We just had a call from a customer in Southampton, Hampshire who has great big draughty Victorian 2m high windows. He said he’s looking for new window shutters for winter, as a way to keep the cold draughts out and the warm air in.
Will wooden plantation shutters work?
That’s an excellent question. Well, the answer in short is yes, plantation window shutters are indeed great – in fact, the best window covering solution for the winter.
Wooden shutters will dramatically boost the warmth in your home and they support insulation, as the temperature outside drops.
A study at Glasgow Caledonian University confirms this, as do others (which we will refer to later). Although their study was with solid shutters, our louvered shutter range are so similar that the effect is just as good. The owners of The Great Shutter Co in Winchester have used window shutters on their sash windows for that very reason (and also because they love the style).
So, yes window shutters will work very well for boosting warmth inside as the temperature drops outside.
You’ll have a frame that is made to the millimetre to fit inside or in front of your window recess, unlike other window coverings such as curtains and roller blinds. This means you’ll cover that gap around the edge of the window.
The louvres when shut create a tight fit, minimising the ability for warm air to escape past the wood and into the cavity between the shutter and the window. Shutters are a highly efficient solution to locking in warmth.
Older, non double- glazed windows can allow the cold air to seep in and having a shutter prevents the cold air from making its way into and around your home by acting as an additional barrier to drafts.
Wood works well as an insulator because of all the empty space that it contains.
Insulators contain heat and other forms of energy rather than transfer to another object. Conductors, on the other hand, transfer energy easily; many metals are among the very best substances for energy transfer.
So choosing a wooden, plantation window shutter gives you the very best chance to keep your room cosy.
On a bright or sunny day angling the louvres to pull in as much of the (sunny) daylight as possible, can really help to warm up a room and shine the sun’s rays into your space.
Just like a greenhouse on a cold day, this can boost the temperature levels significantly.
Conversely keep your windows shut and angle the louvers to bring in the sunshine to add a little warmth to your room on a cooler day.
And, here’s some additional proof of the insulating properties of stylish window shutters.
Wooden window shutters provide the highest level of thermal insulation 4 times better than brick, ten times better than concrete and 400 times better than steel!
Homes that suffer from condensation can be a real headache when it comes to window coverings.
However, with plantation shutters, just a very quick wipe down with a soft cloth will keep your shutters in tip-top condition, unlike a fabric based product which can become damp with condensation in winter, costing time and money when they need to taken down for costly professional cleaning.
On dark nights, homes with window coverings that are either open or shut result in either your home being like a goldfish bowl when the lights are on, allowing passers by to see right into your home.
And equally, if the curtains or blinds are shut, then you have no view outside.
Contact us today at The Great Shutter Co. to book a home survey and you’ll see how stylish plantation shutters could make your home look and how we can help you to save money in the long run by optimising heat retention in your home.
T: 0800 023 5618
office@thegreatshutterco.co.uk
www.thegreatshutterco.co.uk