Window shutters come in a variety of types and materials, and can also be installed on the exterior or interior of a home or business. First we will discuss the pros and cons of both exterior and interior shutters, and then the pros and cons of each material that a window shutter can be made of.

Interior Window Shutters

Interior window shutters are mostly for decoration, and the preferred material is wood. In way of security and protection they might not provide much, but they do provide a barrier in case the window is broken.

Interior shutters are a really good way of sprucing up your home or business with just a light touch.

Exterior Window Shutters

Exterior window shutters are a great addition to any home or business, and are really the quickest way to add style and color without much effort or cost. Exterior window shutters, especially wood ones, are timeless and look great on both historical and modern day buildings.

Usually exterior window shutters these days come made of either plastic or vinyl, and are available at most local home improvement stores.

Aluminum Window Shutters

Aluminum window shutters are for home and business owners that have protection in mind. Since they are made of aluminum metal, they can withstand high impact debris, rain gunk like leaves and dirt, and are even strong enough to protect your windows from breaking.

They can also provide a barrier for the sunlight, which we all know can damage not only furniture but also flooring.

Wooden Window Shutters

Made for decorators who care more about appearance then protection, wood window shutters can be a great addition to any home or business. The best are made of hardwood, usually Basswood, which is actually a very renewable resource.

Forest management ensures that tree harvesting is done correctly, so you are also protecting the environment. Here are a few benefits of wooden window shutters:

• Wood has superior gluing and finishing properties.
• Wood has uniform grain for a great looking stain finish
• Wood is very low in resin, and tannin, which may bleed through a finish
• Wood is lightweight and still very strong
• Wood does not warp!

Vinyl

Vinyl, or synthetic window shutters are made from mostly stock size components with very few customizable options. They usually come in limited colors like white, and if you plan on staining them think again, they do no stain.

Obviously the main benefit of vinyl or synthetic window shutters is there cost. Since they cost less to manufacture, those savings are passed onto the consumer. Simply put, if you just want to put up some quick window shutters and not spend a whole lot of money, vinyl window shutters are the best way to go.