As we get into the heart of winter, and as heating and living costs rapidly rise, a ‘hot’ topic for many is how to keep their home well insulated and warm for the cold months without breaking the bank. Shutters may just be the solution.
Most of the heat lost from homes is through windows and doors so having these areas well sealed will help to prevent this. However, your window dressing will also play a big part in keeping heat in rooms. Investing in a window dressing that you know will be a long-lasting investment into your home and will assist in the prevention of heat loss can give you peace of mind that you’re doing everything possible to minimise the amount of heating required for your home.
Shutters are permanent fixtures to window spaces and as they are custom-made to the space they are fitted to; they act as an extra layer to the window area to help insulate a room. Shutters absorb heat from the room and provide a physical barrier between the window and the room space which enables a lesser amount of heat from the room to be lost to the window.
In a paper titled ‘Thermal performance of traditional windows: Prepared of Historic Scotland’, Dr. Paul Baker and his team researched the effectiveness of shutters and other window dressings in reducing heat loss. They found “timber shutters are the most effective option of the traditional methods, reducing heat loss by 51%”, this is compared to only a reduction of heat loss by 14% for curtains. Deeming timber shutters are the most effective choice for insulating your home and preventing heat loss from your windows.
We have a large selection of different shutter materials available so there is a material suitable for every window and every home. The studies that have been undertaken on the insulating benefits of shutters have predominantly focused on timber options and the slightly more absorbent nature of this material over others. However, all shutter materials are brilliant for their insulating properties and there are no conclusive studies on which specific materials may be more effective than others.
Temperature-controlling benefits aren’t just limited to helping insulate the home or helping keep the home warm but are an excellent choice year-round.
In summer months, shutters can be used to help create ventilation through a room by opening a window and closing shutter panels which allows a through breeze within the room. They also help block and reflect the sun’s rays, preventing your home from overheating. As a solid structure on the window, shutters will not be affected by wind in the way that curtains or blinds can be.
The long-term benefits of adding shutters to a window also include increased privacy for rooms, security, and light control in rooms.
If you want to add an excellent long-term dressing to your windows to help keep heat in, then start your shutter journey today! You can book a full survey with one of our experts for the chance to look through samples of all our shutter materials on offer and obtain a full quote. Get in touch on 020 8871 9222 or submit a contact form and our friendly team will be more than happy to assist.
