Most exterior shutters made of wood are going to be functional shutters, which is to say that they are able to swing open and closed to cover the window as needed – great for some added protection for your windows when a storm is coming through. There are some exterior wood shutters made only for decoration, but these are more rare.

You can also buy wooden shutters for indoor use. These are mainly going to be decorative, but many indoor shutters come with working louvers, which allow them to regulate the amount of air and sunlight passing through them. You can use this feature to help darken a bedroom or ventilate a living room. Interior shutters are not made for any sort of window protection, because let’s face it, if you often have high winds and flying debris on the inside of your home, then I don’t think that shutters are your biggest problem.

An important aspect of buying wooden shutters is choosing the type of wood that they will be made from. I usually recommend talking to a professional about this to make sure you make a wise choice and get solid, durable shutters. Two types of wood to avoid are teak and Spanish cedar. These two woods are especially susceptible to damage from moisture and mildew so you don’t want your shutters made out of them. They are not as popular of a building material as they once were, but you may still run into them as you are doing your research.

The main drawback to wooden shutters is the amount of maintenance you’ll have to do to keep them looking good. First off, you should always purchase finished shutters – or at least do the finishing yourself – and never put up unfinished shutters on your home. Without the protection of the finish or paint, the wood simply isn’t going to last very long. Once your shutters are finished and installed, you’re going to have to inspect them once or twice a year to check for damage. In addition to this, you’ll have to repaint them every so often to keep the paint from cracking or peeling.

The easiest and most cost effective method of putting up hurricane shutters is to buy some plywood sheets or hurricane panels and hang them over your windows or doors, as you can see in the picture below. The advantages of doing this are the low cost, and the fact that it can be done rather quickly, which is handy if you get caught unaware by an oncoming storm. The disadvantages of it are pretty obvious: you have to manually put up and take down the covers for every storm, and they aren’t going to last very long, so you’ll be buying more panels probably at least every year. This method works well if you have a garden building in the backyard. You probably won’t be able to find fitted shutters to protect a shed or garden building, so just go with some plywood planks.

Among the more permanent solutions for hurricane shutters are roller shutters, Bahama shutters, Colonial shutters and accordion shutters. Roller shutters generally provide some of the best protection for your home, but they also look kinda bad when you’re not using them. The shutter is stored in a big box that is installed above your door or windows, and then rolls down out of the box over the window when you need it. The box is pretty much permanent and doesn’t do much to add to the decor of your home.

Bahama and Colonial shutters are other hurricane shutter options that can actually look nice when they are not being used. Both of these shutters feature a panel that swings shut to cover the window when needed, and can act much like a normal shutter when not needed. Colonial shutters are attached to the side of the window and swing side-to-side, while Bahama shutters (pictured below) are attached above the window and swing down to cover it. Both of these shutters can also serve to block sunlight from coming into the window, as well as their primary function, making them useful in more than one way.

Lastly, accordion shutters are another hurricane shutters option. These shutters act much like vertical blinds and gather at one side of the window or door on a railing that extends above the window. When you need to use them, you simply pull them out and across the window and put them back when you don’t need them.

The first shutters that were ever put on houses were functional ones. They were installed in such a way that they could close to block wind, rain, flying debris or sunlight from coming through the window, or open to allow sunlight or a cool breeze to pass through. They had (and still have today) slats called louvers that allow air to pass through while keeping sunlight out, making them great for cooling an upstairs room during the summer.

Most functional exterior shutters these days are made of wood, although it’s possible to find some other materials such as various plastics. Wooden shutters are generally very durable and are also heavier and weightier than plastic and vinyl shutters, which makes them better able to stand up to strong winds and possible debris hitting them.

The main issue people have with using wood for their exterior shutters is that it generally needs a bit more maintenance than vinyl or plastic do. Wood has to be stained or painted and the finish you choose has to be inspected once or twice a year to make sure that it’s not cracked or peeling. If it is, you get to repaint it. While you’re inspecting your shutters, you’ll also want to check for insect damage – those termites do love a tasty treat – or any sort of rot or mildew. Those last two things shouldn’t be a problem if the wood has been finished properly, but it doesn’t hurt to check for it anyway.

Installing functional shutters on your home’s exterior isn’t too different than decorative shutters, but there are a few additions to the process. The bracket that the shutter will swivel on goes on to the window or siding first and it has to be put in well since it will be holding the shutter up. Putting these shutters up isn’t really big deal for most people but if you have any doubt in your handyman skills it never hurts to call in a professional to do it for you.

I generally choose to go with just decorative exterior shutters, instead of functional ones. I don’t live somewhere that has a lot of bad weather, so there’s not a whole lot of need for functional shutters, and decorative shutters are generally less expensive.

Decorative shutters can be found in several materials: vinyl, plastic and wood, with vinyl and plastic (or a plastic composite) being the most popular choices. Vinyl and plastic are popular because they are quite durable, fairly inexpensive and they don’t require a lot of maintenance. In addition, vinyl and plastic shutters don’t need to be painted, as the material itself is manufactured as a certain color. This means no checking for cracked or peeling paint, and no laborious repainting job every year.

Vinyl and plastic exterior shutters can be purchased from a number of retailers across the nation. Obviously the big names, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, will carry a large selection of them and you can most likely find several local suppliers that can help you choose some great shutters for your home. I prefer dealing with the local guys myself – the service is almost always better and I have fewer issues getting problems fixed – but go with whoever you like in your area.

Prices will most likely vary by the particular job and amount of competition in your area, but vinyl and plastic shutters can generally be found for around $20 to $50 per pair.

Wooden exterior shutters are another option that you have when you’re looking for shutters. Wood is more commonly used for functional shutters, but you can find it for decorative shutters as well. Pretty much the only reason to choose wood over vinyl or plastic is because you just like the look of wood better. Wood has to be stained or painted and requires a bit more maintenance than the other two materials, but – and I agree here – a lot of people just like the way it looks. Wooden exterior shutters are generally going to run you $75 to $100 per pair.