Should You Buy New Windows or Plantation Shutters to Prepare Your Home for Winter in Boston?

With colder weather on the horizon in Boston, many homeowners are already planning their home winterizing projects. Other than putting those hefty storm windows back in or tacking on flimsy plastic film to your windows, some of the best solutions to better insulate your home are to install brand-new windows, or to get insulating plantation shutters.

But which one is right for your home, getting new windows or installing more effective window treatments – particularly when you want to winterize? Let’s take a look.

The Price of New Windows vs. Putting in Shutters

Before talking to a window installer in Boston, a lot of homeowners lowball how much it costs to replace windows and glass doors. For a normal Massachusetts house, getting new glass (around 2 doors and 8 windows), could cost more than $30,000 to start. That’s just about the down payment for a brand-new home! Obviously, new windows will add to the resell value of your home, but it’s still a steep price tag.

Conversely, putting in indoor shutters on windows and glass doors will cost a lot less – usually around a quarter of the price you’d pay to put in new windows. And if you’re concerned about increasing your home value, permanent indoor shutters are more pronounced than semi-new windows when you’re ready to sell and show it off.

Are New Windows or Indoor Shutters Better At Insulating?

Your windows should offer effective temperature control, particularly when the weather turns nasty. But how do even the thickest windows compare with window treatments made to be effective insulators? Even if you pay extra for three-pane windows, the highest r-value new windows can offer is between 2.0 and 3.0. While decent, those numbers have nothing on the insulating features of Polywood® plantation shutters, which independent studies have concluded to reach an r-value of nearly 6.0 in a standard glass window.

Lead Time & Installation of New Windows vs. Plantation Shutters

Remember that there isn’t a whole lot of time to plan your winterizing projects before it starts to get cold in Boston. The lead time for replacing multiple windows and glass doors may even be in the neighborhood of 10 weeks. By that point, you may as well go the season with your furnace on at all times and live with the cost. Shutters, on the other hand, can be installed much sooner, with a lead time that almost never goes over 4 weeks, and can be even less.

The lead time for installing brand-new doors or windows could be extended by even a few more weeks if you have to get approval by your homeowners’ association. If your new windows require the contractors to do any work to your ceiling or certain walls, the job could also require approval from your county or city.

Speaking of the installation, removing windows and installing new ones can cause a huge mess. If framework needs to be redone, expect layers of dust and debris in those rooms. A shutter install job on the other hand is a precise, clean job, and will be done in less than half the time.

New Window Warranties vs. Shutter Warranties

Almost every reputable and insured window installer will offer a warranty, typically around 10-20 years. At first glance it looks good, but when you consider what that warranty covers and doesn’t cover, a decade or two is actually pretty short. Conversely, Polywood plantation shutters are backed by a Lifetime Warranty, guaranteeing the material, install, and finish of the product.

In summary, the differences between winterizing your home with replacement windows or with interior shutters are fairly stark:

If you’re ready to make the call on how you want to get your home ready for winter, call Sunburst Shutters Boston today at 781-352-2205 and we’ll set you up with a free in-home window design consultation.