If you want to make a statement with your home, you should install exterior shutters.  Exterior house shutters are no longer needed to protect a home from Visigoths and squirrels. Nowadays, exterior shutters are primarily purchased for decorative purposes.  There are many different shutter styles available today which can make a home seem much more traditional. 

You can opt for vinyl or wood shutters.  Wood shutters are usually cheaper, but have to be painted and maintained.  Vinyl shutters are actually less expensive over time.  Vinyl shutters can be purchased in a variety of colors and styles which can improve the appearance of your house. 

Should you decide on wood house shutters, you ought to use cedar.  Cedar weathers well and is fairly low maintenance.  Oak is one more wood product used for exterior shutters. You will have to be able to care for these shutters periodically by either staining or painting them.  When first purchased, wooden shutters come without stain or paint and have to be prepared before they are mounted.

You should set up a dry clean place in which to prepare the shutters. When painting them, you should prime them first, so that the paint will go on evenly.  Use an exterior paint on the shutters as an indoor latex paint is water soluble.  Once the paint is dry, you’ll need to coat the paint with a waterproof sealant so that it will last longer.

If you decide to stain the shutters, you can choose a wood stain that is oil based.  There are products that can stain and seal in one application which will save you effort.  Staining does not give a monochromatic finish, but allows the grain to show through the stain while adding some color.  Whether you decide to stain or paint the wood shutters can be decided according to your taste. 

An effective way to figure out what design of house shutters that you like is to drive around and search out other properties with exterior house shutters.  Looking at these shutters actually on homes can alert you to some different options and can help you form a clearer picture of how each style of shutters will look on your home. 

Mounting exterior shutters is not difficult, presuming that you have some basic carpentry skills to help you complete this task.  It would be wise to hire a professional to mount the shutters if you are uncomfortable with this process.  Please consider that they are on the exterior of the house and anyone passing will see them, so you want to do a proper job when mounting the shutters.  Normally, shutters are packaged with the hardware to be used for hanging and the process is fairly easy.

Exterior shutters offer an inexpensive way to add a bit of décor to the exterior of your property and allow it to stand out from the other homes.  Most recently built homes do not come with shutters.  By hanging exterior shutters, you can upgrade your home and your curb appeal.