Window Shutter Options
Give up? Don’t want to buy new exterior wood shutters?
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.
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.