Having come up with a proverb about a fortified house, the British did not know about the Russian method of protecting windows. Powerful oak shutters, blocking the access of dashing people to the master's good, turn the log house into an impregnable bastion. The love of Russians for beauty and harmony is reflected in this element of home protection. Carved shutters have become the visiting card of the masterful owner, completing the exterior decor of the hut.

Nowadays, window shutters for summer cottages are experiencing a rebirth.

Metal-plastic roller shutters with an electric drive are not affordable for everyone. But every person who knows how to hold the simplest tool in his hands can put steel or wooden sheets on the windows.

In our review, we will get acquainted with the types, device and main functions of the shutters, as well as give practical advice on how to make them yourself.

Put on the windows. Designs and functions

There are several designs of window shutters:

• Single leaf;
• double leaf;
• folding
• Combined (shutters-blinds);
• Roller shutters (roller);
• Internal shutters.

Single leaf shutters are placed on small windows. On the one hand, their canvas has a hinged mount. Closing is carried out using a lock or locking latch installed on the inside of the wings.

Single wooden shutters

Double-leaf metal and wooden shutters on windows are the most common. Due to the symmetrical arrangement of the canvases, these designs look better than single-leaf ones. They are locked from the inside (on hinged windows) or from the outside with a lock (on blind windows).

Double-leaf wooden shutters - "classics of the genre"

Folding structures are used to protect large window openings. They consist of several wings that turn on hinges when closing and opening.

Folding shutters - an option for a large window

Deaf shutters protect windows well, but do not let sunlight into the room. Therefore, in recent years, combined designs (blinds) have become popular. The swivel mechanism of the slats allows you to adjust the light flux without opening the sash. This solves two problems: natural lighting of the premises without compromising the protective function of the shutters.

Roller blinds with slats

More often than adjustable designs on the market there are options whose plates do not rotate.

Shutters with non-rotating blinds

Roll-type structures (roller shutters) came to us from Europe. Today they are extremely popular not only among the owners of shops, warehouses and offices, but also among summer residents.

Compactness, reliability and aesthetics. These three factors draw the attention of homeowners to roller shutters. A significant disadvantage is the price of these structures. It is higher than the swing ones.

Relatively recently, internal shutters appeared on the market. They are used to decorate the interior and control lighting. The level of protection of the premises against penetration of these structures is minimal.

Let's say a few words about the main functions of shutters. There are several of them:

• Protective;
• decorative;
• Energy saving.

In the first place is the task of protecting the building from intruders. In this respect shutters are more reliable than bars. When installed correctly and using quality materials, cracking them is much more difficult than cutting down the anchor pins of a window grille. In addition, the shutters completely cover the view of the room. The lattice, on the contrary, does not interfere with viewing the contents of the country house. It is also important that the shutters protect the window pane from direct impact with a hard object. The efficiency of the lattice in this respect is much lower.

The decorative functions of the shutters cannot be questioned. They are especially pronounced in wooden structures, decorated with intricate carvings and figured ornaments.

Wooden carved shutters will not leave anyone indifferent

Not every person is skilled in woodcarving. But any home craftsman can make beautiful doors using a regular board and a jigsaw.

A minimum of materials, a little imagination, diligence and original stakes are ready

Metal shutters on the windows are not as expressive as wooden ones. However, when using forged decor, they look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

Energy-saving features also cannot be ignored. It is no secret that the main heat leakage from the premises occurs through windows and doors. Closed shutters significantly reduce heat loss. The level of energy saving of these structures can be increased by insulating the doors with mineral wool or foam.

Window shutters are made of two materials - wood and metal.

Nowadays, decorative shutters are made not only from metal and wood, but also from metal-plastic. This material reigns supreme in the field of door and window systems.

Shutters-blinds made of metal-plastic - reliable, beautiful, durable

Unlike wood, metal-plastic is resistant to atmospheric influences. At the same time, we are practically indistinguishable from it in appearance.

How to make window shutters with your own hands?

Simple protective shutters can be made on your own. We will consider two options for home-made structures: wooden and metal.

For the assembly of wooden doors, a tongue-and-groove floorboard is optimally suited. Using it, you can do without the complex docking of the elements of the shield, the work with which requires carpentry skills.

The first step is to measure the window opening and transfer its dimensions to the sketch. Immediately you need to decide on the design of the hinges of the valves.

There are two types of articulated hinge:

• The swivel assembly is hammered at one end into a hole drilled in a concrete or brick wall;
• The hinge is attached to the window frame.

1. Regular hanging loop; 2. Adjustable hinge base (used to fasten the shutter to a brick or concrete wall); 3. Hinged part of the loop.

Having chosen a suitable hinge design, you can begin to assemble the sashes. Having cut off the floorboard according to the dimensions of the sketch, its parts are connected according to the “thorn-groove” scheme. In order for the boards not to disperse, two transverse fixing pads and one inclined - jib are screwed on top of the assembled sash with screws.

Two bolts and lugs are attached to the overlays with screws, fixing the locking crossbar.

Loops are placed on the back of the flaps. Having exposed the sashes in the opening, the hinges are screwed to the frame with screws. Platbands on the window are best placed above and below. When installed to the right and left of the frame, they will interfere with the opening of the sashes.

And now let's see how you can make shutters on the windows with your own hands using metal. The easiest option is to make a frame of wings from a profile pipe 10x20 or 20x40 mm and fasten sheet steel 1.0-1.5 mm thick to it.

The supporting frame on which the shutters will hang can be made from a 50x50 mm corner. It is more convenient to attach it to the opening with dowels.

After measuring the window opening and preparing a sketch, you can start cutting the profile pipe for the manufacture of shutter frames. Pipe sections are laid on a workbench, fixed to it with clamps and butt-joined using electric welding. The next step is to cut the sheet metal and weld it onto the frames. To protect the junction of the doors, a steel strip (flashing) must be welded onto one of them.

Having made both wings, you can begin to manufacture the carrier frame from the corner and install the hinges. Having attached the leaf blades to the frame, a steel bolt and an eyelet are welded onto the middle edge of the frame, into which the bolt will enter.

After making sure that the sashes rotate freely and without distortions on the frame and close tightly, you can put the shutters in the opening. To do this, in the side corners of the frame, you need to drill two holes for mounting dowels, and drill holes in the wall for installing plastic sleeves.