Window shutters add a nice touch to a home's exterior. In other parts of the world, especially Europe and the Caribbean, shutters serve a functional purpose. They cover windows by night or in bad weather to keep out bad weather or cold air. By day they are pushed open from the inside and secured in place to let daylight and the sun's warmth into a home. This is especially important in communities where the majority of residents lack central heating or air conditioning.
But in many industrialized nations, housing includes shutters more as accent pieces or adornments than as functional window covers. Shutters may cover the home's largest windows, the windows on the front side of the house, the windows on the sides as well as the front, or every window in the home.
Shutters typically coordinate with a home's design to bring out a certain style in its appearance. For example, you can get shutters that are rectangular-shaped, or those that come in other forms. Here are some things to consider when selecting shutters for your home.
1. Does the home's exterior paint or paneling come with matching shutters? If so, consider using these to match the existing design, even if you had the siding done first and now want to add shutters. If not, check with the home supply provider for suggestions about the type of shutters that will go well with your current outdoor siding. You may be able to look at a print or online catalog, or view samples at the store. Some stores provide references of previous customers who have purchased these shutters, and you may be able to talk with them about their level of satisfaction or drive by their homes to have a look.
2. Choose a coordinating design and color. If your home's siding or finish does not come with matching shutters, check out several possible options before selecting one for your home. Popular styles are made of aluminum and vinyl, along with other materials that are weather-resistant, so find out what's available, along with the merits of each.
3. Compare styles to find one that suits your home's design and structure. Some shutters come with two matching panels, while others have four. You can get louvers, but keep in mind these can collect dust and may be difficult to clean. Even when operational shutters are not needed, some people choose to install them for special effect on their homes.
4. Find out all you can about the product's quality. Ask the sales associate about each product's durability and lifetime expectancy. Also ask about how to clean various shutter types, and what type of special cleaning substances will be needed, if any. You might also want to know about any particular conditions that afflict certain products. Wood shutters, for instance, may tend to get dry rot, termites, or other wood-associated conditions. Any type of shutter might attract insect nests, and aluminum shutters may be prone to rusting.
Take your time in asking questions like these to find out what you need to know before buying shutters for your home.
About the Author
For more information visit Window shutters, vinyl shutters, wood shutters and more.
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Hurricane Shutters May Save Your Life
People who live in coastal communities are nearly always slap bang in the direct path of hurricanes. Residents are required to evacuate immediately and seek shelter in higher ground until the storm passes.
When the weatherman reports the direction of the hurricane and it's heading your way, the only thing any homeowner can do is board up the home. This is usually done using wood but there is a better way now to protect the house.
The best way to protect your home is by using hurricane shutters. These are strong enough to protect the windows and even the doors from gale force winds that could be carrying flying debris.
There are different types of hurricane shutters available in the market. There are the colonial, Bahamas, accordion and roll down versions. These are all made from different types of material such as metal or wood.
The cheapest among all of these is the vinyl version. Available in your local DIY stores, the only drawback with these kinds of shutters is the longevity when compared to other types.
Those who want wood should try Cedar since it has a natural oil that termites and other bugs hate as well as preventing moisture penetration.
Of course, there is always aluminum that is rust resistant. It doesn't look like much from the outside but this will perform its job when the storm rears its ugly head.
The type of shutter to be chosen will really depend on the severity of previous hurricanes. The person can contact a representative from one of these companies for an ocular inspection and measurements to be made to be able to design the right one for the home.
Contractors will usually charge per foot so you should probably look around and compare the rates before deciding on the one to get.
Hurricane shutters are easy to install. They're usually screwed onto the top of the wall so the shutter can be pulled down. This is much better than boarding up the home because the people who live there can stay inside when waiting for an order about whether to evacuate or not.
In fact, those who know some basic carpentry skills can save some money by buying the materials and building this at home.
It's always a good idea to get some friends or some members of the family to help to put the hurricane shutter into position given the weight of this thing once it is fully assembled.
Generally, hurricane shutters are placed outside of the home. Some people have even installed a second one inside that is more decorative adding a slightly bizarre but nevertheless idiosyncratic touch to the home.
When the hurricane has passed, the exterior covering can be removed and stored in the garage. This should be kept in a secure and safe place so it can be brought out again to protect the home against the next one, especially since more than 10 of these darn hurricanes come every year.
Hurricane shutters don't look that nice from the outside however this should not deter the person from getting one for the home. It may not protect the home entirely when the storm comes but at least this can reduce the cost of repairs as insurance companies are unwilling to cough up!
About the Author
Matthew runs a site dedicated to the latest free information on the essential Hurricane Shutter
When the weatherman reports the direction of the hurricane and it's heading your way, the only thing any homeowner can do is board up the home. This is usually done using wood but there is a better way now to protect the house.
The best way to protect your home is by using hurricane shutters. These are strong enough to protect the windows and even the doors from gale force winds that could be carrying flying debris.
There are different types of hurricane shutters available in the market. There are the colonial, Bahamas, accordion and roll down versions. These are all made from different types of material such as metal or wood.
The cheapest among all of these is the vinyl version. Available in your local DIY stores, the only drawback with these kinds of shutters is the longevity when compared to other types.
Those who want wood should try Cedar since it has a natural oil that termites and other bugs hate as well as preventing moisture penetration.
Of course, there is always aluminum that is rust resistant. It doesn't look like much from the outside but this will perform its job when the storm rears its ugly head.
The type of shutter to be chosen will really depend on the severity of previous hurricanes. The person can contact a representative from one of these companies for an ocular inspection and measurements to be made to be able to design the right one for the home.
Contractors will usually charge per foot so you should probably look around and compare the rates before deciding on the one to get.
Hurricane shutters are easy to install. They're usually screwed onto the top of the wall so the shutter can be pulled down. This is much better than boarding up the home because the people who live there can stay inside when waiting for an order about whether to evacuate or not.
In fact, those who know some basic carpentry skills can save some money by buying the materials and building this at home.
It's always a good idea to get some friends or some members of the family to help to put the hurricane shutter into position given the weight of this thing once it is fully assembled.
Generally, hurricane shutters are placed outside of the home. Some people have even installed a second one inside that is more decorative adding a slightly bizarre but nevertheless idiosyncratic touch to the home.
When the hurricane has passed, the exterior covering can be removed and stored in the garage. This should be kept in a secure and safe place so it can be brought out again to protect the home against the next one, especially since more than 10 of these darn hurricanes come every year.
Hurricane shutters don't look that nice from the outside however this should not deter the person from getting one for the home. It may not protect the home entirely when the storm comes but at least this can reduce the cost of repairs as insurance companies are unwilling to cough up!
About the Author
Matthew runs a site dedicated to the latest free information on the essential Hurricane Shutter
Monday, 3 September 2007
Selecting Exterior Shutters
Adding exterior plantation shutters to your property can relatively quick way to add style and color to the outside of your house. Plantation shutters can be found on Historical and modern houses alike, and both benefit from the timeless style of shutters. Since quality shutters last long and are a unique addition to houses this kind of home improvement should be thought of and evaluated before proceeding to install exterior shutters. .
Lucky for us, exterior shutters are available in many shapes and materials, with a huge market of manufacturers and designers. One very common shutter choice is the vinyl shutters that are easily available at most of the home improvement stores, common because they are simply the least expensive shutters. The only problem with the vinyl shutters is that they often look like plastic and they cannot be stained.
When you think of a classic shutter you probably have the classic wood shutter in mind, but bare in mind that there are a great many types of wood. Considered the highest quality for shutters is the cedar because of its outstanding durability and resistance to decay, this is why it’s probably the best wood for exterior use. Cedar gives long service with little maintenance in applications such as mud sills, window sashes, sheathing under stucco or brick veneer construction, greenhouse benches, fencing, poles, trellises, and exterior shutters. Cedar is also used extensively for exterior siding because it is dimensionally stable and holds paint well, in addition to being a deterrent to bugs.
The reason the cedar wood makes such a perfect choice for the shutter is that the tannin in cedar produced a kind of oil that helps prevent moisture penetration and bugs hate it. this is the prime reason why cedar wood makes a good wood for exterior shutters.
While the cedar wood has a kind of natural protection, it is always recommended that you provide extra protection for shutter and while paint can be brushed, it is recommended that it be sprayed. Most house painters will spray shutters with their airless spray systems for latex paint. Probably the best base for shutter protection is a coat of an oil-based primer tinted as close to your desired final color as possible. The action that protects that wood and the shutter is that the oil penetrates the wood, thus combining with it and providing protection. The top two coats of the wood protection should be a premium-grade exterior latex paint. The great advantage to this is that a topcoat of exterior latex paint will not chalk or fade like an oil-based paint. If shutter caps will be used, paint them as well since the top edge of shutters is the most vulnerable to moisture penetration.
Installing shutters can be a simple task, no more than affixing panels to the house or attaching doors to the main frame. For better home security it is also possible to get and install operable shutters, which can be closed over windows for protection against storms, these are extremely popular as hurricane shutters and storm shutters, and quite a number of hardware options are available. If you are looking for hurricane or storm shutter you should look for heavy and strong material, built from solid hardware with a finish resistant to decay, and make sure that you perfect your finish, remember that these shutters are meant to protect the property in case of a storms.
Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
Daniel Roshard is a interior designer fascinated by shutters and garden architecture, currently studying interior design integration to public parks and gardens. Daniel is writing reviews and Exterior shutters for ZupaTips.com
Lucky for us, exterior shutters are available in many shapes and materials, with a huge market of manufacturers and designers. One very common shutter choice is the vinyl shutters that are easily available at most of the home improvement stores, common because they are simply the least expensive shutters. The only problem with the vinyl shutters is that they often look like plastic and they cannot be stained.
When you think of a classic shutter you probably have the classic wood shutter in mind, but bare in mind that there are a great many types of wood. Considered the highest quality for shutters is the cedar because of its outstanding durability and resistance to decay, this is why it’s probably the best wood for exterior use. Cedar gives long service with little maintenance in applications such as mud sills, window sashes, sheathing under stucco or brick veneer construction, greenhouse benches, fencing, poles, trellises, and exterior shutters. Cedar is also used extensively for exterior siding because it is dimensionally stable and holds paint well, in addition to being a deterrent to bugs.
The reason the cedar wood makes such a perfect choice for the shutter is that the tannin in cedar produced a kind of oil that helps prevent moisture penetration and bugs hate it. this is the prime reason why cedar wood makes a good wood for exterior shutters.
While the cedar wood has a kind of natural protection, it is always recommended that you provide extra protection for shutter and while paint can be brushed, it is recommended that it be sprayed. Most house painters will spray shutters with their airless spray systems for latex paint. Probably the best base for shutter protection is a coat of an oil-based primer tinted as close to your desired final color as possible. The action that protects that wood and the shutter is that the oil penetrates the wood, thus combining with it and providing protection. The top two coats of the wood protection should be a premium-grade exterior latex paint. The great advantage to this is that a topcoat of exterior latex paint will not chalk or fade like an oil-based paint. If shutter caps will be used, paint them as well since the top edge of shutters is the most vulnerable to moisture penetration.
Installing shutters can be a simple task, no more than affixing panels to the house or attaching doors to the main frame. For better home security it is also possible to get and install operable shutters, which can be closed over windows for protection against storms, these are extremely popular as hurricane shutters and storm shutters, and quite a number of hardware options are available. If you are looking for hurricane or storm shutter you should look for heavy and strong material, built from solid hardware with a finish resistant to decay, and make sure that you perfect your finish, remember that these shutters are meant to protect the property in case of a storms.
Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
Daniel Roshard is a interior designer fascinated by shutters and garden architecture, currently studying interior design integration to public parks and gardens. Daniel is writing reviews and Exterior shutters for ZupaTips.com
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