Sound and heat insulation, aesthetics of the facade, and even compliance with local regulations … Many criteria must be taken into account when it comes to choosing new shutters. They even play an important role in the energy savings of the house: buying guide to know the materials, the safety aspects, and the types of shutters before choosing.
What materials should you choose for your shutters?
Wooden shutters: authentic and solid
Wood is a material to choose for its aesthetic qualities, but also for its durability.
- Excellent sound and heat insulation,
- Variety of essences and colors,
- Compliance with specific architectural constraints,
- Infinite colors thanks to the paint,
- Plan for good maintenance to ensure the best possible longevity.
- PVC Shutters: easy maintenance
- Recommended for window joinery, PVC is also a very good choice for shutters.
- Ease of maintenance,
- insulating qualities,
- weather resistance,
Resistance to pollution and salty air.
PVC is available in a wide range of colors, which makes it possible to adapt to the aesthetic requirements of the home or to local regulations.
Aluminum or steel shutters: resistant and unalterable
Along with wood and PVC, aluminum is also widely used for shutters. Very resistant, it requires very little maintenance.
- Unalterable,
- Insensitive to corrosion,
- Available in many colors.
The choice of steel, which is particularly solid, may be necessary to respect architectural constraints or to offer additional safety guarantees.
Safety: how to choose suitable shutters?
To know the resistance of the slats of a shutter in the event of an intrusion attempt, check the PIR, and the pressure resistance index. This index is measured from 10 to 150. The higher it is, the better the resistance.
It can be estimated that thin PVC slats can correspond to an IRP 10, while a double-walled aluminum assembled range, with reinforcing partitions, can reach an IRP 150.
Combine the shutters with the appropriate closing systems
If the home is located in an environment with a high risk of burglary attempts, opt for a shutter model with a higher PIR. Nevertheless, the safety of the shutters can be supported by a reinforced closing system.
Security bars on the slats of the shutters or in the walls on each side (foldable, band, or removable),
- Security locks or three-point locks,
- Closing hooks and espagnolettes,
- sliding safety rails,
- Arm of force to prevent lifting or picking of the shutter.
- To go further: read the article “Tips for securing house shutters”.
The different types of shutters
There are four types of shutter openings: hinged, folding, rolling, and sliding shutters.
Note: folding shutters, unlike other models, cannot be motorized.
Swing shutters: advantages and specificities
These are two panels that fold over the window. There is also talk of a French opening.
Full swing shutters
The blades are attached to each other. It is a type of shutter that is easy to install, secure, and can be automated. Often made of wood or PVC Plantation Shutters, they offer advantages in terms of sound and heat insulation.
Several possible models:
Hinges against hinges: these are bars placed horizontally to the shutter and on the outside, which guarantee additional safety,
Bars: they are generally made of the same material as the shutter, and are placed inside,
Scarves: also placed inside the flap, they form a Z with the bars.
Shutters Shutters
The blades are further apart, to circulate air and light. The shutters can be perforated, not perforated or flush.
- Ideal For Sunny Areas,
- Simple To Lay,
- Offer Less Security Than Solid Swing Shutters.
- Roller Shutters: Advantages And Specificities
Often in PVC or aluminium, sometimes in wood, rolling shutters represent the best solution in terms of insulation and security. The roller shutter box can be placed outside or inside the house.
Roller shutters can be manual (strap or crank opening), or with a directly integrated motorization.
Good to know: motorization can be added to rolling shutters as part of a renovation.
- Excellent insulation when the shutter is closed,
- Safety ensured thanks to the various anti-tearing and anti-lifting systems of the apron,
- Facade installation (outside above the window) or panel.
- Folding shutters: advantages and specificities
- Folding shutters can consist of two to six arrays depending on the size of the window, connected by hinges, which fold back on themselves.
Recommended for upstairs installation due to less security,
- Can be reinforced with additional security systems,
- Often used to respect architectural or aesthetic constraints.
- Sliding shutters: advantages and specificities
- This type of shutter gives a very modern touch to a facade. The boards can be housed in the wall of the wall (sliding doors with brick partition), or fold up on top of each other in a guide rail.
How to install covers?
Swing shutters add some character to the house. Strong leaves or lids, also a type of cover can be easy to install. As long as you follow the steps! Here are some details in this training paper.
Choosing the right covers
There are several veneer modes. In particular, it is the remaining space between the leaves that makes the difference:
- Strong sheets with slats attached to each other, without sheets;
- Louvered make segments with slats leave a gap between them;
- Some models have a full leaf in the lower part for example, and it is woven in its upper part.
- Planks can be glued vertically or horizontally. Bars and brackets, or hinges in aluminum or woven metal, reinforce the shape of the leaf and give a certain shape to the lid.
Inwood, aluminum, or PVC, swing shutters are available in many colors. It is also possible to paint them to meet the needs of the owners.
How to install locks easily?
Some swing shutters need to be weighed, especially for repairs. C2R is well versed in the realization of this type of valve mod. Once imported, it is easy to install and does not require any special tools. Read the steps below;
Checks ready for installation
Remove the lids and make sure all parts are in place: bolts, nuts, stop, the wind stops, and hinges;
Look at the dimensions: diagonals and dimensions of paint should correspond to these velvets. To do this, also measure the width and height of the image;
Make sure the board is deep and level, using a step bubble. Plan to straighten the supports if the difference in depth or flexibility is large.
- Remove the old lids
- Remove the old covers;
- Remove stops and air stops.
