Window Shutter Options
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Check out some Optional Mounting and Shortcuts for Vinyl Shutters
By now you should thoroughly understand the correct and ideal way to mount shutters is to use hinges even if you plan to only use your shutters as decoration. There is one option, or should I say a trick, to be used only as a last resort. I only provide this information to those who will not purchase hinges as advised, in my effort to reduce the number of ugly houses.
Even if you have a vinyl sided home, with vinyl shutters, and have no intention on replacing them, you can still achieve a more authentic look.
Screw two, 1-inch thick blocks of wood on each side of the window casing near the opening where the hinge would normally be. You may need to shave off the outside corners of the blocks. Take the shutter and screw it to the blocks of wood on the window side, and the other end of the shutter directly to the facade of the house. This will result in an angled shutter – creating additional shadows – resulting in a much much better looking home.
Another shortcut is attaching a false tilt rod. Purchase a wooden dowel, paint it and attach it to your louvered shutters with a liquid nails adhesive.
Shutters for Other Types of Windows and Spaces
Depending on the style of your house, each window does not have to be shuttered. This is determined mostly by architectural design and window style. For example, on a Queen Anne style house, windows in a tower may or may not be shuttered. Larger ornate or smaller sized windows can be left without shutters or may only need one shutter on one side of the window (fit to cover the entire window).
Think in terms of shutter use.
1.) Back in the day, would it have been practical or useful to have shutters on this window?
2.) If not useful, would it provide balance in design or match another window with shutters? Colonial style architecture is symmetrical and you need to maintain this symmetry.
A Ganged window is two windows side by side separated by a mullion (a vertical piece of wood separating the windows – part of casing). In this situation, you have a few choices (not in any order), but first look for ghost marks of earlier hinges. If the window had shutters there would be ghost marks of hinges visible.
- Attach a large (double size) shutter, the size of the window on each end.
- Mount double shutters at each end. The shutters would appear single, but actually are two hinged shutters, folded over. The shutter will close from one side for each of the two windows. The visual effect of patterns will not be disturbed.
- Mount four shutters in the manner you would normally if the window were not Ganged. Since there is minimal space at the mullion between the two windows, the shutters will remain in a semi-opened position and held in place with a tie-back attached to the sill, extended out to the shutter. I have seen this method in original 19th century design plans. If you find ghost lines, you have your answer.
There will be other situations where a window is next to a down-spout or a wall of a house where the shutter will not be able to be parallel to the house when open. Do not omit the shutter.
Here are some examples:
Unless noted all examples are historically correct.
Double shutters for wide or ganged windows. Use these instead of mounting shutters in the center between the windows. These shutters do not fold.
Non folding wide shutters with operable louvers at the bottom.
Double folding panel shutters in open position. Notice the hinges giving you the option of hanging them full or folded. An option for double or wider windows.
Double folding shutters shown in folded position. Double shutters are folded in half.
Side view showing folded shutter. Face mounted hinges. See Acorn snap at bottom to hold shutters together.
These shutters are on a bank. They are way too wide to be single shutters. They must be folding to avoid looking dumb. Additionally they are mounted incorrectly to the face of the brick instead of the brick mold which is probably too narrow anyway.
Center bay window is wider and has double shutters that do not fold but overlap.
Operable shutters being used on a hot day.
The way to attach shutters when windows are too close.
How to mount shutters in tight places.
Shutters can still be installed on a bay window.
Overlapping shutters on 18th century house.
This 1870 Greek Revival has wide single shutters on the sides of the bay and two folding shutters in the center.
This historic house in Provincetown MA has overlapping shutters. Notice that some overlap more than others.
Yes – shutters remain open and attached to chimney.
The shutters fit perfectly covering the windows on the ends. This is the same house as in the image above with the chimney.
Is there a tool that you can use to close shutters from the inside? I visualize a pole with a hook. Now I have to get on a latter and close them from the outside.
Yes there should be but I checked some shutter sites and they don’t have anything listed. I would call one of the manufacturers.
Ken, I don’t really have an “historic” home – per se, just an old one we are trying to renovate some newness into (new board & batten Hardie siding, new Pella Lifestyle/AL-clad wood windows). Is it ok to install operable shutters for casement windows? Thinking more of solid shutters for stormy circumstances. Can you post a pic or two to illustrate (yea or nay).
(i’ll shortly also post a comment/question re: paint, on the other link.)
Many Thanks! I am so glad I found your website, not as early as I wish, but hopefully in the nick of time, so I can deal properly with blunder? decisions already made.
Hi Carol – this is a good question. Old or new house does not matter. Right now I would say no to shutters on casement windows. However when you see houses in Europe (in movies ) all the windows are casements and they all have shutters. (I had a client in Austria and he said they do not make double hung windows there) The difference is that these casements open inward so the person can grab and close the shutter. Most American casements open outward so you cannot close the shutter. Now most people in the US do not close their shutters.
I would say this is a judgement call. It depends on the size and style of the window. A lot of newer houses have wide windows and shutters would not look good. What you can do – and other readers too, email me a photo showing the full front of your house and I will let you know.
Shutter dilemma : California ranch style house built in 2000, with 4” stucco foam trim around all the windows. I would like to add cedar board and batten shutters, initially hoping for operable, but have been advised not to attach to the stucco foam trim as it will erode. Thought only other option was flat placement against the stucco siding, next to the trim, but you offered a possible option (“the last resort”) in your excellent article. It’s possible spacers could be affixed next to the foam trim, against the house, thus allowing angling of the shutters for a more authentic appearance. But this angling would allow debris to collect behind the shutter with no way to clean since it’s fixed. Also wondering if it would look strange without the hinges, as we’re unable to even insert fake hardware into the foam. Do you have any photos of shutters placed using this method?
Hi Will – I really don’t think the lack of shutter hardware will be noticed. The space with an angled shutter will allow debris collection but do you really think there will be a lot of debris that will get behind them? Maybe once a year hose out what is behind them. I don’t have any photos for your situation – sorry.
Hi Ken,
I have a home on the NC coast and tired of putting plywood up for storms, especially on some double windows that are high. I like the idea of a folded shutter with the Acorn snap, but I am having a hard time understanding how these would secure from the inside when closed. The fourth and fifthh picture show a solution to how they would look everyday. Are these designed to be secured, when closed, only from the outside?
There are attachments to secure them from the inside. Contact a good shutter company and you will see the hardware they offer.
we have a 1768 stone farmhouse with the original shutters. should we shutter the 3rd floor smaller windows. they are currently bare.
It depends.
do you recommend putting shutters on a front porch that has double windows and they are casement windows?
All that info in on the website.
Hi Ken,
Have a ranch style(?) house with a long covered front porch. Have two 36 inch wide windows on either side of the front door. There are 22 inches between the door and each window.
I’d like shutters there to normally hug the wall so as to not encroach on the limited porch width. I’m thinking 18 inch wide shutters would “encroach” visually on the door.
Would you recommend, say, 9 inch bifold shutters in this case?
Thank you.
This is a good question. Bifold shutters are for Victorian houses. Pre WWII houses had tall narrow windows that were either designed for or able to easily accommodate shutters. Ranch house design is horizontal and low to the ground and windows instead of tall were more square or horizontal. This is not right for shutter proportion. Windows on a Ranch house were not designed for shutters. Shutters were used as decoration but they were seldom the correct size. For a Ranch house, if the window is wide enough that using a shutter half the width of the window would make the shutter seem too wide and heavy looking, then my advice is to use your judgement. This means that the shutter will be a width that you feel looks good. Too wide and it looks weird. Too narrow then it looks stupid. Get some cardboard and paint it black and tape it next to your window and play around with the width until you think it looks good. I know I am strict with the info you read in my article but a wrong sized shutter on a Victorian or Colonial will look awful but on a ranch with a very large window it can look very good on some houses yet not good on others. I hope this helps and sorry it is such a gray area.
Ken, I have found all of you info so helpful! We are in the process of replacing our windows on our home originally built in 1929 followed by painting. (Read the window and shutter guides in detail!). I’m trying to following all the rules but think our original shutters might not work. First- they are board and Batten but do have some spacing. They also are single shutters on double windows…am I better having no shutters?
You should have read my windows pages. I am sorry since you destroyed your house by replacing the windows I cannot assist you.
On the exterior they’re properly called “blinds” NOT shutters.
That’s correct.
Hi Ken,
I am working on renovations for a stone home built in 1919. We will be following all your shutter rules 😉
One question I can’t seem to find the answer to though is regarding arched French doors. If the space between two doors does have enough room, would the arched shutters simply overlap, just like rectangular ones?
Further, there is a identical door that is on the same elevation but stands proud from the pair. This pair will remain closed permanently to accommodate an interior stairwell. Would it be incorrect to only do a closed set on one door and just leave the other two without shutters altogether?
Thank you for your time.
Gracie
Excuse me, the space between DOES NOT have enough room to accommodate both shutters.
I am so sorry but please email photos. I really need to see what you are saying.
Hello, We are paralyzed by indecision on 20″ or 23″ wide shutters. They will never really close and are on a colonial style built in the 90’s with aluminum 4 ft windows (original). We are mounting with functional hardware. We need advice on if the 23″ is too wide for the home. The shutters that are outermost with respect to the house would lay on brick that is raised 1.5″ and so they would not sit at the same angle on the window but I don’t know if that would really be noticeable. The shorter 20″ would lay at the same angle.
Hi – please contact me through the website with a photo of your house and I can better advise you.
I have two large front casement windows that I would like to install functional shutters to be used only in winter during my absence. Each window is 72 in. wide and thinking of bifolds, two 18 in bifolds. These shutters will only be able to be closed and locked down from the outside. When opening the shutter I am thinking they would look better if I roll out the bifolds like a fabric roll and secure the opened shutter to the house using a shutter dogs. Any comments?
Hi Raymond – not sure I follow you. Please email me via the contact us on the website and include a photo.
I have a small house built in 2000 that only has two windows on the front, placed side by side off to one side of the house. The other side has no windows. The windows are placed too closely together to mount shutters between them w/o the shutters overlapping. The windows are about 23.5 inches wide and there is a space of about 20 inches between them. The house is very plain looking and I am looking for a way to make it less so. I saw one example where the shutters between the windows were folded up and resting on each other. Do you have some suggestions?
Yes that is an option but if you email me via the contact us on the website w a photo I can advise you better.
Love, entertained and informed by your shutter series. We have a typical tract ranch c. 1974 with the dreaded plastic shutters that HAVE to go and a recessed front entry that resembles a cave. After reading all of your series, I’m thinking the ticket will be B&B (I’d like a small circular cut out as a nod to the gate iron.)
What do you recommend?
I just looked at a 1959 house catalog. None of the homes had cut outs. Most had fake louvered shutters. One or two had B&B. Louvered is most for the period but B&B will look nice – not sure about the cut-outs unless your house is small.
Hi Ken, I followed your advice on our old house in Charlotte NC and mounting the shutters as you suggested made our frumpy little split level come alive! We moved to the coast of NC into a modest one story home with vinyl siding and shutters. I want to make them stand proud but unclear on the block of wood to go behind shutter:
– is it 1×1 or 1×2 and
– should the wood be painted the color of the house or the color of shutters?
Thank you for any direction. Best, Kathy
I would say 1 inch proud of the trim which would be about how a hinge would stick out. There is no set rule. I would paint the block to match the trim it rests on. Good luck!
Thank you so much for all the information you provide on all topics. I have a 1960s colonial style house but lack a lot of the architectural details of older homes. I want to mount shutters correctly and really found your information so helpful. There are so few sites that provide the details needed to have a more authentic look. My house will never have a true colonial look but I will do what I can to make the appearance more appealing.
Should shutters be placed on upper arched windows where the gingerbread trim would obstruct their real (or perceived) ability to open or close fully?
No they should not but an arched shutter would not require much space at the top in most cases.
I have a 1941 red brick tudor revival home with hideous 14″ wide vinyl shutters.
The brick recessed opening at the window locations is 44″ wide x 58″ high.
If I want to make my new wood shutters appear functional, each shutter would be 22″ wide x 58″ tall.
My question is this : At what point is the shutter width considered too wide in appearance thereby making a folding shutter or double shutter a more viable choice for appearance sake?
Thank you so much for your informative blog!
To my knowledge there is no rule. I would go by my eye. Folding shutters were used on older homes so by 1941 they were real but just decorative. Do not use a folding shutter. If not sure send me a photo.
Is it every okay to mount shutters to the wall of the house? My brick mold is made of aluminum.
Hey – the problem is that you have the look of fake shutters. If your house is brick you may be able to attach a hinge to the edge of the brick. Your shutter person should be able to advise based on what hinges they have.
We have just bought an old farmhouse in Germany, exact build year unknown but probably late 1800s for the majority of the building, with its origins in an older byre-dwelling probably from the 1700s that can still be seen in the (largely above ground) cellar complete with pig pen. We have the typical European inward-opening casement windows, and the original stone window surrounds, two of which still have hinges for shutters on them. The house is on a corner so has two ‘public facing’ sides, each with three main windows (two downstairs, one upstairs – it’s a funny old house and there is no symmetry on either of the sides). On one of these sides there should be no problem adding conventional shutters… the other side is more of a problem because there are two drainpipes, and the flu from the boiler is in the way. We do not want to mess around with drainpipes and the like, just give the building some of its original character back. The question is, do we?
1. Just go for shutters on the one ‘unproblematic side’
2. Do shutters on some windows but not others – I was thinking just the ‘middle windows’ which would be two on one of the sides and one on the other; all should just about be able to fit shutters.
3. Accept the shutters will not close flat to the wall and rather overlap the drainpipes/flu.
4. Give up on shutters alltogether.
So far we’re leaning towards 2, but if you had any opinions they would be welcome.
Go with #3. If you see on my shutters page https://www.oldhouseguy.com/shutter-situations/ there are some odd situations yet shutters are still used and do look good. You just need to find the right hardware to keep them open. Good luck!
Hello! I’m looking to install functional shutters to my house and I’m trying to avoid some common mistakes. I’d like your input if you don’t mind. I have a few places in my house where there are two windows butt right up next to each other, with maybe an 8″ gap between them. Would it be acceptable in your opinion to treat these double windows as if they were one big window and put one shutter on the outside of each? If so, do you suggest I put anything in the small area between the windows, like a strip of trim painted to match the shutters?
First look for ghost marks to see if the house originally had shutters. A window with a space would still have 2 shutters for each window. There are photos of this on my shutters page as an example.
Hi Ken,
We are building a house which has operable shutters. We don’t really like the shutter dogs and are considering using the acorn clips to hold the shutters in place when open. Do the acorn clips stand up to high winds in a coastal area? What solution is best best for high wind situations? Thank you.
I really have no idea. If you have such strong winds you may need to screw them into the siding.
Ken, is there a maximum width you think is appropriate for single panel shutters? Some of our windows are 43-44″ wide, and I’m wondering if single panel is appropriate or if it should be double panel. I apologize if you provided this info and I missed it. Thank you.
Good question but I do not know if there is a rule. You can ask the shutter manufacturer but I would go by how they look. Take a photo and print it out. Draw in full and half shutters and see how you like it on the photo. See if it looks too heavy. There is a looks to heavy and a weight too heavy putting pressure on the hinges. If you’re not sure then email me.
Hi Ken, thank you for this wealth of knowledge. I have a cape cod style home that I’m looking to add louvered colonial shutters to. The big issue I have is whether to add shutters to this large front-facing window: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gfnMm94Vpvayinz8UrHGv_SAKxr0oWXg/view?usp=drive_link
I think the house would look funny without having shutters there, and the idea would be that I’d buy shutters wide enough so that they’d be able to close entirely on the double hung windows flanking the large picture window. Is that what you’d suggest? Or none at all?
Hi – yes – shutter only the two end windows. Each shutter should cover that window only. I recommend replacing the window for the screens shade everything. With True Divided Light window and no screens your window will sparkle instead of hide.