window glass.
If you choose solid shutters for your home, then these can be closed fully to add a layer of wood which entirely covers the window, reducing drafts and chills. This can be particularly effective in bedrooms at night, where you will also benefit from deep restorative sleep caused by the black-out effect they create.
In other rooms you may prefer plantation shutters. Here the louvered slats can be moved to the closed position, or partially closed, to still allow in some natural light. Or you could choose café style shutters or tier on tier shutters to reduce drafts and heat loss through the bottom half of your window and allow light in through the top.
Retaining Privacy and Security with Solid Shutters and Plantation Shutters
Another aspect that is more important in winter, when the nights are longer and darker, is security and privacy within your home. This is because when it is dark outside, and light inside it is easier for people to see in. Both plantation shutters and solid shutters act as a barrier to stop this happening, ensuring your privacy, modesty and security!
Solid shutters can be fully closed at night time, for a cosy protected feel within your home and complete privacy from the outside world. They also make it much harder for an intruder to break in, due to the substantial extra layer they would have to break through. Then during the day, shutters can be opened again to allow in ventilation and natural light.