Use of security shutters is very common for both residential and industrial purposes. Apart from ensuring security, they also help in improving the internal condition of a house or business place. They are most commonly made of aluminium or steel. Let us take a look at the types and benefits in addition to a general guideline for purchasing.

Types

Basically there are 2 types of shutters: roller and horizontally retractable security grilles (more commonly known as collapsible gates). Their selection relies on the installer’s purpose.

Roller: Although rollers are not made just to provide residential security, it has become quite a tradition using them especially in houses. This is mainly because they come in a range of different colours and patterns. Since most of these are not “see-through” like the retractable grilles, they are easy to manipulate to match the whole theme of a house.

Horizontally Retractable Grilles: As mentioned earlier, collapsible gates are much popular for industrial purposes. Since there is space between each two bars, they provide excellent view of the inside while ensuring awesome security. This is why they are mostly used in various entries (like in an entry to a pawn shop). However, there is no rule against using them for residential purposes.

Most security shutters nowadays are galvanised to protect against corrosion. They also come in either manual or remote control system.

Benefits

Now, let us look at the most obvious and not-so-obvious benefits of installing these.

1. The most obvious benefit is the security they provide. They are very closely fitted to windows and gates. They cannot be pried or pulled open. What is more, they usually come in “multiple locking mechanism” that can only be opened with a single controller. But before all that, they are excellent visual deterrents as well since they create the “unbreakable” sensation in an intruder.

2. This is a special benefit of rollers. They are highly insulated which means they prevent the transmission of heat. In fact, they can reduce the amount of escaped heat by up to 90% thus significantly reducing energy usage and expenditure. They also reduce the amount of sound transmission by up to 50%. This means the inside would not be only more comfortable but also much quieter.

3. Such a security shutter also gives you quite a control over the amount of light and air that could pass through doors and windows. They can be opened or closed completely or partially so you can decide which sections get light and air and which do not.

4. Protecting doors and windows against forces that you cannot control is another great benefit. For instance, during a storm the externally installed shutters can be closed and thus protect your windows and doors from broken branches and debris.

What to Consider

1. First thing to consider is what you actually need. For instance, if you go for a roller for their insulating properties though collapsible gates would do more than good, you are making a bad decision. Choosing the right option can drastically affect the amount you have to spend.

2. The “place” they are going to be installed in also determines their type. For instance, if they are going to be used in garage doors where the garage is attached to the house, they need to be insulated rollers. If the garage is not attached to the house, regular collapsible gates would do fine.

Other than these, energy consumption, colour, pattern and similar things should also be considered when selecting security shutters.