Kestrel Shutters & Doors – Blog

Archive for the ‘Exterior Shutters’ Category

It is not uncommon to have a window somewhere on your home where there is physically not enough room for exterior shutters. It could be that 2 windows are too close like in the picture shown to the left. It could also be that the window is too close to a chimney, the corner of the house or even a porch post. Whatever the reason there are usually a few ways to work around this.

Functional Exterior Shutters or Decorative Only
The first thing you need to decide is how you will use your exterior shutters. Do you plan to install your exterior shutters on hinges, so that you can open and close them for storm protection or even for routine house maintenance? Or maybe you will bolt them to your house as decorative shutters only. If your exterior shutters will be for decoration only then not having enough room is not a major issue. With decorative shutters you can always go with narrower shutters to fit the wall space that you have.

If your exterior shutters will be functional you really will need to make sure that they can open and close without hitting anything. A good way to test this is to cut out a piece of cardboard to the size of your shutters? Next, go to any widows that you think might be tight for room and just pretend it is on hinges while you “open” and “close” the cardboard a few times to check for clearance.

Bifold Shutters
If there is not enough room for shutters on both sides of your window one way to work around this is to hinge your exterior shutters together as bifolds. So instead of having 1 shutter on either side of the window you will have 2 shutters on one side only. You can see an example of this in the picture at the top. A Bifold application is also a great way to mount exterior shutters to cover a bay window.

Leaning Shutters
Some times the exterior shutters are so close to a chimney or where a wall takes a 90° turn to lay flat. It is traditionally accepted to hinge the shutters like normal and have the shutter on one side just lean against the obstruction. If you look carefully at the picture at top you will see the base support for chimney on the left hand side. To give you a better overall view the picture to the right is of the entire side of the house.

Exterior Shutters on Gable Windows
With gable windows there is often not enough wall space for the full shutter to lay flat. There are 2 straight forwards ways to handle this layout. Like the picture to the left you can hinge your shutters like normal and just accept the fact that they will hang out a little bit. The alternate way is to mount the shutters at the top with hardware designed for Bahama shutters.

If you are still unsure how best to size or mount your shutters so that they can open and close, please ask us. Give us a call, send us an email or start an online chat. We are happy to help.

Aluminum Hurricane Shutters

Hurricane Shutters
When it comes to Hurricane Shutters you need to know that they will indeed stand up to, well, a hurricane. Your Hurricane Shutters will be that first line of defense that keeps your windows, and the inside of your home, intact. To make sure that Hurricane Shutters will indeed stand up to their name the State of Florida requires independent testing and review by a Florida licensed professional engineer. Once they have verified that the shutters will indeed withstand a hurricane the product is approved.

What is the HVHZ?
While hurricanes strike all over the country, those with the highest winds hit Florida in the Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. These make up the High Velocity Hurricane Zone also known as HVHZ. Some hurricane shutters are strong enough to be approved for use within the HVHZ while others are not as durable and can only be used for hurricane protection outside the HVHZ.

I know that I need Hurricane Shutters. Now what?
When you are ready to add hurricane shutters to your home or business a good first step is to check with your insurance company. They will be able to give you any requirements for you location. When you are talking with a retailer of hurricane shutters here is some information that you will want to check.

FL# – This is the application number. It will start with “FL” and then the application numbers. When there are revisions there will be an “.R” afterwards with the revision number. Revisions can be a change in the design of the hurricane shutters or even a change in the way they are installed. It is important to note the revisions as while one might have passed another might not have.

Application Status – Just because there is an application does not mean the the shutters were approved. The Application Status will let you know whether these exterior shutters have been approved or not.

Limits of Use – This is the part to which you will need to pay special attention. This section will tell you if the shutters have been approved in the HVHZ or only approved in the rest of Florida but NOT the HVHZ. It will also give you the design pressure and let you know if they are impact resistant. You can sometimes also find size restrictions here.

Description – Here you can also find size restrictions for the hurricane shutters.

Installation Instructions – On the application report there will be a link to a PDF that gives the approved installation instructions. This is a very important section to read through. Even if your exterior shutters are approved for hurricane protection they will only perform properly if you install them as shown in the instructions.

When you are looking at a retailer for hurricane shutters make sure that they can provide you with all of this information, for the safety of your home and family.

You can follow this link for more information on our HVHZ approved Hurricane Shutters.

Kestrel Shutters & Doors was recommended for our interior and exterior shutters in a recent article on the Martha Stewart website. You can read the article here – Inspiration: Shutters – Home Design with Kevin Sharkey.

Thank you Mr Sharkey!

Faux Plantation Shutters?

At first it sounds like some sort of fake, decorative only shutter. While they are certainly decorative they are anything but fake. The “faux” in Faux Plantation Shutters simply means that they are not made from wood.

What are Faux Plantation Shutters made out of?

There are different materials that can be used but in our case we use an exterior grade, closed cell PVC. It will not rot, fade, chip or crack. They even come with a 25 year unconditional guarantee. An added benefit is that using this high density PVC allows for the frame and louver blades to be designed with air pockets that help insulate your home.

How safe are they?

Our Faux Plantation Shutters have GREENGUARD® certification for Microbial Resistance as well as Indoor Air Quality. This means they are approved for use in hospitals and schools and safe to use in your home. They also meet and exceed the NFPA 701 flammability testing for commercial and hospitality applications.

How do they compare to composite shutters?

The main difference is that composite shutters need to be painted. So even though a composite shutter may be somewhat maintenance free you will need to repaint it every few years. More if you live in a coastal region. With our Faux Plantation Shutters the color is blended right in so they never need maintenance. The 25 year unconditional guarantee even covers the color from fading or chipping.

What are good applications for Faux Plantation Shutters?

Our Faux Plantation Shutters can be used any where Wood Plantation Shutters can be used, both inside and out. The pictures below show only a few different ways. Call, email or chat with us to discuss how our Faux Plantation Shutters will work for you.

Faux Plantation Shutters for the private verandas of a Hotel

Shading around a pool

Resists the growth of mold within Hospitals

Enclosing a porch

Inside a bathroom

Faux Plantation Shutters for an outdoor café

What is Overlap Rabbeting?

shutters with overlap rabbet

Overlap rabbeting on exterior shutters is a groove along the vertical edge that allows one shutter to overlap the shutter next to it.  An overlap rabbet is very much the same as what is termed as a shiplap joint or half lap joint.

exterior shutters closed with an overlap rabbet

Overlap rabbeting can be found on all functional exterior shutters and for a very good reason. With an overlap rabbet the shutters will close over one another eliminating any exposure in the center leaking rain, light or air . The overlap rabbet also creates a solidness to a closed pair of shutters locking them tighter together to eliminate any “shuddering” for better storm protection.

Is Overlap Rabbeting just for Exterior Shutters?

plantation shutters with overlap rabbet

An overlap rabbet is just as important for interior shutters.  With an overlap rabbet UV rays are blocked from damaging your room furnishings as well as providing a tighter seal over the window giving better energy efficiency.  If you are using your interior shutters as blackout shutters for a bedroom or a media room overlap rabbeting is a must.

overlap rabbet on shutters

Overlap rabbeting is decorative, as well as functional, giving a neater and more finished appearance.  If you look at the picture to the right you will see the half-round bead detail.  This is shaped into the wood shutters to give a more uniform look to the face of the shutters.  This type of rabbet is referred to as a beaded overlap rabbet.

When should I use shutters with overlap rabbeting?

A good rule of thumb, for both interior and exterior shutters, is to have an overlap rabbet if your shutters are meant to be functional or at least look functional.  It is an option that adds very little to the cost but greatly increases their value.

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice – Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

operbale louvered exterior shutters used to enclose a porch

Summertime and a porch go hand in hand.  It’s that inviting outdoor sheltered area to relax for a moment, recline and rest our feet, and maybe even watch a casual passerby.  It is also a place to read in the best lighting, gather with friends and family for refreshments such as lemonade and even just doze off in a chaise lounge.  Prior to indoor air conditioning a porch was the place where everyone including the family dog could escape stifling indoor heat.  It is easy to see the charm in a porch and why so many historic homes have at least one.

If your home has a porch but you find that it could use a tad bit more privacy to enjoy your outdoor space or maybe you could even use shade from a hot sunny afternoon here is a clever solution.  You can build a privacy screen with exterior louvered shutters between the porch posts.  With operable louvered exterior shutters you can create a visually pleasing partition.  Since the louvers are fully adjustable you won’t even need to give up a summer breeze passing through.

Exterior shutters really do enhance your home by adding depth and detail to every window and door.  Here are other examples of exterior shutters on homes that have a porch:

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Even though our exterior shutters are made to be authentic and fully functional there are times when they are installed for decoration. Most decorative shutters are mounted to either side of a window, often using real shutter hardware give the look of truly functional exterior shutters.

But what do you do when you have no windows?

The customer above solved this by mounting fixed louvered exterior shutters directly to their home. This not only added curb appeal and interest to the front of their home, but it also gives the illusion that there really are windows behind those exterior shutters.

This trick has long been used in commercial interiors where make-believe windows are strategically place to make a more comfortable lighter airy feel to a store’s layout rather then the four walls of a mall. The Hollister Store is certainly astounding with the many interior Plantation Shutters, many of which are made by us, installed throughout their stores.

With a big focus in recent years towards basement remodeling this trick can also be used with interior shutters. Just by installing a boxed window casing fitted with interior shutters on any wall you will make windows appear before your eyes for a lighter more natural feel inside under-the-ground.

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.   www.DIYShutters.com   1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com