Exterior Shutters in America are ALL WRONG
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Want to hear what makes Kim absolutely shudder!?!
Fake shutters!
Most American homes have shutters installed ALL WRONG, and we can see it from the curb! The very investment you thought adds curb appeal to your house, actually devalues it by default.
As Kim and Joey explored Florence, Italy this past week, they saw perfect examples of how shutters SHOULD be installed. The truth is shutters were originally designed to function and operate for the home. They were not simply a decorative fixture, but somewhere in the mid-century when aluminum and vinyl shutters were introduced to the market, we started nailing them on our homes like a cute little, painted sticker. They aren't the right size, the right shape, and they don't even have fake hardware to hide the fact they aren't real!
If you're going to invest in shutters, do it right, and know the mistakes to avoid.
Photo Credit -
www.oldhousegu...
thecraftsmanbl...
They are decorative in America. They aren't meant for function. I do want real shutters but hard to find. I will have to make myself.
Make it yourself. Who wants to pay this lady for commission when she aint even the builder.
If you can access Google, then you can find shutter manufacturers and installation. Do live under a ROCK ??? 🤣🤣😅YAAALLLLLLL
Well they aren’t truly homemade shutters if you don’t also chop down the tree yourself !
Lmao, Women..
I mean, in the age of screens, windows, central air, and blinds, why have shutters? I do agree though, having fake ones are retarded, especially where they clearly look stupid, like thin vinyl shutters on a wide bay window, yuck.
I’m a Californian living in Europe. Hands down American building/construction is inferior to Europe. We use plastic as siding and my European co-workers would not believe me until I pulled up a photo online. I also showed them the faux shutters and they asked why would you do that if it’s not functional?
Its a few extra dollars...lol. This is the reason they are only decorative on most American homes.
In Greece my country, every person rich or poor has shutters that function. It doesn’t matter if you live in a big manor or not, even the neighbourhoods in poverty will laugh at you for fake decorative shutters. It’s the same in France and Spain, although sometimes the shutters will look different (one apartment I stayed in Paris had a more modern shutter that opens and closes with a remote control)
It's an American thing, shutters in new home have no function, only for aesthetic. I personally find it dumb, even with modern AC and curtains, having operable shutters would still be nice to have if one wants energy savings in the summer.
Fake shutters are no worse to me than fake columns on a house. They both look tacky.
Because they serve no function, it just feels meaningless.
I don't even work in home design and this gets under my skin. Currently trying to convince my wife the same thing. Our problem is that most of our windows are 36 in wide and there are typically two side-by-side. Probably going with the roller shutters I saw in Germany (when we have enough saved lol).
As an American that lived in Italy for 3 years I adored the functionality of the windows in my apartment. Windows that opened on a hinge like a door, screens that you could raise, and the built in black out shades that were encased in a box at the top of balcony doors & windows, so that you could let them down to any length you desired. I always said if I ever built a home in America I would copy every, single detail of those windows.
American houses would not be able to take the weight of those windows and blinds. European walls are much more sturdy and much thicker.
Couldn't agree with you more about the shutters. Nothing says cookie cutter more on a home than fake shutters
What's ALL WRONG, is the number of people who think *interior* shutters are a good alternative to *exterior* shutters. Exterior shutters should be required in the South Western USA. Exterior is the only way of blocking out the heat generated from rays hitting the windows.
Well duh most ppl are aware of this. Not everyone can afford real ones but still enjoy the look of them. Its really about looks(curb appeal) vs function.
Most ppl that do have real ones in the US have them for hurricane etc. and not so much for the look.
Brandy777 Excuse my crudeness but I do think that’s a load of bullshit, that most people in the US can’t afford them. Shutters are hardly that expensive and those same people saying “wow is me, I can’t afford real shutters for my window” are at the same time looking for granite countertops for their kitchens. And those are significantly more expensive than two pieces of hardwood on either side of a window.
@@bananaborz1 granite countertops get used every day. No one in America uses shutters unless there is a huricane. America has sealed conditioned homes and everyone has internal blinds, there is no reason to ever close a shutter.
A "cheap" real shutter starts at around $300 per window. For larger windows like most modern American homes have it's probably $500+
My house has 26 windows, that would be $13,000 for shutters. The average granite countertop installation is around $3,000 and most Americals DON'T have granite counters, they have fake look-alike counters.
You are partly right, in a sense. People who can afford real shutters will undoubtedly have expensive countertops.
@@bananaborz1 Oh, and the shutters she showcased in this video probably couldn't be bought for under $1000 per window
I can't stand fake shutters! And we have them EVERYwhere here in the USA.
Same! The shutters here are just decorative here
Unfortunately, a lot of items built in the US houses are fake. The houses are too expensive what you get for the money.
Why do u need real shutters for? Nobody would use them here in the US
Window frames in us are not built for shutters. The old houses that have them usually remove them due to remodeling or because some progressives called them racist
Fake shutters are one of the useless things you will ever see.
Thanks for the video. I'm a painter and I scratch my head every time I have to remove shutters to paint. Half the time they break (wood and plastic) and invariably always look junky. I'm with you. Spend a bit more and do it right.
Spending $500 for a pair of shutters is ridiculous. if you want breeze open the window.
You must realize we have real shutters in the U.S. They just aren’t as cheap as merely decorative plastic pseudo shutters.
Been searching for days about how exterior shutters work. Great video, its the only video ive found with an actual explanation!
Duh, they are faux shutters used for aesthetics only. Not rocket science
Exactly hahaha
We don’t need shutters. We have central heating and cooling. Same reason we really don’t have screen doors anymore. Decorative shutters are fine, just like fake eyelashes.
Actually you couldn't be anymore wrong. Because of Americans love for overindulgence of stuff just because you have something else to offset what's the initial purpose was doesn't mean it's right or a good thing. Impact windows with e coatings cost 2k+ plus per each window. Functioning shutters will still protect your expensive windows from the elements. If you lived in South FL or Phoenix, you'd know this. Most are too lazy to wake up and use shutters properly.....
@@krazykozey2259 decorative shutters are fine where I live
just like fake eyelashes.""
You just won the debate! 🙂
@@nevillenewman2785, 😂
Fake shutters get on my nerves too. Get some real shutters!
Or just remove them completely.
@@tylere.8436, Exactly.
I didn't even know fake shutters were a thing. I am currently looking for information to build shutters for my home in Portugal and was watching a video of someone making wood shutters (the same model I want), but then suddenly he started screwing them to the wall... and I was totally confused. Why?! Why?!... What are they for?
Then this video was suggested :P
it's a classic thing in design, replication for a certain look without the knowledge of why, this can be seen in all facets of design work from clothing to buildings
It's an American thing to replicate a classic look, even if pointless and tacky. If I am going to have shutters, I want ones that function! Personally, houses look better without the fake vinyl shutter pieces.
What really makes me repulsed are fake thin shutters on wide windows, like why? :P
Pointless and tacky, yes. But so common in the United States that people will fight you if you try to get rid of them. I am so glad I found this video to commiserate. I live in a housing development that is an architecture tragedy, and the shutters (which you are not allowed to remove or change) are a but one reason for it.
100% agree Kim, but the problem is also created by how horrible our newer vinyl windows look. If we had nicer casements and actual window panes instead of the dumb white metal bars inserted in newer windows, we wouldn't need to visually frame them with fake shutters. I actually like Plantation shutters inside to give a finished look and lesser maintenance. It is the casements of the windows we need to change and have more visual appeal.
As everything else here in America it all comes down to cost. Vinyl decorative shutters are probably $50 pair vs $500+ for these custom functional shutters. I personally would do at least real wood deocarative shutters instead of vinyl.
I agree. Whoever thinks that the decorative part of it covers up for the lack of functionality is kidding themselves. Do it right and make them useful.
People tend to forget, beauty is not only in the aesthetics, but also in the functionality.
Agreed 100%. Even the chaps at the window department at Home Depot and Lowe's would have difficulty answering questions about shutters. I find it funny how some people think it increases home value. Nope, it does not. I makes the house look cheap.
2:50 it's not called a “mounting block”. The correct hardware to keep a shutter open is called a “shutter dog”
Hi!!! I'm from America too, I'm from Perú... :D
Claro, but your country is not called "Peru of America". The initials USA stands for United States of America. In other words, the name of our shared continent is actually part of the formal name of the country. Salud, amigo.
@@maninthemiddle55 eso!
Never saw veranda/traditional hybrids before! Looks pretty interesting and functional. Probably have to DIY it, or take out a mortgage. Plus American windows frames aren’t made with this in mind so fit is a problem.
Not only in Italy,all over the world EXCEPT in the USA
I have always wondered why they don't put real shutters on houses in America. I would think they would help in some instances, like storms.
For a little added perspect:ive, from "an ugly American". Functional shutters have two main jobs:
1) protect the window from damage which mainly means hurricanes as tornadoes and hail storms don't generally give much warning. (although, they would definitely help protect windows from hail or tornado-blown debris)
2) protect the interior of the house from the sun
There's also a (3) - break up large expanses of uninteresting wall.
And a (4) - make your house look like buyers in the area expect, rightly or wrongly
I am currently going through this project, DIY-style, with my wife. We both really want fully functional shutters on our house. They are simple to build, hardware is easily available locally or on the 'net, and the hinges allow you to clean behind the shutters ( to remove wasps, small birds, and lots and lots and lots of leaves).
BUT ... we are far from hurricane country, we already have deep 6-foot porches and many mature trees so excessive sunlight isn't a problem, and when the next hail storm hits I WANT it to take out my old windows 🙂
The (functional) hardware adds $100-$150 per window (2-3 pairs of hinges with pintle hinges, plus shutter dogs). With 10-14 windows to do (depends on if we do the back), this is a significant extra expense to consider, as I can make fixed shutters for the whole house for less than the hardware for 2-3 windows.
Because I always like to have options and configurability in my projects, if possible, we will probably size and build the shutters so that they easily be hinged later if we desire, but mount them fixed for now. Will we get some of those corny cheap aluminum fake hinge straps (the kind people put on their garage doors to make them look like old carriage-house style) and "fake it" in the interim? I don't know. We're about 120 feet off the street, so it's hard for passers-by to see the small details, so ... maybe. In the meantime, the large expanses of uninteresting whitewashed brick will be broken up by something a little more "warm looking".
My wife wants it, I don't want to pay an arm and leg for something that we don't really need, but we can do it this way as a compromise, save some money, and the house will still look better (fake shutters notwithstanding). It's kind of a slam dunk decision from where i sit.
I can spot hinges at 120 feet. Believe me, people can, and do, and it is not hard at all.
YESSSSS! Thank you for explaining the proper size.
Exterior Shutters. I Did not know the name of them. First time home buyer here.
“You know what grinds my gears?”
Omg same fake shutters piss me off
Thank you for this video. I'm not american, so when I walk around my neighborhood here in usa, I'm just confused on why people think fake shutters look nice. I see them everywhere. It looks very weird on brick houses
recently we are building an Italian style house in China but seriously we are in trouble with the window shutters I really wanna keep real functional shutters but there is no where i can find hinges so I guess I may have to install fake and decorative only shutters .
Amazon?
I wish they actually functioned. They look nice, but it would make more sense if they actually performed a function.
I'm so glad shutters are finally starting to go out of style where I live. If they're going to be fake, it's better to not have them at all!
Shutters aren't necessary, it's mostly just for look
@@latinace1981 Which is stupid, beauty is more than mere aesthetic, the function is also what makes something beautiful. Real functioning shutters are really elegant, especially with the hinges and lock.
These in the States are used for decoration purposes only! In Europe, in the historic areas, most places do not have central AC, therefore you need to have Windows that can open.
You know she did this video in an hour and wrote off the trip on her taxes.
They're just faux/decorative in America. For most homes in America the windows are many on a wall or large ( many times almost the total width of a wall)and there's no way to have these functional shutters. The actual shutter has to be very wide to cover the windows, but can't open and fold against the side of the home due it being so such a wide shutter.
I'm in love with the fake shutters. It's for decoration only. There's nothing wrong with it.
Everything is wrong with it.
The average Joe can’t tell the difference. So what looks nice.
Exactly!!
Beauty is not only aesthetic, but functional. Fake shutters are ugly because they don't do anything but is another cost to worry about.
I wish the company was somewhere in this video.
Are you going to clean those shutters? Decorative is functional too, as it is doing what it's suppose to do and that is decorate.
They look like shit though, fake and gaudy
To each his own! Shutters are not for functionality in America unlike other places in the world where they need that functionality for that ventilation and shade. Americans use it as a fashion piece. Our homes are unlike homes in let’s say Italy. Italy has true antique homes therefore having true antique window shutters. In America we don’t have homes 200+ years old therefore we don’t have those windows that old so definitely don’t need shutters like those. I do admit the real antique ones in Italy are beautiful! However we don’t need that in the south in America. We have central air bc we need it here.
Melissa Michaels well it’s ugly
@@audrey9640 then don't put them on your house ; )
MsFeiji I don’t :D
I like real shutters that work, not the fake ones for looks.
MsFeiji 👍🏻
@@audrey9640 fake shutters actually make the house look better. Real shutters are useless
Got them on my house and it makes it look better, idrc, I’ve got ac and I live in Louisiana, winter or cool days don’t really exists here, shutters are shutters, real/fake it’s still a shutter regardless
These are truly beautiful.
thank you for nice video. it's exactly I was looking for.
ITs actually BIGGER Than the Window.
Very nice video. Curious to know if I can purchase this in the USA ? Thank you.
You would be loving our hurricane shutters just as much as we are loving your shutters! Awesome video! Thank you so much. I'm wondering who the manufacturer of these shutters are and if they available in aluminum. They're like a hybrid of colonial hinged shutters and Bahama shutters. Super duper awesome! :)
Does anyone know what song is at 3:15?
Solar Panel Innovation Idea - Shutter shape solar panels fitted on external shutters. Can this work, double sided solar panels? // Per
Good idea but would charge half the day.
@@tiffersen , if a solar panel installation doesn't have trackers then the "half-day" charge (no pun intended) is true for most of them. But your concern is legitimate, as only the windows on the equator -facing side of the house will get much sun and then mostly in the winter. Still, I think it's a reasonable idea to try.
you can buy this or build your own out of lumber for way cheaper than this and the fake shutters.
Which America? We have North, Central and South America.
How do I get shutters like these, Kim Lewis?
audrey.9640
They're not necessary because we have air conditioning over here in the U.S. so, no one builds them like this. Having said that, many old grand southern homes have them.
But, if you really want some, you build them yourself or pay a local carpenter a boatload to make functional ones like in the video. But, if he doesn't do it on a regular basis, you better be standing over him with examples like in this video to make sure you get what you want.
When our "fake wood shutters" started to rot and had to be replaced about 10 years ago, they were going to be $200+ each x 6! I made my own board and batten shutters for $120 in wood, glue and screws. Saved $1,100+. I preferred the wood ones to replacing with the cheap plastic ones.
You showed a large window, but not how to shutter the WIDE spance ones, i have double windows with no way to do THAT in the center of the windows, WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THAT EACH WINDIW IS 30" WIDE...so the application is a bit disfunctional for SOME windows...clue???
I plan to build my own, so this was helpful to SOME degree but only for single windows...You also didnt show the hardware needed to have them BE as those are...ranch home, double windows, one bay window that CANT gave anything BUT decorative...need WAY MORE INFO if ur gonna say the American homes need to have the real deal...
If it is not your house.....I dont see that it is any of your concern
I only want to say there are many decorative items in the world, you wanna get rid of them all?
Great points honey but a lot of people can't afford thos nice shutters.
100 years ago this would be functional
Should I just throw away my window screens and put on some real shutters? 😂😂😂
Yes, I want to become Green Certified!
We don't live in Europe! We live in 'Murica, and over here, we're darn proud of bein' fake!
I just watched Today's Homeowner install stupid fake tiny shutters permanently affixed to a brick house. It was so bad.
Omg I know it makes me shudder...💁
How dare the American people decorating their homes NOT to your liking. Your blouse dont match your skirt, How dare you!😂
Does your dish washer wash your dishes? Or is it just for decoration? Does your dryer dry your clothes? Or is it just for decoration? The grinder at any coffee shop can grind coffee beans. I have not seen anyone place one for decoration. That being said, if it is your money, you get to spend it the way you want.
@pmaitrasm I have been to restaurants where they have hub caps glued to the ceiling and I have been to coffee shops that have an old coffee grinders on display. I have been to airports that have old airplanes inside the terminal on display. I have been to people's homes and businesses that have Taxidermied animals on display on the wall. Everything I described did not have a function but was on display. Sometimes people want things on display that have no functionality.
@@johnnytrampolini, Those old airplanes and grinders are functional. They actually fly or grind beans, or used to, and are now preserved as vintage exhibits. The fake pieces of plastic people nail on their walls are neither vintage, nor have they ever been functional.
@@pmaitrasm Fake pieces of plastic, 😆
Aww, she’s so cute.
Where do I get these?
Shutters in America are the equivalent of house earrings
THANK YOU
who in the heck uses shutters
where can I buy authentic affordable shutters?
You can't. Anything remotely close to what she showed in the video will cost you a fortune. Even if you built them yourself they wouldn't be cheap.
I have 7 windows that need shutters. $3500 ? Sheesh
Thank you.
Comparing real shutters to fake decorative ones with no functionality.. right
If you see shutters that are too small, they're there for decoration. Not everything you do for your home is always meant to be functional. Sometimes, it just looks nice to have some type of decoration framing the windows. People who are really upset by some decorations need some counseling.
somebody said it!!!
Not everyone has a budget to allow fully functional shutters.
Nobody would use functioning shutters anyways
@@latinace1981 I mean, could be nice to have at least one in a kitchen window or in the living room, to save money on AC and provide blinds without needing curtains.
converted, thanks!
No shit Sherlock a shutter had a function woooow who would have thought
The windows are super tiny there. No way I'd have room for "functional" shutters on my house. They would be massive.
Plus in Italy we have external electric shutters for big windows… this video is so dumb
That high pitched voice is annoying. Also quite vexing is her annoying use of "you all".
In English there is no plural for "you". Get used to it!
Not "you all" not "youns" not "younses" not "you guys"...
An option in the case of her explanation: "one"
Is it just me or is she part alien 👽
In AMERICA, Most SHUTTERS are Decorative Y'ALL. EXPLAIN what those SHUTTERS COST Y'ALL.
Get off your high horse
What she also fails to mention is that the area she is visiting is labeled as a historic area where by Government enforces through building codes that people must have these shutters on their houses and businesses in that area, and that it is likely subsidized through debt to ensure a certain look for the visiting tourists. Secondly she also fails to mention is that 90%+ of Italians can not afford this and do not have this on their home. As other comments here have alluded towards is that shutters nowadays due to HVAC merely serve as an aesthetic addition to a home, which is what many old European homes do not have. Yes, she has a point, shutters not covering the entire window height, or very small compared to the window size make it look ugly as hell.
Ya'll
In America we don’t have small windows ! Come to my place and show me how u can place shutters on my huge windows. God bless America ! Next time make a video on how beautiful shutters are if your house can accommodate.
For me living in America and one of the poorest states I can’t afford go out and buy expensive shutters so I make my own shutters and for decor not function!!!!!
I like both kinds of shutters however I think it’s up to the individual who BOUGHT THEIR HOME whether they want it for decor or function n regardless how I feel I’m not going to say I can’t stand to see shutters used the wrong way!!!! Ugh I hate when ppl do that to ppl
This woman is so full of herself.
Right? And she has the voice of a kindergartner!
Us Italians probably find you strange …
American exceptionalism we have A/C and heaters!
Fake shutters are only meant to decorate and enhance windows with color. So, Kim, are you going to demonstrate how to install real shutters, or just walk around knocking American homes?
Waste of money.
Hilarious she cares about shutters when all those houses in Italy are slums. Much better construction in the US.
I will switch them not functional shutters on house I'm closing soon. Thank you.
I NEVER knew someone could be so neurotic about shutters....
amazing