Keep Cool This Summer: The Benefits of Plantation Shutters for Your Home

When the sun is shining, we all want our homes to feel bright, fresh, and comfortable. But managing heat, light, and privacy in the summer months isn’t always easy. That’s where plantation shutters come in — a stylish, practical solution that works beautifully in any home.

At The ShutterShack, we know shutters aren’t just for winter insulation. They’re one of the best summer window treatments you can choose, helping you stay cool, protect your interiors, and add timeless style.

A Short History of Plantation Shutters

Plantation shutters have a fascinating history. Their origins can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where marble shutters were used to provide shade while still allowing airflow. In later centuries, timber versions became popular in the southern United States, particularly on plantations, where the louvres helped keep homes cool in hot, humid climates.

Today, plantation shutters UK homeowners love have become a sought-after feature in both modern and period properties, admired for their heritage charm and year-round practicality.

Why Shutters Are Perfect for Summer

1. Keep your home cool naturally
If you’re looking to keep your home cool with shutters, you’ll be glad to know they act as a natural insulator. By closing the louvres during the hottest part of the day, you block out direct sunlight while still letting fresh air flow through. This helps reduce indoor temperatures and can even cut down your reliance on fans or air conditioning.

2. Control the light, your way
Long summer evenings are lovely, but not always ideal for sleeping or relaxing. Shutters give you precision control over the light — tilt the louvres to let in a soft glow, or close them fully for complete shade. Compared to blinds or curtains, shutters provide a much more flexible option.

3. Protect your furniture and flooring
Sunlight is a leading cause of fading in fabrics, wood, and carpets. With shutters, you can filter harsh rays without losing natural daylight altogether. This makes shutters a smart investment for protecting your interiors as well as enhancing them.

4. Privacy with ventilation
In summer, we naturally want to open our windows — but this can make privacy tricky. Shutters allow you to enjoy fresh air while blocking outside views. Tilt them upwards to keep nosy passers-by out of sight, without compromising on airflow.

5. Style that lasts
Unlike curtains or blinds that may date or wear, made-to-measure shutters offer a timeless, elegant look. They add instant kerb appeal to your home, complementing everything from period townhouses to modern new builds.

Shutters: A Year-Round Investment

While shutters are one of the best choices for summer, their benefits last all year round. In winter, they keep warmth inside. All year, they reduce external noise, add an extra layer of security, and can even increase your home’s value.

When comparing shutters vs blinds or curtains, shutters consistently come out on top for durability, versatility, and style.

Thinking about shutters this summer?

At The ShutterShack, we specialise in designing, supplying, and installing made-to-measure shutters homeowners trust. If you’re ready to explore options for your home, contact our friendly team today — and let’s make your home cooler, smarter, and more stylish this summer.

📣 The ShutterShack Hits the Airwaves with Bournemouth One!

We’re excited to announce that The ShutterShack is heading to the radio! We’ve commissioned a brand-new radio advert with BournemouthOne.com, a fresh and vibrant radio station that’s bringing something new to the South Coast.

As a proudly local, family-run business, we’re passionate about supporting homegrown talent and platforms — and Bournemouth One fits that bill perfectly. We're thrilled to be part of their journey as they continue to grow and connect with communities across Dorset and Hampshire.

📅 Going Live in August 2025

Our brand-new advert will officially hit the airwaves in August 2025, so keep your ears open when you're tuned in to Bournemouth One! It’s a short and sweet reminder of what we’re all about — beautiful shutters, unbeatable service, and local expertise you can trust.

🎧 Want a Sneak Peek?

You don’t have to wait until August — listen to our brand new radio ad right here:

 

Why We Chose Bournemouth One

  • Local and proud – Just like us, they’re rooted in the community.

  • Fresh and exciting – A modern station with a new take on local broadcasting.

  • Community-focused – Highlighting the voices, businesses, and culture of our area.

We believe supporting each other is what makes our community stronger — and this partnership is just one way we’re putting that into action.

Support Local. Choose Local.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your windows with shutters or just tuning in for some great music and conversation, The ShutterShack and Bournemouth One have something for you. So join us this August on Bournemouth One, and let us know if you hear us on the air!

We Trademarked "The ShutterShack" — Here's Why That Matters

At The ShutterShack, we’ve always believed in doing things properly — from our beautifully crafted shutters to the service we give each and every customer. That’s why, nearly a decade ago, we took the step to officially trademark our name.

It’s a quiet but important part of our story. Since 2016, The ShutterShack has been a registered trademark in the UK — giving us exclusive rights to use our name and protecting everything we’ve worked hard to build.

Why Trademarking Matters for Small Businesses Like Ours

🛡️ Protecting Our Identity

When you're a small independent company, your name means everything. It’s the trust, care, and personal service behind every job. Trademarking ensures that no one else can use our name in the same space — helping us protect our reputation and avoid confusion.

🤝 Reassuring Our Customers

You know exactly who you’re buying from. Our trademark is a sign that we take our business — and your trust — seriously. It's another way we show that we’re here for the long haul.

🚀 Preparing for Growth

As we grow and evolve, having a legally protected brand gives us a strong foundation. Whether we expand our product range or partner with others, our name is secured.

A Small Business with Strong Roots

We might be independent, but we believe in thinking big when it comes to protecting what matters. Having our trademark in place for so many years gives us confidence for the future — and it gives you confidence in us.

Thank you for supporting our journey — and for choosing a name you can trust:
The ShutterShack.

Explore our bespoke shutters and book a free consultation at theshuttershack.co.uk.

**Trademark Information:** Trade Mark No: UK00003136726 Mark: The ShutterShack (Series of 2 Marks) Owner: TheShutterShack Ltd Classes: 20 (Furniture, Shutters), 37 (Installation Services) Filing Date: 18 November 2015 Date of Entry in Register: 19 February 2016 Renewal Date: 18 November 2035

Research demonstrates that Shutters are the Most Energy Efficient Window Covering

GET PLANTATION SHUTTERS TO KEEP YOU WARM THIS WINTER.

As well as giving a stunning elegant look to your room, interior shutters add an effective layer of insulation to your home. In fact, this is their primary purpose in life!

Plantation shutters first appeared in ancient Greece to protect properties from weather hazards and regulate the temperature inside the home. They since spread all over Europe and comprehensive research has evidenced the excellent capabilities of shutters as temperature regulators. They keep homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer. 

As such, shutters can noticeably reduce your energy bills by reducing heat loss, controlling heat gain and making your home more energy efficient. A project funded by the Climate Challenge Fund evidenced this by concluding that shutters could ‘dramatically reduce energy bills’. The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust (EWHT) used thermal imaging cameras to show the most effective ways to avoid heat loss and save energy. They established that windows with the shutters closed showed up in the images in a deep blue colour, demonstrating little heat loss.

Plantation shutters are energy efficient

Figure 1 Source: EDINBURGH WORLD HERITAGE Energy Efficiency Guide

The United Nations RENFORUS (Renewable Energy Futures for UNESCO sites) also endorsed the results of the EWHT project; wooden shutters, amongst other things, can greatly improve the energy efficiency of traditional and historic homes, ‘enabling them to contribute to local and national carbon reduction targets.’

Research by the Glasgow Caledonian University was conducted to identify the effectiveness of the various heat loss reduction options. They tested a series of measures on a single glazed box sash window (which had been draught proofed).

It concluded that ‘secondary glazing was the most effective overall option, as it reduced heat loss through the window by 63%. Timber shutters are the most effective option of the traditional methods, reducing heat loss by 51%; Insulating the panels of the shutters further reduced heat loss by 60%;  Curtains reduced heat loss by 14%; a Victorian roller blind reduced heat loss by 28%; a modern roller blind reduced heat loss by 22%.’

Research further demonstrated that fitting shutters improved the U-Value from 4.3 W/m²K to 2.2 W/m²K.

The combination of secondary glazing and shutters reduced heat loss by 75% and reduced the U-Value to 1.1 W/m²K.

With such compelling results, it is a no brainer. Whether you already have double glazing or not, shutters are definitely the way forward to make your home more energy efficient and save on your bills. As an added bonus, shutters will give your rooms a stunning makeover, add value to your house, increase privacy and security, reduce noise, save space and offer great versatility with ventilation and light control.

Save on energy bills with plantation shutters

Figure 2 Source: Thermal Performance of Traditional Windows, by Paul Baker, Glasgow Caledonian University, for Historic Scotland.

Interior Wooden shutters are the most energy efficient window covering

 Figure 3 Source: Thermal Performance of Traditional Windows, by Paul Baker, Glasgow Caledonian University, for Historic Scotland.


References

BS EN ISO 8990:1996, Thermal insulation. Determination of steady-state thermal transmission properties. Calibrated and guarded hot box, BSI, ISBN 0 580 26826 8 [6] BS EN ISO 12567-1:2000,

Thermal performance of windows and doors. Determination of thermal transmittance by hot box method. Complete windows and doors, BSI, ISBN 0 580 36028 8

http://www.ewht.org.uk/news/109/102/Thermal-imaging-survey-reveals-close-your-shutters

http://www.ewht.org.uk/uploads/downloads/Energy%20Efficiency%20Guidebook%20Final.pdf

http://www.renforus.net/

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/gcu-technical-_thermal-efficiency-traditional-windows.pdf

https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/your-home/saving-energy