The Best Custom Shutters, Blinds & Shades!
Proudly Serving the Greater Tampa area
Plantation shutters in a sitting room

The Difference Between Exterior and Interior Shutters: Guide for Tampa Homeowners

July 05, 2017

Tampa Florida exterior and interior shutters

Shutters work just about anywhere – in any Tampa house, in any room, on any size window, and even outside– and that’s where some confusion can occur.

Interior and exterior shutters are totally different products, and if you’re uneducated on the differences, you can spend a lot of time or money shopping around for a product you don’t need. Here is what you should know.

Exterior Shutters

First off, we need to make it clear that Sunburst Shutters Tampa doesn’t build or deal in exterior shutters. Instead, our area of expertise is in elegant interior shutters for your home.

Outdoor shutters tend to serve one of two purposes: they’re either only for looks as an accent to your home’s siding, or they’re industrial strength “hurricane shutters,” built to protect your windows from damage during severe storms.

Decorative exterior shutters typically look great on very specific styles of homes, like Mediterranean houses. Hurricane shutters are fairly rare except in a few parts of the country, and most hurricane shutters don’t even look like normal shutters, and instead look like large iron sheets.

Exterior shutters in Mediterranean home.

As for those outdoor shutters that do open and shut on your window, they don’t tend to have a lot of functionality. They aren’t able to make a seal to block heat and their louvers (if they have them) usually can’t be adjusted. Despite all that, exterior shutters can serve to give a layer of color to your home.

Look Into Exterior Shutters If:

  • You get heavy storms in your area and want to protect your windows.

  • You want to add a splash of color to the outside of your house.

  • You have enough space around your windows for the shutters to fit.

Interior Shutters

Interior shutters are our area of expertise, and they’re the optimum window treatment in combining fashion and usability. Put in directly in or on top of your window frame, interior shutters instantly become a natural part of your home as soon as they’re put in. And unlike outdoor shutters, interior shutters are able to fit on any window, no matter the space limitations.

The fashion that premier plantation shutters give your house is unrivaled, and shutters are incredibly versatile. Interior shutters can beautifully accent any style of home; from historic Prairie style homes to chic houses, and have a range of colors, finishes, and frame options to suit your personal style.

Plantation shutters in Tampa bedroom.
When it comes to practicality, plantation shutters might be the most effective window covering. Polywood faux wood shutters in Tampa block heat more effectively than any other window treatment on the market, keeping your house more comfortable. The tilting louvers on a set of plantation shutters also offer a wide range of lighting options, a big benefit over draperies and shades.

Consider interior shutters if:

  • You need better control over lighting, home temperature, and energy-efficiency.

  • You want a versatile, resilient window treatment.

  • You need to add visual interest to the inside of your home, and complement your existing indoor trim.

Sunburst is Your Interior Shutter Pro

It’s likely, if you want the protection, looks, and longevity of shutters, you want interior plantation shutters. Sunburst can help. Give us a call at 813-580-7288 today and set up a free in-home estimate.