Will Window Shutters Insulate Your Home?

In the UK we put a lot of emphasis on the insulation of our homes and properties. However, one area that can be neglected is your windows and how they are covered.

Window shutters are well known for providing a blend of both style and functionality. You might not know they can also provide further insulation to your home as well.

Installing shutters and adding extra insulation to your windows will help to bring down your energy bills, lower your energy consumption, and help you live more comfortably.

So, with this in mind, let’s look at everything you need to consider about insulating shutters…

Sure, shutters look great; we know this. But do shutters keep heat in well? Well, you might be surprised to learn that shutters can improve insulation by upwards of 60%!

The reason shutters are so effective at providing insulation is because of the materials they are crafted from. Hardwood shutters, for example, are made from quality paulownia wood that forms a solid barrier when fitted directly onto your windows.

This barrier prevents draughts from entering your home through your windows, traps heat in the room for longer, and can absorb heat from the sun and release it into your home throughout the day.

Compared to blinds and curtains, shutters bring a lot more insulative potential to the table (or windows). 

We’ve created the below table to give you a snapshot of the insulation properties of each window covering.

The price of household energy consumption has been increasing at a challenging rate for all of us over the last few years. More and more people are looking for ways to save money and lower their energy consumption.

The great news is that DIY shutters help with this. As we’ve touched on, shutters trap in heat by forming a barrier between your windows and the outside. In practice, this means that you can keep your rooms warmer for longer.

If you’ve ever felt your rooms turn cold within moments of your heating being turned off, this is something fitting shutters can solve. This means you won’t have to resort to turning the heating on, or reaching for that extra layer as soon.

All of this means that your heating won’t need to be switched on as often, or even for as long.

The choice of material for your plantation shutters is always an important consideration for both the aesthetics and functionality of your window dressing.  

At California Shutters, we offer two different material options. Wooden or faux wood shutters, but what are the differences?

• Wooden shutters - made from quality natural paulownia wood are known for their natural insulating properties, combining classic elegance with efficiency.

• Faux wood shutters - made from PVC also provide excellent insulation, whilst also being 100% waterproof. This range is also made right here in the UK, meaning faster delivery times!

Basically, the choice is yours when it comes to material. Both hardwood and faux wood shutters provide insulation for your home.

You should therefore choose based on your needs. If you want to better insulate your kitchens or bathrooms, faux wood might be the way to go. However, for living rooms or bedrooms, natural hardwood shutters might work best.

The simple answer to this question is yes. Some shutter styles are less effective at providing insulation than others.

Here are the shutter styles we offer and the insulation considerations they come with:

• Full height shutters – these shutters (as the name suggests) cover the full height of your windows and operate as a single panel. This means they provide excellent insulation when the slats are fully closed.

• Tier on tier shutters – these are like full height shutters and also provide great insulation. The only difference is they operate as two separate panels, so you can close or open the top or bottom independently

• Solid shutters – these shutters don’t have slats that can be tilted open or closed like the other styles. They cover the whole window and are made from slightly thicker materials for superior insulation

• Café style shutters – these only cover the bottom section of your window. Whilst they do provide a bit of extra insulation, the top half of the window is left exposed, so these aren’t the most effective insulators

Insulation isn’t just good for warming your home, but also cooling it in the summer. Keeping your shutters closed during the warmest times of the day allows the material to absorb the heat and release it more slowly into your rooms.

You can also open the slats and your windows to allow any breeze into your rooms without compromising on your privacy.

Explore our collection today and discover our range of shutters. With our DIY installation and measuring guides, you can quickly and easily install insulating shutters to your windows and start benefiting from them!