
One common question on your home FAQs is, do shutters have to be on every window? So let's look back at window shutters. Exterior home shutters are figured to be the twin matching partner for a lot of windows. Knowing what a picture window is, you know this to be the case picture windows.
They encompass the window and tack on verve and feel to the façade of a home. Looking back to the earliest trace of shutters, the primary purpose was to keep the elements at bay. Hence in a way, they were in place on all windows.
However, if you're wondering, do shutters have to be on every window? Not necessarily. Nowadays, they function in light regulation, privacy, and security. With this traditional norm maintained, some might opine that houses without exterior shutters look almost weird.
For the most part, window shutters and blinds have been placed inside the home. The sustained use of plantation shutters bodes well for the practicality and vintage look. In Victorian England, houses were built with thin walls, enabling people to close the exterior window shutters quickly. Blinds allow for ventilation and lighting with the louvres while lats are set up to run-off rainwater.
Choice Of Home Shutter

When you buy a house, the style you choose should provide a template for the shutters on house design. You should also provide this information when you sell your house. Regardless, for decorative style shutters or more pragmatic shutters, there are three major exterior window shutter styles used today.
Board and Batten
Simple and easy to use on many architectural and building templates. They are comprised of lateral bracing that binds top-down board strips, a rustic motif used in the past for its strong mostly unyielding capabilities and protection. They are currently likely to sport the fronts of homes in barns, beach villas, country houses, and cabins.
Paneled
These shutters are designed in a similar vein to cabinets and fit hand in hand with the aesthetic of colonial-era housing and federal European exteriors. A daring elegant look is inspired by the attention to detail of raised panel shutters. With that being said, the initial role of panel shutters was for privacy and security. This is why you might notice, historically, they were placed on the ground floor whereas nowadays they are installed on different floors.
Louvred
With the goal of light regulation, ventilation, and water run-off, louvres were designed with a sequence of tilted lats, braced to the rib of a shutter in an overlapping manner. This is arguably the most popular shutter style today. It is typically installed on house exteriors for a quaint vintage look.
Choice Of Shutter Size
A fitting exterior shutter right on the window metrics makes for a legitimate aesthetic. Whether the window is a picture window or a type of casement window, the shutter must fit the window size. For exterior window shutter ideas to cover a window opening adequately, it should be shaped and sized appropriately.
On the thought of, 'do shutters have to be on every window?'. It depends. Regardless of what convention might dictate, that might not always be the case. An adequately sized shutter will leave a narrow gap around the edge when it folds tightly among your exterior house shutters ideas.
Shutters meant for ornamentation should fit the same proportions as well. While a tall narrow shutter alongside a large window may be commonplace, the aesthetic lacks originality and finesse. It is prudent to select shutters of a congruent shape and size to that of the window.
Circular windows with arched shutters suit best square windows and straight-lined shutters for square shutters. For shutters with dividing rails, they should be lined alongside the window sashes. Incorporate strap hinging, pintles, shutter dogs, and similar hardware for more extraordinary originality and finesse. A similar infrastructure can be harnessed with vinyl and cast iron.
Type Of Shutter Material

Traditional Wood Shutters
while they present some original finesse to your aesthetic, these exterior house shutters are inclined to decay, break apart, and flake paint throughout their lifeline. Maintenance will cost you a pretty penny, especially if there are a number of shutters to look after. You will often spot shutters with sagging or even missing slats, definitely made of wood. For a home under constant shade cover, it might be challenging for the shutters to dry thoroughly after a downpour, which can lead to decay. Any outgrown vegetation around these shutters should be trimmed to avoid damage. Climbing vines can also clasp tightly on the shutters leading to damage.
Wood Composite Shutters
there constitution entails marine resin and wood fibers, making them more durable than traditional wood shutters. They are resistant to moisture-induced damage, termites, and rot. They are heavier than traditional wood, made with a flat back hence a situation where they will need to assume operation is ill-advised. Sections of louvred braces are fabricated from a single solid piece turning into no space between slats. An added paint touch up ends with a shutter that resembles wood.
Vinyl Exterior Shutters
Injection-cast polypropylene and UV stabilizers are used to construct this exterior house shutter idea. It is quite cost-friendly and easy to look after. A wood grain feel is embossed on the front surface of the vinyl shutters. Color is integrated into the totality of the material. These shutters are usually thin with a hollowed-out spine that takes on rigidity after installation. The differences between vinyl vs faux wood compare in several ways. A garden hose can be used to clean the shutters' surface by dousing brushing with ordinary soap. In places with severe mildew, bleach can be added to the solution.
Looking for the right style, fit, and color shutters amid your property search can be overwhelming. Which is why it will be best to consider if shutters have to be on every window or not beforehand. Good luck hunting.