If you live in sunny Edgewater, you understand the importance of having proper window treatments to keep your home cool and shady in the height of summer. However, there are tons of options available on the market to choose from. When doing a home renovation, it can be quite difficult to decide what window treatment to put on your house.
Two of the most common window treatments are window shutters and blinds. While they both perform a similar function, they operate in very different ways and have drastically different aesthetics. Keep on reading to learn more about the differences between window shutters vs. blinds.
Window Blinds
Window blinds are a very common and timeless type of window treatment. Made out of lightweight pieces of material strung together, their slats can be easily raised, lowered, and rotated as needed with a set of strings.
Pros of Window Blinds
Blinds can be made out of various types of textiles, wood, bamboo, and synthetic materials, and can necessarily come in a likewise wide range of colors to match any décor.
Convenience: The major benefit of most types of blinds is that they can be easily and quickly rolled up and out of the way, providing a completely unobstructed view out of your windows. They’re relatively unobtrusive when not deployed, simply sitting a small casing at the top of your window. This low-profile look lends itself to a clean aesthetic within your home.
Price Point: Because they use less material than shutters, you can likely find attractive blinds for your home at a lower price point. Of course, keep in mind that prices can be highly variable depending on the type of material you’re using, the size of your windows, and the manufacturer of the blinds.
Motorized: While they won’t be a budget item, you can also find blinds that are motorized. This can be a hugely convenient benefit and can be the right choice for those with accessibility needs. Simply pressing a button on a remote to open or close your blinds without even having to get up is a huge quality of life upgrade.
Cons of Window Blinds
While blinds can look good in any window, their unique lightweight construction carries a few considerations. The last thing you want is to install window treatments that you aren’t happy with.
Durability: However, blinds are not quite as durable as shutters, again because they use thinner and smaller amounts of material. This means that their lifespan can be shorter in some cases, especially if they receive any exposure to the outside elements.
Lack of Light Control: Another clear downside of blinds when compared to window shutters is that they are not as good at blocking light out. Because of their lightweight construction, there isn’t as complete of a barrier between each individual slat.
This can lead to some light leaking through even when blinds are completely closed. In many cases, this isn’t too big of a deal, but if your primary goal of installing a window treatment is light control, shutters may be your better bet.
Window Shutters
Shutters are a more durable and traditional window treatment than blinds. They are made out of a harder, thicker material – usually wood but sometimes plastic or metal as well – and swing open and close on the exterior of the window.
Shutters can be installed either indoors or outdoors. Interior shutters perform a very similar way to blinds, though are structurally quite different. You’ll still be able to rotate the slats in the shutters as needed to either block out or allow the sun in.
Exterior shutters are usually thicker and more durable but function identically to interior shutters. However, they will almost always come with latching mechanisms to ensure that you can secure them when the wind is strong to keep them from banging against the side of your home.
Pros of Window Shutters
No matter what material you are thinking about choosing for your shutters, there are a couple of shared benefits. The unique size and construction of shutters give them an edge over blinds in some cases.
Protecting Against Storms: Exterior shutters play a dual role. Not only do they act as a way to prevent sunlight from entering your home, but they can also act as a way to protect your windows.
Edgewater residents are well familiar with the realities of tropical storms and hurricanes. Debris, high-speed winds, and other environmental hazards can be a threat to your home. Storm shutters are designed with this in mind and are made out of heavier duty materials to withstand potential trauma.
Longer Lifespan: As mentioned, the thicker material used to make window shutters means that you can count on your shutters lasting many years. This means that you won’t have to worry about spending more money long-term on replacements.
Easy to Change Appearances: Further, you can even take wooden shutters and sand them down for repainting or staining. This is a simple process that can be done in a few hours and will give your home a brand new look – a great way to save some money during a home renovation.
Cons of Window Shutters
Despite the benefits of shutters mentioned above, there are some key downsides that you should consider. In the end, shutters may not always be the best choice for your home.
Large Size: The major downside of window shutters is their size and thickness. You can’t simply roll them out of the way – when open, they will have to lay flush against the walls of your home.
This can pose an issue when it comes to interior design, as you’ll need to ensure that your windows have enough space on either side of them for the shutters to be opened all the way. This also means that your shutters will always be in view, and doesn’t create quite the same clean of a look that you can achieve with blinds.
Cost: By simple virtue of using more materials, shutters tend to be, on average, a bit more expensive than blinds. Of course, the price point will always change depending on the manufacturer, type of material being used, and the size of your windows, but for the budget-conscious, blinds are the better bet.
Choosing the Best Window Treatment for Your Home Renovation
A home renovation is a big project, and you’ll have to make many small decisions about what you want in your new space. Window treatments are a small but essential part of that process – especially in sunny Edgewater.
For more information about choosing the right type of window treatment for your home, be sure to contact us! Our team of experts can help match you with the best product for your needs.
