Swing shutters or roller shutters protect your home from bad weather, light and intruders. They also contribute to the general aesthetics of the building. The following brief review of the different solutions will help you choose a model that suits your needs.
Different Types of Opening
Swing Shutters: The Most Traditional
Swing shutters consist of two panels that fold on each side of the window. These are traditional, simple models, which draw their robustness from the absence of complex mechanisms. Aesthetically, they can also contribute to enhancing the exterior appearance of a house. Available in PVC, aluminium or wood, with or without louvered panels, swing shutters can also be adapted to the specificities of local urban planning rules.
Roller Shutters: The Most Practical
Roller shutters seduce by their practical aspects. They can be handled from inside the house, a detail that counts on rainy or windy days, or in areas particularly exposed to bad weather. For more comfort, you can opt for the motorized option, which you can open and close with a simple click on the interior remote controller. Note that they are necessary for low-energy houses. In the event of a power failure, everything is provided for: an emergency crank handle can be used to operate the shutter. Motorized roller shutters are the favourite of technophiles. The motorized option can be coupled to a home automation solution, which will allow you to program the opening and closing time of your shutters. Besides, by connecting your installation to the Internet and using your smartphone, you can even control everything remotely and easily.
“The motorization can be coupled to a home automation solution, which will allow you to program the opening and closing time of your shutters.”
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Modern vs. Traditional Materials
Wood: Traditional and Sustainable
Despite the emergence of more economical and easy-to-maintain materials, wood is an old-timer that keeps seducing lovers of traditional style. You can easily adapt it to regional specificities and it brings character to your home. Of course, wood do need maintenance, which must be carried out on a regular basis, every two to three years, in order to ensure its durability. But well maintained, wood is strong and durable, and such maintenance requires no special technical skills and remains within the reach of any do-it-yourselfer, even a beginner. Wooden shutters are available in a wide variety of species, which have different prices, and are customizable almost infinitely due to the large choice of colours and finishes. In terms of thermal and acoustic performance, wood is beyond reproach: it is excellent.
“Wood is an old-timer that keeps seducing lovers of traditional style.”
PVC: The Economical Solution
PVC is cheap and requires no maintenance, which will satisfy people who are not DIY fans. PVC shutters offer good thermal insulation performance. But as the choice of colours is rather limited, personalized options are less numerous than with wooden shutters.
It is worth knowing also that this material, already banned in several German cities, is harmful to the environment.
“PVC is cheap and requires no maintenance.”
Aluminium: Robust and Safe
The trendy design of aluminium is well suited to contemporary homes. It is truly a worry-free material, long-lasting and resistant to almost anything: weather, corrosion and break-ins. Available in a wide range of colours, it allows for a high degree of customization and requires virtually no maintenance. More expensive than PVC, but cheaper than wood, it could well be the ideal material to satisfy the most demanding customers, though it presents lower acoustic and thermal performance.
“Available in a wide range of colours, it allows for a high degree of customization and requires virtually no maintenance.”
