Pros Of External Shutters
In most cases, external shutters provide some degree of privacy and add style to your home. They also increase the value of your home. Here are some of the advantages external shutters offer:
1. They Make You Feel More Secure
They provide shelter and security to homeowners. Their slatted design makes it difficult for outsiders to peer into your home.
2. They Help Improve The Performance Of The HVAC System
External shutters can reduce heat build-up inside your home, particularly during the summer months. In many cases, they can save you up to 50% in energy costs.
3. They Add Value To Your Home
People perceive an attractive exterior as a sign of well-being and prosperity in a neighborhood. This is because buyers are often reluctant to purchase homes that don't have a well-done curb appeal or interior renovations such as external shutters.
4. They Give You More Interior Space
When your living room is not cluttered with external shutters, it looks larger than it actually is. You can open the windows regardless of the weather. This makes the room look more spacious and airy.
5. They Make Your Home Safer
When all the windows in your home do not have external shutters, burglars can break in easily and burglarize your home in minutes. While most burglars are out to steal cash and valuables, some criminals are interested in harming potential victims as well. This is why it is important that you install external shutters on the windows of your home to make the space safer.
6. Prevents Unwanted Noise From Coming In
If you are sensitive to noise, external shutters will keep the noise from the outside from disturbing your sleep.
7. They May Help In Lowering Your Electricity Bills
Shutting out cold air during the winter and hot air during the summer may reduce your heating and cooling costs.
8. They Can Save You Money
The installation of external shutters isn't as expensive as you would think. The estimates that are given by local home improvement stores are usually pretty accurate.
Cons of External Shutters
External shutters are not suitable for every home. There are many people who don't like them because they are difficult to install and require cleaning every once in a while. Here are some of the reasons why you may not prefer external shutters:
1. They Take Up Outdoor Space
This is a major issue, especially if you have a small home or limited garden space. External shutters increase your exposure to the weather elements, at least while they are being installed because they create an empty wall even if your windows aren't there yet.
2. They Are Inconvenient While Cleaning
They make you have to keep the windows open. This means that when you want to clean them, you would have to remove the curtains and open up the windows.
3. They Are Difficult To Install
It's not a straightforward process. You have to know how to properly measure the windows, decide on the right kind of windows, and determine the size of shutters that will go with them. There are cases when weather may not be a factor in this issue. For example, there is no need to add shutters when you live in an apartment building on the ground floor.
4. They Require Maintenance
You need to clean your external shutters at least once or twice a year, depending on how often they get dirty. This can be problematic if you don't have enough time to do it yourself or don't want to pay someone else to do it for you.
What to Consider When Buying External Shutters
External shutters require a lot of attention. Here are some factors you should consider when making the decision on which type of external shutter to install:
1. Do you need privacy?
If you live in an apartment, it's usually difficult, if not impossible, to have a private space outside your apartment where nobody will ever see what you do from the outside. In this case, external shutters on all or most of your windows would be useless because people living close to your apartment or in the same building can see what you are doing. In most cases, external shutters that provide little to no privacy are unsightly and only serve to decrease the value of your home.
2. How much sunlight do you get through the windows?
If you live in a sunny climate, you will definitely need to keep your windows closed and even put up curtains. In this case, external shutters can be the best solution for you. They will provide adequate space and privacy on the sides of your windows where it is needed while still allowing a bit of light to enter the room when necessary.
3. What kind of panel style do you want?
If you decide to install external shutters, you still need to choose from different types of panel styles, such as stained panels and louvers. Stained panels are a bit thicker and less transparent than louvers. However, this is the best option if you want to add classiness to your home's exterior. Louvers come in many different patterns and shapes. Most people choose them because they are flexible and easy to clean.
4. How much money do you have?
External shutters are known for being pretty affordable since they can be easily done DIY-style or with the help of a home improvement store employee who will guide you through the entire process. This is good news if you have the financial means to invest in such an upgrade.
5. Where do you live?
Locations, where the sun is usually strong will require more sunlight protection for your windows. Your home would be too cold if windows were not covered by external shutters. On the other hand, locations that get low amounts of sunlight may not require additional protection since people will not see what you are doing from the outside, and it can create problems with heating and cooling rates as well as energy bills.
Bottom Line
Dako Windows is proud to provide high-quality, best-selling external shutters at great value for homeowners. Whether you live in an apartment, townhouse, or any other type of property where there are too many windows to wrap with curtains, external shutters from Dako Windows will make your home look beautiful and protect it from the elements.
