History of Shutters
Shutters have had a long history of protecting windows on the outside, but they were originally designed for the inside of a home.On Tudor (1485-1547) and Elizabethan (1558-1603) homes, shutters were made of solid boards and covered only the lower half of the window openings, where no glass was installed (glass was expensive in those days.) When open, fresh air came into the room and the shutters folded back to look like decorative wall panels. When closed, usually with a bar across, light still came through the glazed upper half of the window. By the late seventeenth century, double-hung windows were popular. Shutters were still attached inside and decorated, but they covered the whole window.
During the Victorian period (1837-1901) when more houses were constructed from wood, shutters moved outdoors. The former stone and brick homes had such deeply recessed windows that exterior shutters would have been difficult to reach from inside. But when wooden walls could be built much thinner, the exterior shutters could now be accessed easily from the inside.
By the late nineteenth century, shutters were used as much for decoration as for their practical functions of shelter and protection for the glass. When mechanization entered Victorian millworks, shutters became more sophisticated. They were often louvered or made of narrow horizontal slats angled to deflect the rain, allowing some daylight through while providing adequate ventilation.
In the 1980s, window technology and window-covering choices have eliminated the functional use of outside shutters. However, the revival of Victorian-style housing and the interest in rehabilitating century-old homes are bringing shutters back into the limelight as an interior window treatment. They are often made from wood, with all its inherent problems of chipping, warping, shrinking, peeling, etc.
Vinyl Shutters are an extremely durable shutter. They offer the traditional look of Californian or Plantation style shutters without the inherent problems of wood. Warping, shrinking, chipping, peeling, and colour fading are things of the past with Vinyl Shutters. Vinyl Shutters offer complete custom window and door fitting. They are shipped complete with all frames and hardware ready for mounting. They are available in white and beige.