How Cafe-Style Shutters Suit All Of The Different Seasons
If you are choosing a new set of shutters, you may wonder if the benefits of the kind you choose will be greater at some times of the year than others. However, there is no risk of that happening with half-height shutter blinds.
Sometimes known as café-style shutters, these shutters are designed specifically to offer the greatest flexibility. Of course, all shutters do this to an extent, because the louvers are all controlled by strings that you can pull or loosen to shut or open them, enabling you to control the amount of light coming in, as well as whether those outside can see in or not.
The second of these considerations covers the issue of privacy; there will be plenty of times you need them closed, especially if your home faces straight out onto a street, as opposed to a situation where you may have more cover from prying eyes, such as having a garden with a hedge between you and the pavement.
However, at this time of year, you may think more about the effect of the light. This particular kind of shutter, when facing due south, will allow unfettered illumination to pour in through the window when the sun is high in the sky, as it is in summer. The sun is too high to dazzle, but floods the room with lots of lovely light and warmth.
However, when the sun is low, the shutters can either be opened to let the sun in or closed to keep it out. Here in Sussex, the December sun can drop to below 16 degrees above the horizon even at midday.
The benefit of shutters is that they allow the flexibility to deal with two weather scenarios; if it is cloudy, which is normal, you won’t get dazzled by the sun, but you can benefit from keeping the blinds open so you maximise the little light that there is. By contrast, when the sun is visible at this time of year it can be dazzling, making closing the blinds necessary.
Such flexibility means that, whether it is all about getting the amount of natural light you want or maintaining privacy, half-height shutters offer the best of both worlds.
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