Full-height shutters are ever-growing in popularity. If you’ve already read our blog about how shutters compare to curtains and blinds, you’ll know that shutters are a longer-lasting and higher-quality option.
With their energy efficiency, excellent light control and improved soundproofing, it seems like a no-brainer to invest in them. Until you see the price…
How much?!
If that was your initial reaction, don’t worry – you’re not alone. In this blog, we’re going to answer the question: are full height shutters worth the cost?
What Are Full-Height Shutters?
Put simply, full-height shutters are those that cover the entirety of a window. They’ll look like mini double doors with louvres over your window frame. This is as opposed to tier-on-tier shutters, which are modular and often split into four mini doors. You can also buy café style shutters, which only cover the bottom half of a window. We’ve recently written a blog all about café style shutters here – why not check it out?
Full-height shutters are the most popular style for homes in Scotland. They are classy and timeless and come in many different compositions of varying proportions of wood and PVC. This allows maximum durability, quality and elegance depending on where the shutters are used in the home.
These shutters are perfect for rooms with large windows, such as conservatories, living rooms or bedrooms. Their full coverage of the window not only looks sleek; the shutters also allow for greater light control in areas that get too much glare from the sun in the daytime.
Full-height shutters are also great for bathrooms, given that the full coverage offers total privacy from every angle. And yes, the wood can be made completely waterproof! So you can bathe and shower in peace without worrying about steam doing damage to your investment.
And it doesn’t stop there! Did you know that you can have full-height shutters as wardrobe doors? They’re ideal for giving your bedroom a continental feel, adding style and functionality to your bedroom. Check out our wardrobe shutters here!
How Much Do Full-Height Shutters Cost?
Shutters are priced per square metre in the UK. If you have them installed by experts, full shutters cost between £180 and £500 per square metre – more if you have them motorised.
Take bay windows as an example: these tend to start at around 4m2. So if you were to buy shutters for that bay window, that’d cost you an average of £1,360.
But why bother with fancy wood panels when a pair of curtains could cost you a lot less? Surely they can’t make that much difference to your space, right?
Think again!
Why Do They Cost More?
You see, shutters do more than cover your windows and block out the light. Shutters are also shaving significant money off Scottish homeowners’ energy bills. Now, who doesn’t like the sound of that?!
So how do shutters save you money?
Here’s the sciencey bit – skip on ahead if this isn’t for you!
Wood is a natural insulator of heat. Under the microscope, the tiny cellular structures inside of tree trunks contain little pockets of empty space. This allows any heat energy travelling through the tree to become trapped and stay absorbed for longer periods of time. And this applies even when the tree has been cut down, sanded, carefully hand-crafted and painted to become its final form: a full-height shutter inside your home.
What does this mean for you?
Not only do shutters trap heat inside the house, meaning you can have the heating on for less time and save money – they also keep hot air out in the summer, saving energy on cooling costs too. And with bills going up exponentially during the cost of living crisis, this is one of the smartest investments you can make for your home.
And let’s not forget the obvious perk of shutters: light control! Full-height shutters give you complete control over the level and hue of light entering your space, altering its entire aesthetic – while curtains and blinds often fail to provide this level of subtlety. Letting light through louvres allows for a softer light gradient in your home, meaning that you can show off the place you’ve made your own.
What Else Can Shutters Do For Me?
Still not sold? Here are some other benefits of having full-height shutters in your home…
Soundproofing
Just as wood insulates heat, it can insulate sound too! This softens the sound waves coming through your home, giving each room they occupy a lighter acoustic. So you can enjoy peace and quiet in your safe space.
This works both ways, too: shutters can block the lower frequencies of traffic, trains and even students on their way home from a night in the town! Can your curtains do that?
Add Value To Your Home
We’re not just saying it. Because shutters are desirable for Scottish homeowners, installing them in your home can instantly increase the appeal from a buyer’s perspective. Definitely worth considering if you’re planning to relocate in the near future!
Last Longer Than Blinds Or Curtains
Shutters are built to last – and that’s one of the reasons why homeowners love them! Instead of needing to replace your curtains once they’re covered in pet hair, faded, or looking tatty, or constantly finding blinds that match your decor, you can trust that your shutters will last several refurbishments. At The Scottish Shutter Company, we can even mix custom colours for you!
Made-To-Measure
While you can go to any home store and pick up a standard-sized curtain, not all windows will fit this prescriptive mould! So, having a made-to-measure shutter to cover your window means absolutely no chance of a poor fit – when done by a professional, of course! And at the Scottish Shutter Company, no window is too awkward! We love a challenge…
Keeping Your Home Clean
Tired of wiping down every single slat of your blinds? No problem. Full-height shutters are super easy to clean – with just a wipe of a microfibre duster, you can keep your windows classy and dirt-free. So you can get back to the stuff that matters.
Any Downsides?
The only downside of full-height shutters that we can think of is that – while they cover the entire window with dense wood – they aren’t made with blackout material. So if you are particularly sensitive to light or live in an area with high light pollution, like a city, you may find that shutters alone aren’t enough to block out the light at night. For an even darker room, you need Shutter ‘n Shade.
However, most people find that the shutters are blackout enough to allow for a perfect night’s sleep – so unless your eyes are particularly sensitive, you should enjoy uninterrupted rest.
So, Are Full Height Shutters Worth The Cost?
Full-height shutters are undoubtedly the more expensive option.
But if you think about it, they are also the most cost-efficient choice for your home. Not only do you save money on your heating and electricity bills, you also gain precious time to sleep, work and play from their low-maintenance nature. So in our books, they are absolutely worth every penny!
At The Scottish Shutter Company, we have over 35 years of experience helping Scottish homeowners turn their homes into showrooms with our luxury hand-crafted shutters. If you think full-height shutters could be the thing you need, book a free consultation with us today!
There are more pictures of our Full Height Shutters in our Gallery – CLICK HERE, and we’ll take you right there.
S-Craft Full Height Shutters
