It's no secret that from the point of view of security, the most vulnerable part of the country house are the windows. How to protect glass from vandals, and housing - from the penetration of uninvited guests?

Modern manufacturers offer various solutions for window protection. Each of them has its pros and cons. Metal grills, for example, are not well received by fire inspectors. Indeed, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, steel bars can become a serious obstacle to salvation. In addition, even graceful forged gratings create a feeling of lack of freedom. Roller shutter systems perfectly cope with the protection of the house from uninvited guests, hot sunlight and "heat leaks" in the cold season. However, in suburban construction, they did not really take root. Perhaps because the windows equipped with roller shutters are too reminiscent of shop windows and stalls. In addition, to control them, you need an electric drive or considerable physical effort.

5 advantages of shutters

■ protect the house from intruders
■ protect windows from strong winds
■ shield rooms from the sun
■ provide noise isolation
■ close the house from prying eyes

Shutter design

The design of classic shutters consists of a frame and sashes attached to it with hinges. Their shape and dimensions repeat the shape and dimensions of the window. The number of sashes depends on the width of the window opening - they can be from 1 to 4. Simple hinged shutters with two sashes are installed on ordinary hinged windows. In the case of a wide window opening and the number of window sashes is more than two, the number of shutter sashes increases accordingly, and their fastening to each other is carried out according to the accordion principle. The maximum width of each sash is 75 cm, the height can be almost any. The material used is metal or wood.

old friend

So it turns out that the most reliable and affordable way to protect windows today are the good old shutters, whose history goes back more than one century. The design of the shutters is simple, their control is elementary and does not require effort and improvised means. Closed sashes reliably protect the house not only from uninvited guests, but also from prying eyes, and when open, they do not prevent air and light from entering the premises.
In addition, the appearance of the shutters goes well with any type of building and looks most harmoniously with traditional wooden log cabins.

The armor is strong - metal shutters

The most reliable and "anti-vandal", of course, metal shutters. To break into such a design, considerable efforts will have to be made, and besides, it will not be possible to do it quietly. The basis of metal shutters is a welded supporting frame, which is mounted in a window opening with hidden anchors. If there is a window slope, the frame can be installed flush with the wall. If the window is installed flush with the wall, an intermediate frame will be required, to which the entire shutter structure will be attached. The sashes are usually a frame made of steel profile, on which sheet metal with a thickness of 1.2-2 mm is attached. So that the metal structure that opens up from a gust of wind does not knock out the glass, you will need clamps that hold it in position. From the inside, the doors are locked with reliable locks or latches. To protect the metal from corrosion, the shutters are painted, but powder-coated products can also be found - they are more expensive.

Wooden doors

Shutters made of wood are, of course, inferior in strength to metal products. However, their reliability is very high: it is not so easy to break the boards fixed in a tightly assembled frame, which allows you to gain time. In addition, wooden shutters very effectively protect glass from vandals. The shutters are fixed in the window opening with anchor bolts, through a solid steel frame with a casing. Loops are often equipped with anti-removable pins. From the inside, the shutters are closed with the help of various locking mechanisms - latches, latches or locks. The most vulnerable point of wooden products is their fire hazard and susceptibility to moisture. However, this is not a problem today. Manufacturers produce a variety of fire-protective compounds to protect wood from fire, dampness and microorganisms. It is enough to choose the appropriate composition and impregnate the sash and frame with it.

light in stripes

Shutters-blinds look like a lightweight version of conventional shutters. Their sashes consist of many separate strips-lamellas fixed in a special frame. By turning the plates at different angles, you can adjust the amount of light entering the room without completely blocking the view outside the window. While cutting off the hot sun rays, the blinds still allow fresh air access. Blinds are made from both wood and metal. Wooden blinds are not as strong as we would like, but they are quite effective in protecting glass from hail or stone damage.

Metal blinds are not inferior in strength to solid shutters. Quite thick metal strips assembled into a single piece are often additionally stitched with a 5 mm steel rod to give the doors additional resistance to breaking.

Sash installation

Shutters can be mounted on any windows, including bathrooms and basements. Size, shape and design do not matter. In addition to simple rectangular products, there are shutters for arched openings. The wall material can also be any (wood, brick, concrete), but its specifics are taken into account during installation. So, when installing shutters on the facade of a wooden house, it is necessary to take measures to compensate for sedimentary processes. In order for the frame of the shutters to remain motionless and not change the geometry when the frame moves, it is attached to a special casing bar. A compensation gap is laid between the frame and the upper plane of the slope, and the holes for the fasteners are made not of a round, but of an oval section.

In brick and concrete houses, shutter frames are not installed close to the window frame (which is rarely set perfectly), but with a gap of 50 mm. For this, a special intermediate frame is used, on which the shutter frame is attached. This allows you to correct the flaws of the builders and achieve a more aesthetic appearance.

It doesn't get better

In Rus', wooden shutters were always decorated. Whimsical applied carvings or beautiful ornaments made in bright colors sometimes covered the frames and surfaces of the shutters with a solid carpet. In the wings, a small viewing hole of an intricate shape was usually cut. This tradition has been preserved to this day. If you want your shutters to have their own "face", try painting them yourself with paints. Bright flowers, a "portrait" of a beloved cat - the drawing can be anything, the main thing is that it pleases you, and the process is a pleasure. Any waterproof paint is suitable for work. And experienced “brush masters” can use spray paints.

On a note
In the open position, swing shutters can be fixed to the facade with simple hooks. In the closed position, it is best to lay a wooden or metal bolt on the inside of the shutters.