Shutters are a graceful addition to your home's exterior. Originally used to shelter open windows that had no glass, today shutters fulfill an almost exclusively aesthetic purpose. If you're considering shutters for your home, you'll want to consider several factors in your decision-making process. Let's look at a few things to contemplate.

Styles

There are different types of shutters to match different styles of homes. A set of shutters that would work on a Victorian home wouldn't work on a beach cottage. If you're unsure of what style of shutter would work best for your home, you should take a stroll through your neighborhood. Notice the types of shutters being used on homes that are similar to yours.

Sizes

Shutters not only come in different styles, but they come in different sizes too. You want your shutters to be sized so that they give the appearance of being usable shutters. Imagine the shutters closed over the window. Would that size shutter cover the entire window? When sizing shutters, you also want to make sure that the shutters aren't much taller than the windows.

Materials

As with any type of home upgrade, you want to use materials that you can live with. This means that you should select shutters made out of materials that match the amount of time you want to invest in maintenance. You will need to weigh out the benefits against the amount of maintenance. For instance, wood shutters are attractive and classy, but they do require some maintenance to keep them nice.

When choosing materials, you also want to choose a shutter material that is durable. According to Farmhouse Guide, quality shutters should last over 25 years. You need to get detailed information on what type of maintenance your shutters will require. You don't want to get shutters installed only to find out later that they will require a lot of maintenance that you aren't willing to perform. This will result in shutters that are poorly cared for and unattractive over time.

If you're in need of wood shutters, or shutters made of other materials, please contact American Shutter Company today. We're here for your exterior home needs and look forward to helping you bring your home to life!