A lot of people prefer wood shutters for their windows owing to its durability, classic look, and low-maintenance appeal. Window shutters have been a standard fixture on most historical buildings.
It is a widespread belief that shutters were first used in ancient Greece to give ventilation, protection, and light control in the hot environment. Those shutters are believed to have been constructed with fixed louvers made from marble.
As time passed, the concept of shutters went to the Mediterranean and eventually spread to nearby places. Wood soon replaced marble and designers developed movable louver shutters to control the amount of light and air that entered the room.
The general function of shutters is to allow light and ventilation to come in. Louvered shutters can be closed to decrease the sun’s heat while allowing for ventilation and privacy, should the need arise. When the louvers are pointed downwards, they can shed rainwater. Solid shutters even protect homes from insect attacks.
In medieval Europe, rectangular windows with solid shutters framed houses. These were closed with the use of a large iron bar for added protection and security. During the Tudor and Elizabethan times, the more expensive glass windows were used and were reserved for the upper half of window openings. Windows were still closed with solid shutters.
During the fifteenth century, hinged glazed sashes started replacing solid shutters, after which, interior shutters were used increasingly for decoration purposes. The early eighteenth-century England saw the emergence of window shutters and moldings as main decorative elements in small houses.
The increasing use of wood construction in the Victorian period was followed by the popularity of using shutters outdoors. When Spain colonized the America, they brought shutters to the New World. Traditional shutters found in New England have their roots in England, where narrower louvers were used.