One of the easiest but often overlooked enhancement to a house to improve the curb appeal is to add or update your exterior shutters. Historically exterior shutters served a purpose by offering light control, ventilation and protection from the elements. Today exterior shutters are mostly decorative.
Styles
Dupbel Millworks Inc. is set up to create unique custom styles while offering a variety of standard styles to choose from.
Board and Batten Shutters
A shutter composed of three to five vertical boards that are connected using two or three horizontal battens. These shutters inspire a country or cottage look and have grown in popularity in the last few years. The latest trend is to have multiple narrow boards to create a cleaner, more sophisticated look.
Raised Panel
A Raised Panel shutter is made of panels that fit into a frame. The panels have raised sides to create depth and interest. Raised Panel styled shutters are the new “traditional” over louvered. Found on many Colonial, Georgian, Federal, or Manor style homes with brick or siding being the primary face material. Raised Panel shutters on homes of this type create a classic appearance. The shutter style’s popularity during the last number of decades has firmly entrenched the raised panel style as the “traditional look.” The solid three dimensional characteristics of the raised panel shutters provide a substantial presence on homes.
Shaker Raised
Shaker Raised shutters generate a sharp, crisp appearance versus the classical raised panel style. This shutter style acquired its name from the no frills, yet functional design standards of the Shaker religious community. The shutters rails, stiles and panels are fabricated square with no ornate profiles added. This shutter type is an excellent choice for brick or stucco faced homes where you want to ensure the lines and features of the shutters are clearly visible from a distance.
Louvered
Louvered styled shutters are the original “classic standard,” found on period buildings such as Antebellum, Colonial, Williamsburg, Georgian and Federal styled houses. Louvered shutters create an additional architectural element to enhance the house’s façade. Louvered shutters can also be the right choice for Contemporary styled buildings wishing to create a more traditional appearance.
Mission
A combination of a Board and Batten shutter and a paneled design, providing a fresh approach to exterior shutters. The clean, well defined vertical lines will compliment your house and windows, while breaking the monotonous horizontal lines that you get on a traditional brick or siding house. Definitely something to consider if you don’t like the robust look of a Board and Batten shutter, but were put off by the sometimes “flat” look of a Raised Panel. The Mission Panel style provides a very elegant look, breaking away from traditional shutter designs.
Other factors to consider
Size: One of the biggest mistakes people make with shutters is the size. It is important that the shutters are sized correctly for your windows, while taking into account the features of the house, obstacles that could be present, and the look you are trying to achieve. Your shutters are going to be mostly decorative, but make sure they are sized as if they would be functional and as if they belong there.
Hardware: Traditionally shutters were attached to the window frames with hinges. Today hardware plays an important role in the appearance of your shutters. Options will vary depending on the type of siding and the windows. Adding hardware adds to the curb appeal and the authentic look. It also put the shutter at a slight angle, adding visual interest and creating better shadow lines that brings out the design features of the shutter style.
Installation: Whether you or a pro handles the installation, make sure there is a suitable mounting surface and that the window frames are in good shape. Installation prices are in addition to the price of shutters and hardware.
Dupbel Millworks Inc. manufactures exteriors shutters using only weather resistant materials. Our core business is shutters made from a composite wood material that is rot, insect and weather resistant. This is especially important in Georgia’s hot, humid conditions. Although we carry a series of shutters styles, we are fully equipped to help you design the specific look you desire, and every shutters is custom made based on your house, windows and design.
We use your house as our showroom, knowing very well how difficult it can be to see what a specific style of shutter will do the look of your home. We come to your house with samples and will help you to choose the perfect style of shutter for your house.
Our business is located in Alpharetta, GA and we are proud to serve the residential and commercial market of North Georgia. We are small enough to provide you with personal attention, yet strong enough to handle complex designs
