Shutters
Wall coverings can be as simple as drywall or as decorative as beaded paneling. Drywall and related wall covering sheets evolved about 100 years ago as an alternative to interior plastering. Two experienced workers can drywall an entire house in a day or two, as opposed to the week or more it would take to apply plaster to interior walls. Basically, drywall is made from gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then kiln-dried. Some panels use fiberglass instead of paper or alter materials to increase moisture resistance, fire retardation, and sound blockage. Ring’s End carries many different kinds of these wall sheet covering products, as well as a full array of drywalling tools. Besides drywall, the next most common wall and ceiling covering is wood paneling. Ring’s End carries many different types of paneling for wainscoting or for covering entire walls and ceilings.
Types of Shutters
Louvered
The most popular of all shutter styles, louvered shutters date back to the 1700s yet look beautiful on almost any type of home. Moveable louvers, which can modulate ventilation, can be found on operable shutters, whereas fixed louvers are common on decorative shutters.
Raised Panel
Characteristic of Southern Plantation architecture, raised panel shutters are well suited to colonial architecture. Their simple yet elegant design also goes nicely with homes featuring visually complex exteriors.
Flat Panel
These simple, Shaker-style shutters give a neat, uncluttered look to a home. They are often used with Craftsman architecture as well as with contemporary and New England colonial styles.
Combination
Developed in New Orleans, combination shutters have louvers on the top and raised panels on the bottom. They offer an uncommon exterior accent for almost all styles of home.
Board & Batten
This more rustic shutter style reflects the American frontier as well as some European traditions. It comes in ‘closed-board’ and the less formal ‘open-board’ configurations. It is commonly used with ranch, split-level, and country cottage design.
Bahama
Inspired by the tropics, Bahama shutters [sometimes called Bermuda shutters] consist of louvered panels that are hinged at the top so the shutters open outward from the bottom. They look wonderful on almost all seaside homes.
Interior Shutters
Interior shutters give your home a classic plantation look. Hunter-Douglas shutters are available in traditionally crafted hardwood, in combinations of real wood and advanced modern-day materials, and in durable, UV resistant polysatin compound. All materials are available in many designer colors, stains, and finishes a well as in custom shapes and sizes. Hunter Douglas shutters are sold at our Branford, Danbury, Darien, Fairfield, Lewisboro, New Milford, Norwalk, Stamford Harvard, Stamford High Ridge, Westport, and Wilton locations.
Styles of Shutters
Our job at Ring’s End is to help our customers build well and to realize their aesthetic vision. While there is virtually an unlimited number of cabinet style options for any taste, the following are some common styles.
Colonial
Craftsman
Classic
Eclectic
Georgian / Federal
Modern
Materials & Features
Materials
Wood
Western Red Cedar, a beautiful wood that resists decay, is the classic material choice for a traditional shutter. These wood shutters can be painted or stained to your specifications.
Vinyl
Vinyl shutters are low maintenance and fade resistant. They are available in a wide variety of colors and styles.
Composite
Composite materials are extremely durable and retain the look of wood. As in the case of wood shutters, almost any color or finish imaginable can be applied.
Features of Shutters
Louvers
Louvered shutters can be ordered in open design, which allows the shutter to be installed so they are fully operable, and closed louvers, which look like traditional operable shutters but are for fixed installation only.
Transom and Arch Tops
These can be paired with louvered or paneled shutters for extra height and visual impact. Transom tops are rectangular, while arch tops are quarter rounds.
Gable End Ventilators
Gable vents are often purchased at the same time as shutters so a home’s exterior exhibits a coherent style and color palette. They come in many sizes and shapes, including round, square, octagonal, demilune, and rectangular.
Decorative Cutouts
Shutter cutouts let you add your personal touch, giving your home a one-of-a-kind accent. Cutouts are available in many designs and can be used with flat panel, raised panel, closed board & batten, and composite shutter styles.
Colors and Finishes
Solid hardwood shutters can be finished in almost any wood stain. Shutters can be ordered pre-finished or pre-painted in a wide variety of colors. ‘Bare wood’ shutters should be stained or painted immediately after installation.
Hardware
When a shutter does not come with hardware, or when you want to add an extra design element, you can choose hinges, pulls, brackets, stays, and pintels that match your taste and your home’s architecture. Materials include steel, iron, aluminum, and vinyl.
How To Select Cabinetry For Your Home
You may have a good idea of how you want your shutters to look. But you also have to think about how you want them to function… as fixed decorative exterior accents or as fully operative shutters that can provide privacy, protection, and fresh-air flow. Weather is another important consideration: your home’s degree of exposure to harsh climate conditions or coastal storms can affect not only the type and style of shutter you choose but also its materials and finishes. The knowledgeable staff at the Ring’s End Window & Door Showrooms will help you select the perfect shutters for your home’s architecture and meteorological environment.
For replacement shutters:
1. Take photos of your home’s façade (including the front door) and a close-up of the shutter(s) you are replacing.
2. Take careful measurements of the windows you want to accent with shutters.
3. Visit a Ring’s End Window & Door Showroom.
For new shutters:
1. Make a file of shutter options you like.
2. Get the blueprints and exterior elevation specifications for your new home or addition.
3. Visit a Ring’s End Window & Door Showroom.
