How To Choose The Right Window Roller Shutters

Window roller shutters are one of those household additions which perform several very different functions at the same time. If you are careful about choosing your shutters, you can improve the aesthetics of your home seen from outside, improve the ambience inside (especially true if your neighbourhood contains eyesores such as neon lights in your vicinity), insulate yourself from the noise of the outside world, and make it harder for intruders to break in while still allowing an escape route for you and your family.

Yet as with any other purchase, you need to shop carefully when buying window roller shutters, to ensure that you meet all your requirements. Some of these will be more important and others less important in your circumstances, so you'll need to make a choice of roller shutters based on how significant you consider each factor to be for your family.

#Window roller shutters and noise insulation

An often-overlooked benefit of installing window roller shutters in your home is the reduction in noise from outside. Time and time again, studies have shown that shutters are an effective way to reduce the amount of noise penetrating into your home. So if you live on a busy street, or on a main road with constant traffic noise, you should consider roller shutters as a way of blocking out the noise. It could help you sleep, or just to retreat into your personal castle without being reminded of the stress of the outside world.

So when you are choosing window roller shutters, ask whether they have been certified as reducing noise by a certain amount. Many have been, and even if they have not an experienced builder should be able to give you an estimate of the noise reduction properties of the materials and design being used.

#Security considerations

Obviously one of the most common reasons for buying roller shutters is the increased security they offer for your home. This may be more or less important to you, depending on your situation. If you live in a high-crime area, have many valuables in your home, or are frequently away from home for long periods, then the security of your home is naturally in peril, and window roller shutters can be a part of the solution.

If security is your main consideration, you can effectively discount wooden roller shutters. Some plastic shutters might be of value to you, but in most cases your best choice is shutters made of steel or aluminum. Just as important, look at the design. Just because something is made of steel, that doesn't mean that it is necessarily secure. When security is paramount, check that your roller shutters are strengthened in both dimensions - that is, check that it would not be possible for an intruder to separate the pieces of metal, and thus to force his way in. Just as importantly, ensure that the window roller shutters will tightly cover the entire area of the window. A window roller shutter would not be much good if it were possible for an intruder to reach around it and unlock it.

#Safety considerations

There's an apparent contradiction between safety and security. You want window roller shutters that will keep all intruders out. But at the same time, you need to be sure that, in the event of a fire or other catastrophe, anybody inside the building could escape through the windows. Admittedly, this is less of a problem in windows that would never be used as escape routes - such as those several floors up. But the ground-floor windows which most need shutters as protection against intruders are precisely the windows which would be much-needed as escape routes in the case of a disaster.

The contradiction isn't insurmountable: various clever minds have dreamt up quick-release mechanisms which make it easy for anybody inside the building to release the blinds, but impossible for anybody outside to do so. This, of course, is exactly what you want, and as long as you include this requirement in your shopping criteria you should have no difficulty in combining safety and security.

#Additional considerations

It is also prudent to note that roller shutters are foam injected giving them their unique insulating qualities. They will keep up to 90% of the harsh summer heat from entering through the window and in winter retain up to 70% of the inside heat escaping out through the window. Window roller shutters are also a godsend for shiftworkers as they can block out all light entering through a window during daylight hours, not to mention the noise reduction, allowing the shiftworker to get high/her much needed sleep.


About the Author
Custom Garage Doors - Perth's specialist in automatic garage doors. Bob Kirkright has designed and installed some of the finest and most-admired automatic garage doors in Perth. Years of experience give his business, Custom Garage Doors, outstanding skill and knowledge. Visit Bob's website at http://www.customgaragedoors.com.au if you'd like to get your garage doors from Perth's best.

Hurricane or Plantation Shutters?

When choosing new hurricane sutters or plantation shutters as part of a home repair project you may be deciding whether looks or practicality are more important features for your home. You can stop worrying, because with plantation shutters you can have the very best of both. Plantation shutters can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece. They were used both internally and externally in Greek architecture to provide a degree of both privacy and safety. Influences of Greek building styles, such as plantation shutters, can be seen throughout the western world.

Before it became commonplace to glaze windows, shutters were used instead to protect the interior of buildings from the elements and from intruders. They would be opened during the day for increased ventilation and to allow light into the property.

Greek influences were common in architecture in America throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This is particularly evident in public buildings such as libraries, and government buildings. These influences were also evident in the great plantation mansions stretching from South Carolina to Mississippi. Plantation owners wanted the same combination of beauty and privacy that the Greeks had valued; they also saw the aesthetic benefits of this style of shutter. They were also interested in security, as these plantation areas were isolated and not well populated. Plantation mansions were often targeted by robbers due to their locations association with wealth and prosperity.

Now you understand a little about the origin of plantation shutters, you might be interested to learn how to choose the appropriate shutters for your property.

Ask the opinion of a carpenter if you are not sure whether your existing window structure will support the extra weight of hinged shutter panels. If you need to replace the framework of the window, the project could cost more than you anticipated. Also note that if you live in an area prone to hurricanes, plantation shutters may not provide the necessary level of protection and you should consider hurricane shutters.

Decide on the width of louver you require before you buy shutter panels. As well as the appearance, the louver size has an impact on the shutter’s functionality. The wider the louver, the greater the airflow into the room and the more light you will be able to let in.

You will need to consider which material you prefer for your shutters. Although wooden shutters are the traditional choice and can produce a cozier effect, they may not be suitable for humid climates or rooms where they are likely to come into contact with water and steam. For these locations you may decide to choose vinyl, which is also cheaper and easier to maintain than wood.

Your final decision is whether you need fixed or adjustable slats. Depending on the function of your shutters, moveable slats may not be necessary, for example if you are planning on having them open all day and only closing them at night. If you want the shutters closed during the day, adjustable slats are great for letting in air and some light.

Now you just need to find a quality supplier of plantation blinds, and reliable contractor, unless you intend to fit the shutters yourself. If you are, ensure you get good advice from your home store, or various online sources before you begin the task.