A question we regularly get asked is ‘should I put shutters on every window in my home or just the windows where they are ‘needed’? Now, if the question were ‘could I’ rather than ‘should I’, the answer would simply be, ‘yes’; we can install plantation shutters on every window in your house (whatever its size or shape). However, in order to answer to whether you ‘should’ install shutters on every window in your home, we would need to consider a few factors before helping you make a decision. Your verdict will likely depend on the size of your house, number of windows you have and your planned budget. You will also need to deliberate whether a balanced aesthetic exterior is important to you or not. Weighing up all of these factors, will help you make an informed decision on how many windows to shutter. In this blog, we share some of the advice we normally give to customers pondering this particular dilemma…
A good rule of thumb that we advise to customers is that if you install shutters in one window within a room, you should consider using them in every window of THAT room. For example, if your living room has four windows and you decide to install shutters in your living room, we recommend installing shutters to all four of the windows.
If window shutters are not necessary in every room, some homeowners that we work with prefer to take a balanced approach by installing shutters on one floor of their home. Another popular choice is to have shutters on all the windows on the front of their home which gives the home a nice uniform look for some sought after curb appeal.
However, if you are unperturbed by keeping up with the Joneses, or a uniform look is not within your budget, you may want to look at other possibilities. Some customers opt for shutters in rooms where they need them the most, such as in sunny living rooms or dining rooms/open plan kitchens where they will entertain guests and seek a little privacy. You might consider wooden blinds for the other rooms of the house so the overall “look” is still in-keeping with the window shutters but at a slightly lower cost. You will of course loose some of the associated benefits of wooden shutters when only installed in some rooms rather than all, for example, the more windows covered with wooden shutters, the better insulated your home will be – an effective energy saver that will likely reduce your long term energy bills. It is worth contemplating all associated opportunity costs before making any kind of decision.
Don’t forget, it is possible to opt for Café style shutters where only the lower half of a window is covered. It is a popular choice for rooms where you want an element of privacy but optimum sun streaming into the room.
Should I shutter all the windows at once or in stages?
This is completely up to you but, installing all your shutters at once will limit any disruption or inconvenience that installation may cause you (for example, taking time off work to let installers in). Plus, you will only have to pay one installation fee.
Our shutters offer plenty of versatility in terms of materials, colours, and styles so we will always do our best to customise your window shutters to your taste and budget. ShuttersUp have been working with shutters and blinds since 2006 so there isn’t much, we don’t know about how to install plantation shutters within a home. Our team loves being helpful, so if you need advice…you know where we are.