Plantation shutters are potentially the best insulation value you can add to your windows. They are easy to keep clean, have no dangling parts for small hands and they allow you to manipulate the light and visibility in line with the season and time of day. Plantation shutters have the incredible ability to absorb as well as block direct heat and can potentially lower energy bills by $165 or more per year. In summer, plantation shutter's UV layers protect your home from excessive sun, preventing heat from the sun infiltrating your home easily and keeping it cooler. (Just make sure they are closed!) In winter,when closed or in the vertical closed position, plantation shutters work as reverse insulators, keeping warm air inside your home and slowing its escape through your windows. Most plantation shutters are white and made from a range of materials that impact on price, longevity and 'eco-ness' of the finished product. Materials are variously aluminium, plastics, composite wood, western red cedar, laminated off cuts and farmed woods. Pic: Chris Barbalis | Unsplash
Windows are a real issue with household heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. They account for about 10 percent of the heat loss during winter and the attraction of about 40 percent of unwanted heat in summer months. Plantation shutters effectively help insulate this heat and if curtains are added as well, you have an extremely effective window insulation system. Shutters create an airspace with your window glass and prevent the convection of air between the window and the shutters. The closer your shutters (and or curtains) are to the window, the more you prevent the movement of air as well.
Shutters combined with curtains dramatically improve you heat management plan as you effectively add another layer of insulation to windows.
If you have the appropriate roof, install a whirly bird. They require no power to function, take the hot air out of your roof space and lower inside temperatures. They also assist in taking dampness and condensation out of the roof space and improving bathroom ventilation. When you buy an air conditioner, both the heating and cooling Energy Efficiency stars are now shown on the appliance. More stars mean less cost, environmental damage and more efficiency.