Shutters - Open or Closed??

[Fiona]

Whilst renting a villa for many years, the "House Instructions" always advised us to "close all shutters when leaving the property - even if only going out for 30 mins or so to the shops".    We now have our own property and wonder - should you always close the shutters???  I know there must be opportunists just like here in Britain but I am getting paranoid about the "leave open" - they will think you are in or "must close" - telling them you are definately out!!!! 

[Quillan]

I guess it depends where you live, just like in the UK. Where I live the kids put grafitti on the local bus stop 2 years ago now and people still talk about it. We never lock doors or windows unless going out for the day. I have never locked my car. Now go to Toulouse and it's a totally different ball game.

The thing we use shutters for it temperature control and privacy. During the summer we close the shutters facing the sun and open the ones facing away as th sun moves round the house. We have found it can lower the house temp by about 10 deg C. The first year we just opened every shutter, door and window, we also lost a lot of weight jusr sweating. We learn't this from watching the people next door. We don't have thick curtains like in the UK so we close the sutters at night which is what the French do round here as well.

So to cut the story short watch your neighbours.

[Teamedup]

What does your insurance contract say?

I would leave shutters open if I was out during the day. I always shut mine at night and always shut and lock them when going away.

 

There are thieves about, so I prefer to be prudent. And anyway how would they know if you were in or not during the day if you shut them. There are lots of reasons why someone could be in and have them shut.

[Tresco]

Fiona, you're going to have to look at your insurance policy. 

You don't say whether it's a second home or whether you're resident, and I believe that would make a difference.

We close ours if we are going away overnight, but not out for the afternoon. Of course there are opportunists here too, but they are more likely to enter an unlocked door or window.

I never leave the car unlocked, or the house when I go out, as my insurance would be invalid without signs of forced entry.

EDIT: I see I've said pretty much the same as TU. Sorry about that but it took me so long to get the post message screen to load...

[Teamedup]

Quillan I don't know how you dare not lock your car, or your home for that matter. We simply could not afford to have our car or things from our house stolen or damaged and the insurance company telling us that our insurance wouldn't work.

 

Yes, in mid summer none of my shutters get opened at all. Just the windows in various part of the house to let a draft through.

[duckalaronze]

We, too, leave our car unlocked, our cave and barn open etc when we go out (only lock the house), maybe we're a bit blase but we're as bad as the neighbours when it comes to scrutinising unknown vehicles in the area. Have you noticed the way locals stop and stare when you're passing? That's the resident burglar alarm!

We've heard of the odd trailer being 'nicked' but generally this is an extremely low crime rate area. Even the house next door to the gendarmerie has chickens running around loose in spite of the restrictions! Our house faces east so the shutters never get closed at all.

Some friends of ours leave their house unlocked (or at least the window open for the cat) when they go out. No doubt some opportunist will chance their luck one day, but in the meantime, it's a much nicer way to live!

When I first came here (two years ago) I was a bit paranoid about strangers, as you would in the UK, but now I feel so much safer here.

[Patmobile]

Our insurance policy requires us to close all shutters less than 1.5 metres above the ground if we leave the house unattended.  This is presumably intended to let opportunist thieves know that the coast is clear!.

We only do this if we are away overnight so as to comply with the policy.  Otherwise our shutters are closed only in very sunny weather or sometimes in very cold weather.

Patrick

[windowman]

Just a thought, but if you keep your shutters closed all the time; you must spend your life indoors in darkness?

[Tresco]

TU may have a house that's facing the sun for much of the day, in which case I'd do what she does too.

I'd been to many houses in summer where you entered and felt as though you had lost your sight, albeit briefly.  I always thought it was odd, but I fully understand why it's done now.

The point is that the shutters block the intense heat from the house. Mine get opened only in the late afternoon, when the heat is dying down and the sun has passed round the back of the house.

 Just having them open a tiny chink is enough to let all the light in that's needed, as I spend most of the summer outside, and only come in to cool down. In the winter the shutters are open in the day, and closed as soon as it gets dark.

Throwing all the shutters open on summer mornings is something that probably only really happens in films[:)]

Edit: The asterixed word is chin k

[Dick Smith]

Just thinking out loud, here, because Julie reads the forum and we have argued about this in the past...

We have double glazing, but the house still gets very cold on winter evenings. I have suggested closing the shutters, but she wants them open all the time for the light (even at night???). Will I get a warmth benefit if I close them? Or will I just get a kicking, as usual?

[LesLauriers]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Just thinking out loud, here, because Julie reads the forum and we have argued about this in the past...

We have double glazing, but the house still gets very cold on winter evenings. I have suggested closing the shutters, but she wants them open all the time for the light (even at night???). Will I get a warmth benefit if I close them? Or will I just get a kicking, as usual?

[/quote]

You may still get a kicking but at least you will be warm!

[Tresco]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Just thinking out loud, here, because Julie reads the forum and we have argued about this in the past...
We have double glazing, but the house still gets very cold on winter evenings. I have suggested closing the shutters, but she wants them open all the time for the light (even at night???). Will I get a warmth benefit if I close them? Or will I just get a kicking, as usual?
[/quote]

Dick, ask J why she thinks people in Norway and Sweden mock double glazing? Of course there is a benefit to shutting the shutters, especially in the dark!

That said, you probably deserve the odd kick, so, as you were, Julie[:-))]

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="Tresco"]

Throwing all the shutters open on summer mornings is something that probably only really happens in films[:)]

[/quote]

Actually, Tresco, I do that, but only for a couple of hours to let in the morning cool, then as soon as the sun starts really hitting the windows, I close the shutters again. I also find that keeping the windows closed keeps it cooler than leaving the windows open behind the shutters.

PG

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="Tresco"]

Dick, ask J why she thinks people in Norway and Sweden mock double glazing? Of course there is a benefit to shutting the shutters, especially in the dark!

[/quote]

Tresco, I didn't know there was a controversy about double glazing!  We're getting ready to start replacing windows (how many get done will depend on the all important devis!), and were definitely planning on getting double glazing.  Is there a reason NOT to?  Other than the cost, of course.

PG

[Lollie]

I too never  lock my car at night and often leave the car window open in summer,   but there again it is a FIAT!!!!!  But we do always lock 'the family car'.

[Dick Smith]

PG - the main reason for not double glazing is aesthetic, I think. You may have problems getting permission (someone can fill in the details, I am a bit hazy) if you are near a church etc. From our point of view not being full-time resident the state of the window frames deteriorated quite rapidly, so we replaced them with double glazed which at least open properly! We didn't spend a huge amount on them, as we keep reminding ourselves it is a holiday home!

[suein56]

[quote user="PossumGirl"][quote user="Tresco"]

Dick, ask J why she thinks people in Norway and Sweden mock double glazing? Of course there is a benefit to shutting the shutters, especially in the dark!

[/quote]

Tresco, I didn't know there was a controversy about double glazing!  We're getting ready to start replacing windows (how many get done will depend on the all important devis!), and were definitely planning on getting double glazing.  Is there a reason NOT to?  Other than the cost, of course.

PG
[/quote]

I thought the reason the Norwegians and Swedes mocked double-glazing was because they all have/prefer triple-glazing - as it is warmer!

Sue

[PossumGirl]

Dick, we are in a protected village, so we will have to probably fork out for the kind of windows that look old even if they're new. There are several carpenters in the village who are familiar with all the necessities. At this point, I'd be happy for windows that I can open and close without struggling or risking putting my hand through the glass (something DH did last year)!

PG

[Dick Smith]

Yes - Julie almost did the same thing this year, so the decision was an easy one. Fortunately we are nowhere near protected. Quote from local farmer when asked where a picturesque old barn had gone "Tempête". Shrug. Nothing to do with the huge tractor standing among the rubble, then?

[Tresco]

Sue, yes, that's what I meant. They all have triple glazing ooop North, PG.

I open the windows at night, and shut them in the morning. Otherwise we fry.

Is Dick bruised this morning?[;-)]

[Dick Smith]

No. J spent yesterday evening in her workshop, so didn't look at the forum. Phew.

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="Tresco"]

Sue, yes, that's what I meant. They all have triple glazing ooop North, PG.

I open the windows at night, and shut them in the morning. Otherwise we fry.

Is Dick bruised this morning?[;-)]

[/quote]

Honest, I didn't even know there WAS triple glazing!  I guess we learn something new everyday!

One of the things I've noticed since living in a house with shutters (a concept virtually unknown in Los Angeles), is that I can no longer sleep if they are open.  Darkness.  Who knew there was such a thing?  In our old house, I could wander around in the middle of the night without putting on even a nightlight, as the ambient outside light came in through curtains and shades alike.  In 28 years living there, the ONLY time I ever saw "dark" was the night of the Northridge earthquake, when all power in the city of L.A. went out.  I didn't even know we had stars there!

We keep the shutters closed but the windows open, but that doesn't allow a lot of air in, I'm afraid.  We bought insulated curtains for our bedroom, so I'm going to see if just using those but leaving the shutters open will both block enough light and let enough air pass through...

PG

[Bassman]

Our place came with double glazing and no shutters, not the prettiest windows but they work and are low maintainance [;-)] Still trying to figure out whether shutters are possible or needed [8-)]

 

We don't even close the bedroom curtains at night as the house is not overlooked by either of the other two in the hamlet and it's so pitch black at night you can't even see a hand in front of your face[:)]