WHEN OR WHEN NOT TO SHUT YOUR SHUTTERS

[vervialle]

I have just returned from France and I have never been in January before despite having a house for fifteen years, so I was interested to see in our little hamlet the movement of the shutters, it has always been a subject that has intrigued me as I cannot seem to establish a rule of thumb.In the summer I spend three months there and they have there shutters closed permantly unless it rains.At Easter it depends if it is sunny or not, so I thought in January they would be open but oh no all were closed and I am intrigued as ,I can understand them being shut in the summer to keep out the heat , protect the paintwork from the sun, but do they really enjoy spending the short winter days in darkness or with a light on all day.Most of the village do not pay for there wood so it cannot be to conserve heat.Is it burglar protection, they must think I am crazy as I cannot stand the short winter days with the shutters shut.My house is in the limousin by the way,is there a reason as it is a subject that really fascinates me.

[Teamedup]

Most of my bedroom ones remain closed most of the year. Winter or summer I will open the windows to air the room but that is it. When the kids used their rooms to play in or as they grew older would stay in their rooms to listen to music then they would be opened, but not if they were not going to be in the room.

I don't stay in my bedroom apart from being in bed so don't need daylight usually.

 

Our living room and kitchen shutters are open during daylight hours in winter. As soon as we start using daylight then I shut them.

[zeb]

I wondered this about the houses in our village until I realised that most folks live in the back of their village house - kitchen living room etc are at the back overlooking the garden. Shutters are open during the day of the rooms folks live in and the street side remain closed - maybe because people don't want to be cleaning their windows too often.

We are in a hamlet and our front ones facing the road (and south) are shut at night, and also pulled to in bright sunshine to keep the house cool. We didn't want them closed all the time when we are away as it show wouldbe burglars that the house is empty so our neighbours open and shut them when they feed the cats!

[Suze01]

If it's cold, shut them to keep out the cold.

If it's hot , shut them to keep out the hot air (and flies).

If it's hot, open them at night along with the windows (as long as you've got mosquito nets!) to cool the house, but make sure to shut them again before it starts getting too hot again in the morning.

If you're leaving the house, shut them for insurance purposes.

If none of the above apply do what you will!

[Richard-R]

In the summer we open the ones in the shade and have all the others ajar. In the winter we open the ones in the sun during the day and have all the others closed.

Some people never seem to open there shutters at all. They must enjoy living in the gloom or have 100w light bulbs all over the house.

[Viv]

Its quite strange that my husband always closes the shutters when he see that the old chap near by has closed his and we notice now that the people further back from us then close theirs. Whether this shutter 'semaphore' is just peculiar to us or travels around the commune, I haven't yet worked out!

We have kept some of the back shutters closed all day upstairs, just to help keep a bit of heat in on  colder days

[PeterG]

We too are baffled by this shutter etiquette. We take our lead from the the lady across the road. When she shuts hers in the evening we shut ours. Don't you think every village should have a head person of shuttering so we could all folow them.This would solve this problem once and for all.!!!!!!

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Upstairs we open the shutters when daylight arrives and close them when

it goes. Downstairs we only close them in extremes of temperature or if

we are out (we're double glazed and have curtains, somewhat unusually

for this locale, I'll grant). I cannot live in a cave. Plenty of our

neighbours do though, and only seem to open up March - May and

September (mid) to November (mid). One old boy did point out that when

one spends most of the day outside in all whethers as many country

people do, the idea of windows seems rather spurious. I can't see it

myself.

[Deimos]

[quote user="Suze"]

If you're leaving the house, shut them

for insurance purposes.

[/quote]

 

I have these clever board things that go over the glass

sections of the front doors (the things that are hooked on the outside of the

door and cannot be lifted off when the door is closed – simple and

clever).  First year I was here, when

returning to the UK for Christmas I was unsure about fitting them.  I live remote from other houses (at least

half a Km from the nearest house) and figured that they would be more of an advertisement

that I was away for some time than much else (as there were doors and windows

round the back without these boards).  I

checked with my insurance agent and they said that they had no requirement for

me to use them.

I guess it’s a difficult balance between telling the world

you are away for some time and making access harder – that in part probably

depends on exactly where you live. 

Also, I guess shutters make less of an “I’m away for some time”

statement as they are closed when people are in a bit more..

Ian

[Gastines]

I'm glad that Deimos put in her reply that the insurance co. said there was no obligation to close shutters etc. The folk law used to be, No shutters= no valid insurance. When our insurance agent, from Groupama, checked our house for public liability for our B&B, we made a point of asking about shutters. "Not necessary or obligatory, but for a claim there must be a forced entry".

Regards.By. St.Malo.

[Teamedup]

I agree Gastine one should always ask an insurer about shutters. There are companies who would insist that one has them and that they are used if you are going to be absent for more than a certain amount of time.

 

[Lizzie15]

I used to be puzzled about this.Years ago on this site it seemed to be accepted that you must have shutters and they must be used.We asked our builders-they thought we were bonkers!!We then asked the insurance company and they just laughed!!! Maybe it was a regional thing??

[Opalienne]

We close ours when it gets dark, and half-way (they are 'persiennes' which roll down) during the day when it is very hot - which is rare in N France.   We do have curtains but never use them except for extra warmth during the winter.   When we are away a neighbour comes and raises and lowers them per usual.  I think it's up to you - certainly our insurance company has never said that we needed to have/close them.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Lizzie15"]I used to be puzzled about this.Years ago on

this site it seemed to be accepted that you must have shutters and they

must be used.We asked our builders-they thought we were bonkers!!We

then asked the insurance company and they just laughed!!! Maybe it was

a regional thing??[/quote]

It probably got stated as fact once and just got accepted, and perhaps

it was once the case. I certainly thought that their use was a

requirement until about a year ago and then the nice lady from AXA told

me en passant that they would be happy to insure us shutters or

not. As someone said, evidence of forced entry is what is seemingly the

most important thing as far as the insurer is concerned. That said,

shutters are pretty bloody good at keeping the casual miscreant out,

not to mention the daft blighter who loses his key...

[Suze01]

Re the insurance thing, it's best to check your individual policy.  When we were having a solid wooden door replaced last year with French windows our insurers stipulated that we had to have either shutters (to be closed when house is unnoccupied), a fixed grille or security glass to a certain standard (ie that cannot be smashed through).  My advice would be to check the small print, insurers can vary enormously.

I wonder how many of us have actually looked through the small print of our policies to see what is and isn't covered.

[Racerbear02]

Our insurance agent for Generali told us that shutters are obligatory

if we are away from the house for over 24 hours  and must be

fitted to any window less than 4 metres from the ground.

We have one window which we use for passing building materials etc. in

and out of into a neighbouring courtyard, I asked if I could use a pair

of padlocked steel garden gates, which were in the barn and would fit

the opening perfectly, I was told no, I had to have Volets or steel

bars which were fixed to the wall.  However if I bought a set of

40 Euro platsic shutters from the local Brico Depot, these would be

acceptable !!! 

I have done this and now comply with the insurance requirements, but any malnourished 5 year old child could break through them.

As most shutters coul be cut through in a matter of seconds by

available hand held tools, perhaps the agencies will change their

requirement, or perhaps not