Plantation Shutters Are A Green-Friendly, Energy-Saving Option For Your Home
Posted on: 16 January 2015
Adding beauty, style, and elegance to the rooms in your home isn't all Elizabeth plantation shutters are about. Although window blinds and drapes offer some energy savings, plantation shutters increase energy efficiency more.
If going green is on your agenda, maintaining an eco-friendly home includes making greener choices in the home fixtures you use. Interior plantation shutters are permanent window treatments that insulate against the elements of heat and cold. They help you save energy dollars that would otherwise fly out the windows.
Energy Savings
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can lose 10 to 25 percent of the heat from your home through the windows. If you are looking to conserve energy and save on heating and cooling costs, you don't have to buy new replacement windows to accomplish these goals. Plantation shutters offer a practical and more affordable option.
Keep Cold Air Out and Heat In
If your home is losing heat through the windows, installing plantation shutters fitted to the inside of the window frames can help keep the heat inside and the drafts out. Open the louvers on sunny days as even winter sunlight provides heat. Keep the louvers open from mid-morning to mid-afternoon -- the time of day when the rays from the sun are more intense.
You will get the most sunlight through windows facing the south. Cold winds usually come from the north, so you might want to keep the shutters on those windows closed. Whenever you open louvers to the sun, turn down the heat thermostat by a couple of degrees. Close the louvers again before the sun sets and the temperature drops.
Keep Cool Air In and Heat Out
Plantation shutters help you save on cooling bills in the summer. The shutters block out sunlight and heat during hot days. By closing the louvers, you reflect the sun's rays back outside, keeping the heat and damaging ultraviolet rays out of your home.
You can save on utility bills the year round by keeping cool or hot air from escaping. You'll use less air conditioning and heat that way. Adjusting the louvers on the window shutters helps you control the flow of air in your home even during the spring and autumn seasons. If you don't have to crank up the heat or turn on the AC sooner than later, you can save yourself a few energy dollars.
Additional Perks
Plantation shutters are low maintenance window treatments that provide privacy, last a long time, and increase the value of your home. Besides these perks, the shutter louvers allow you to control how much light enters a room to prevent the sun from fading carpet colors, paint and wall coverings, upholstery fabrics on furnishings, and wood walls and floors.
Closing the window shutters can also help insulate against sound, keeping noise from the outside from coming into your home. (If you have elizabeth shutters complaints, so do others)
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