Exterior roller shutters can provide privacy and security for your home's interior, while also protecting windows from potential damage during a storm, or from flying debris coming from a nearby golf course, baseball diamond, school playground or gravel road. There are many other advantages to choosing roller shutters over any other type of window treatment, or of having them installed outside along with curtains or blinds inside, but to ensure you choose the best roller shutters for your home, follow this handy guide that will help you to narrow down your options.
Why are you choosing roller shutters?
First note your needs for roller shutters, as this will give you a hint as to the best material and design. Do you need soundproofing inside the home, such as from loud storms, a nearby school, and the like? Thick wood might absorb sound better than metal shutters. Do you need blackout shutters so that you have minimal light inside a room? For those who suffer from migraines, or if you have a home theatre and want complete darkness, choose solid panel shutters, versus those made with hinged slats.
If you're looking for maximum security against an intruder, steel shutters are probably the most difficult to bend or break, whereas lightweight aluminium shutters may be easier to bend and pry open. For protection against flying debris, steel or vinyl may be less likely to chip, dent or otherwise suffer damage than wood or aluminium.
Additional protection
Once you've covered the basics of why you're getting shutters, consider what additional protections you might want, and which might be worth an added investment. For example, some shutters are rated for very high wind resistance, which can keep them quieter during strong storms. This is something to consider if you live in the tropics or any area with inclement weather. Other shutters will have stronger insulating factors, so they can keep your home's interior cooler or warmer throughout the year. This, too, can be a good investment for many homeowners, and especially if you live in an area with extremes in temperature.
Appearance
Lastly, consider the appearance of shutters and how they'll fit your home's exterior. Steel shutters next to aluminium siding may be too much metal, but steel can offset brick or concrete walls. Wood shutters look very traditional, so they may not work well with a modern home. Aluminium shutters can coordinate with aluminium window frames, or you might choose vinyl shutters if your home has vinyl window frames.
Hello! My name is Drake and this is my blog. I have written a number of different blogs over the past few years and each one has focused on a different subject. The topic I am going to explore on this blog is the installation and maintenance of different types of doors in your home or workplace. I was introduced to this area of knowledge by my uncle who works in the door manufacturing industry. I visited his factory and even went out with his crew as they installed new doors. I learnt so many cool things that I decided I would write about them here.