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Having external shutters fitted to your windows and doors can serve many purposes from increasing the level of privacy inside a property to improving the security of the property. In the case of storm or hurricane shutters, they are specifically intended to help in the prevention of damage to your property due to the weather conditions. Different times, and indeed cultures, have developed various types of these plantation window shutters; and the following discusses some of the more common forms of shuttering protection in use today.

Colonial shutters

Colonial shutters are, in many respects, considered to be the ‘classic’ traditional shutter; and, providing they are well maintained, will always look appealing and generally add to the aesthetics of a building. Most simply described they are two louvered doors, externally fixed on hinges on either side of a window. When closed they completely cover the window providing and extra layer of external security to a building, they can also provide shade from strong sunlight during the day; but most importantly in areas prone to high winds and heavy rain - they will provide extra protection from storm damage. Colonial shutters are best installed on properties that have internal opening and closing windows, especially above the ground floor.

Bahama shutters

This is another aesthetically pleasing type of shutter which, unsurprisingly, is a design used on and around the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas, West Indies and Bermuda - to protect windows from damage due to tropical storms. The design and construction of them is slightly simpler than the Colonial shutter, being a single sheet of louvered timbers hinged above the outside of the window frame, which then drops down and is secured by hooks and/or retaining bolts at the bottom of the window frame. Bahama shutters can also be propped open; so that like the Colonial shutters they too can provide shade around an open window during sunny weather. Bahama shutters are also best fitted to buildings with internal opening and closing windows.

Colonial and Bahamian shutters - Opening and Closing Windows

Presuming that you have unimpeded access around the building - at ground floor level it doesn’t matter too much whether you have inward or outward opening and closing windows. However, above ground floor, in the event of needing to quickly close Colonial or Bahama shutters, you will need to have windows that open and close from the inside of the property. In the event of impending bad weather, before closing the shutters you should close the windows. Having closed windows that open outward - you wouldn’t then be able to close the shutters! So, in needing to see to the windows before closing the shutters above ground floor - you would most likely need to use a ladder to close, and later on re-open, the shutters.

Accordion shutters

Accordian shutters are typically Colonial style shutters, where each side has more than one section which are hinged together. As the name implies, when not in use, the shutters fold; thereby occupying less space on the wall of the building.

Internal shutters

Whilst most people will think of window shutters as being external to a building - interior plantation shutters are also very common and can be a very attractive feature. They are usually louvers that are hinged on either side of a window, closing and being bolted across the whole window. These shutters can, of course, be installed in buildings with either inward or outward, opening and closing windows and are very effective at providing secure shade via an open window. Being internal shutters they will not prevent damage to glass on the outside. However, they will provide additional protection against flying debris entering a property in a heavy storm.

Roller shutters

You can get roller shutters made out of aluminum, or indeed you could have them custom made out of pretty well any metal; however, having steel roller shutters is recommended as they are both durable and offer the best integrity against attack or flying debris. Roller shutters can be manually or electrically operated and are usually stored in a case above the window or door. On being closed the mechanism rolls the shutter down along a track that is also usually enclosed in a box like case. When closed, or rolled down, a roller shutter completely covers the window or door and its frame, making a building very secure. Being made of steel, rollers provide excellent protection as hurricane window shutters. Especially for electrically operated roller shutters, another tremendous advantage for them is that they can all be closed or opened at the press of a button and at a moment’s notice. Apart from being the most expensive option, the only disadvantage of them is that they can disturb the aesthetic of the outside of a building.

Storm and hurricane panel shutters in an emergency

With global climate changes causing unpredictable weather patterns - it could be that you unexpectedly need to fit storm or hurricane shutters in an emergency, until such time as you can fit something more permanent. In their simplest form, and as a cheap alternative to the more elegant plantation-style shutters; to deal with extremes of bad weather one just needs pieces of timber cut to size to fit inside a window frame on the outside of a building; and can then be screwed into place. If you have time you can alternatively fit these timbers into specially designed clips or track systems.

For windows that last long, choose only reliable plantation shutters that are made of high quality materials.