Product Code Database
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails (top, centre and bottom). Set within this frame can be (both operable or fixed, horizontal or vertical), solid panels, fabric, glass and almost any other item that can be mounted within a frame. Shutters may be employed for a variety of reasons, including controlling the amount of sunlight that enters a room, to provide privacy, security, to protect against weather or unwanted intrusion or damage and to enhance the aesthetics of a building.
Depending on the application, and the construction of the window frame, shutters can be mounted to fit within the opening or to overlap the opening. The term window shutter includes both interior shutters, used on the inside of a house or building, and exterior shutters, used on the outside of a structure. On some styles of buildings it is common to have shutters to cover the doors as well as the windows.
Other interior shutters use stationary louvers that do not rotate (fixed louvers); solid raised or flat panels; fabric inserts; or tinted glass. Shutters can be configured in a single tier unit that has one shutter top to bottom of a window opening as well as multiple tiers. Multiple tier units feature separate shutters on each tier which allows the top shutters to be opened independently from the bottom shutters. Café-type shutters refer to shutters that only cover the lower portion of a window.
Full height shutters can be made with a horizontal divider rail which separates the upper and lower portions of the shutter. With operable louvered shutters this gives greater control as the louvers above the divider rail can be operated independently from the louvers below the divider rail. Interior shutters can be constructed from numerous woods, which can be painted or stained, and a variety of synthetic materials. Interior shutters that are made to close tolerances are preferable for the best possible fit. When louvers or tilt bar (rod) become damaged, replacement kits for these damaged parts may be ordered online and are easy to install.
In the UK, most interior shutters historically were paneled.
Certain hardwoods currently used for exterior shutters, specifically Cedrela odorata, Honduran mahogany and teak, are resistant to rot and decay, and far more durable than a softer wood like untreated pine. Because of the tannin in these woods they are also not prone to problems from insects. Pressure treatment with wood preservative makes pine, cedar and other types of wood suitable for exterior shutters. Non-functional exterior shutters can be constructed from wood, vinyl, fiberglass or other synthetic materials. Non-functional shutters can be simply screwed or bolted directly to the building, with spacers or other hardware to prevent water accumulating against the wall. Fiberglass, a material widely used for boat hulls, is not prone to rotting or twisting, is dimensionally stable and has low expansion and contraction. It is a reinforced plastic, unlike vinyl or PVC, so fiberglass shutters do not have a tendency to warp or sag. Its strength is comparable to aluminum; however, it does not suffer from corrosion and electrolysis.
Exterior shutters in France, notably in Paris, are frequently made of steel and are configured in multiple narrow full-length panels, allowing them to fold open and fit inconspicuously against the recesses at the sides of the window. Some exterior shutters in Italy, such as in towns along the Adriatic coast, slide on rollers into pockets in the wall at each side of the window.
In Germany and other parts of Europe, Roller shutter (de) have become ubiquitous. When open, these type shutters roll up into boxes concealed in the thickness of the wall above the window. They are typically raised and lowered manually, such as by a rolling pull made of flat nylon cord, but they can be equipped with electric operating mechanisms. These shutters allow some light in the room when not fully lowered, but wholly block light when completely closed. Variations include frame extensions that allow the closed shutter to swing out like an awning or Bermuda shutter.
An exterior hurricane shutter or storm shutter is used to protect windows and doors in a building against the effects of high winds, rain, and flying objects during a hurricane, or as a security shutter over an opening. They can be made of a variety of materials such as fiberglass, steel, aluminum, wood or composite wood and can be installed in tracks to be quickly opened and closed manually or with motorized controls. There are also high-impact-resistant plastics that can be applied to new or existing wood shutters that provide hurricane protection.
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