If you want to give a superb look to the outside of your house and protect the windows from harsh weather conditions, the answer to both these questions is, full height plantation shutters. They are of two t types of plantation shutters, interior and exterior.

Exterior window shutters, especially the wooden ones are being used since a long time. Most American homes of the 1920s had genuine exterior wood shutters. The practice of installing exterior wood window shutters was also common in England and Europe. Exterior wood plantation shutters are highly long-lasting, offer excellent protection against extreme weather conditions, and most importantly, they are highly customizable. Exterior wood shutters excel PVC or vinyl shutters in quality. Generally, they are available in home improvement stores.
 
Exterior Wood Shutter Designs

Panels: These exterior wood shutters outline their origin to the European style of architecture. They suit ornate houses in San Francisco and the home apartments in Pittsburgh. You can choose from raised, recessed or flat panels. Panel exterior wood shutters are mostly built from long-lasting types of wood. Their installation involves mortising, gluing and stapling them.

Louvers: Louvered exterior wood shutters have slats laid across shutter frames, with small gaps between the slats. They provide good airing and also offer protection against winds and snow. They are constructed in long-lasting varieties of wood, mostly mahogany or cedar. Louvered wood shutters give a stunning look to large houses having many windows.

Board and Batten: These exterior window shutters are made of thick wooden slabs, mostly using cedar or mahogany. You can choose between open or closed board and batten wood shutters with the width and spacing that suits your needs. When closed, these wood shutters give shade and protect the home interiors from heat and humidity. If equipped with hurricane paneling, these window shutters can act as hurricane shutters. Usually used on barns, board and batten wood shutters are a good option for just any kind of house.

Bahama: They are also referred to as Bermuda shutters and help screen daylight and shield the house from storms and heavy rains. Bahama shutters are hanging from the home using exterior hinges, such that they swing up and away from the structure, and open and close with the help of a support arm. Generally, one Bahama shutter is enough to cover an entire window. As these wooden window shutters project outward, they balance the look of tall slender buildings. These exterior wood shutters are popular among those residing in regions prone to storms and hurricanes.