A1
Shutters have had a long history of
protecting windows on the outside,
but they were originally designed for
the inside of a home.
On Tudor (1485–1547) and Elizabethan
(1558–1603) homes, shutters were made of solid
boards and covered only the lower half of the
window openings, where no glass was installed
(glass was expensive in those days.) When open,
fresh air came into the room and the shutters folded
back to look like decorative wall panels. When
closed, usually with a bar across, light still came
through the glazed upper half of the window. By
the late seventeenth century, double-hung windows
were popular. Shutters were still attached inside and
decorative, but they covered the whole window.
During the Victorian period (1837–1901) when
more houses were constructed from wood, shutters
moved outdoors. The former stone and brick homes
had such deeply recessed windows that exterior
shutters would have been difficult to reach from
inside, but wooden walls could be built much
thinner and exterior shutters could now be accessed
easily from the inside.
By the late nineteenth century, shutters were
used as much for decoration as for their practical
functions of shelter and protection for the glass.
When mechanization entered Victorian millworks,
shutters became more sophisticated. They were
often louvered or made of narrow horizontal slats
angled to deflect the rain, allow some daylight
through and provide adequate ventilation.
In the 1980s, window technology and window
covering choices eliminated the functional use of
outside shutters. However, the revival of Victorian-style
housing and the interest in rehabilitating century-old
homes are bringing shutters back into the limelight
as an interior window treatment. They are often
made from wood, with all its inherent problems of
chipping, warping, shrinking and peeling.
Eclipse®Shutters are an extremely durable shutter.
They offer the traditional look of California or
Plantation style shutters without the inherent problems
of wood. Warping, shrinking, chipping, peeling,
and color fading are things of the past with
Eclipse®Shutters.
Eclipse®Shutters offer complete custom window
and door fitting. They are shipped complete with all
frames and hardware ready for mounting. They are
available in three colors: Cotton, Pearl and Vanilla.
Do not be fooled by the competition. There is only
one Eclipse®Shutter!
The History of Shutters
