Plastic Shutters

Plastic window shutters are a great way to protect your windows and to enhance the look of your home. Without shutters a window can break easily when hit by a branch during a storm or by a stone thrown up by a care tyre. These kind of shutters are made from Vinyl, which makes them not only decorative, but also easy to clean and nearly unbreakable. They are available in many colours and designs, making it easy for you to choose the ones that best enhance the look of your home, at the same time as protecting the glass of your windows. When choosing them, colour and design are not the only points you should pay attention to, others are size and closing mechanisms. The size should obviously match the size of your windows and the closing and locking mechanism is important to ensure the shutters are one more point to make your house safer. Not only against burglars, but also against the forces of nature like storms and blizzards. Another advantage of plastic (vinyl) compared to other materials is its lightweight and its easy of installation and general low maintenance. You should be able to install them yourself with one additional helper if you are an average DIY man or woman.

Other advantages

Shutters not only protect your window glass against breakage, and we all know that glass insurance is expensive!, it also helps to keep your house cool in summer and helps you to save on heating bills in winter by adding an extra layer of insulation. Or vice versa if you live in Australia And they also help to protect wildlife by covering the shiny glass and avoid that birds get fooled into flying into them. If you choose a good brand, it will be also another line of defense against break-ins and burglaries. Make sure that they are impossible to open from outside and tie in well with your alarm system and the rest of your home security measures. If in doubt which mechanism to choose, your local hardware store or even your local police station might have information about home security available.

Window Shutter Design Tips

When choosing new window shutters you have basically two exterior design option. Blending them in or using them to give an additional colour splash to your house. If you want to give your house a more uniform look, you want to choose a colour that is similar to the overall colour of the outside of your house. If you want to go for something more eye-catching, you want to choose a colour for them that stands out like for example red, green or blue and gives and colour accent to the look of your house.

Window Shutter Care

Plastic shutters are extremely low maintenance and very resistant to environmental influences like UV radiation (sun light) and time. They are easily cleaned with a water hose, perhaps a bit of hot, soapy water for spot cleaning and a nonabrasive sponge or soft brush or even broom. One thing to bear in mind is, that it is best not to clean them in full sunlight, the water drops could act as mini lenses that could ‘burn’ the plastic. Always organize yourself so, that the shutters you clean have enough time in the shadow to dry completely.

Summary

Plastic window shutters are a great – and affordable way – to enhance the look of your house and to add extra protection to it. As they last a long time, you should choose color and design carefully, you will most likely have them for 25 or even 40 years! The warranty time gives you a good indication on how long a particular model lasts typically.