Shutters Can Be More than Window Dressing 2

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

09 Apr 2008 04:11 PM

Did you know that today's homeowners are going back to the basics of weather protection through the use of functional shutters? No longer just decorative, shutters can cut down on your heating costs, your cooling costs and even prevent your furniture from fading while letting in the light.

This is part two of a two-part series. In the first part, I talked about different types of functional shutters that can be purchased for your home.

The second way to take advantage of the benefits of functional shutters is to adapt standard decorative shutters into real working shutters. You can do this on many models of shutters by simply installing hinges that will allow the shutters to close when the weather is bad or when needed for extra insulation. Board and batten shutters are a nice design that gives a quaint country feel to your home. Vertical wooden planks are framed by horizontal wooden panels. This is an easy style to adapt to a functioning set of shutters.

Shutters can also be mounted on the inside of windows for both decorative look and as added installation. If you install two sets of shutters on each window, then you can choose the open only the bottom shutters or only the top shutters. This way, your shutters could act as Bermuda shutters and keep out the glare when the only the bottom shutters are open, or they can act as privacy shutters when only the top two shutters are open. Close both sets of shutters and you'll add an extra layer of protection between you and the cold or the howling wind.

We found a few sets of shutters in the clearance rack at our local home improvement store. As an added benefit, the shutters came with their own hinges. We installed them in the bedroom of our old home. When installing shutters, whether they are inside or out, be sure to fit them properly. A good fit is key to gaining the most efficiency from functional shutters.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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