What is Overlap Rabbeting?

Overlap rabbeting on exterior shutters is a groove along the vertical edge that allows one shutter to overlap the shutter next to it.  An overlap rabbet is very much the same as what is termed as a shiplap joint or half lap joint.

Overlap rabbeting can be found on all functional exterior shutters and for a very good reason. With an overlap rabbet the shutters will close over one another eliminating any exposure in the center leaking rain, light or air . The overlap rabbet also creates a solidness to a closed pair of shutters locking them tighter together to eliminate any "shuddering" for better storm protection.

Is Overlap Rabbeting just for Exterior Shutters?

An overlap rabbet is just as important for interior shutters.  With an overlap rabbet UV rays are blocked from damaging your room furnishings   as well as providing a tighter seal over the window giving better energy efficiency.  If you are using your interior shutters as blackout shutters for a bedroom or a media room overlap rabbeting is a must. 

Overlap rabbeting is decorative, as well as functional, giving a neater and more finished appearance.  If you look at the picture to the right you will see the half-round bead detail.  This is shaped into the wood shutters to give a more uniform look to the face of the shutters.  This type of rabbet is referred to as a beaded overlap rabbet.

When should I use shutters with overlap rabbeting?

A good rule of thumb, for both interior and exterior shutters, is to have an overlap rabbet if your shutters are meant to be functional or at least look functional.  It is an option that adds very little to the cost but greatly increases their value.

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice - Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.  www.DIYShutters.com  1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Summertime and a porch go hand in hand.  It's that inviting outdoor sheltered area to relax for a moment, recline and rest our feet, and maybe even watch a casual passerby.  It is also a place to read in the best lighting, gather with friends and family for refreshments such as lemonade and even just doze off in a chaise lounge.  Prior to indoor air conditioning a porch was the place where everyone including the family dog could escape stifling indoor heat.  It is easy to see the charm in a porch and why so many historic homes have at least one.

If your home has a porch but you find that it could use a tad bit more privacy to enjoy your outdoor space or maybe you could even use shade from a hot sunny afternoon here is a clever solution.  You can build a privacy screen with exterior louvered shutters between the porch posts.  With operable louvered exterior shutters you can create a visually pleasing partition.  Since the louvers are fully adjustable you won't even need to give up a summer breeze passing through.

Exterior shutters really do enhance your home by adding depth and detail to every window and door.  Here are other examples of exterior shutters on homes that have a porch:

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.  www.DIYShutters.com  1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Even though our exterior shutters are made to be authentic and fully functional there are times when they are installed for decoration.  Most decorative shutters are mounted to either side of a window, often using real shutter hardware to give the look of truly functional exterior shutters. 

But what do you do when you have no windows?

The customer above solved this by mounting fixed louvered exterior shutters directly to their home.  This not only added curb appeal and interest to the front of their home, but it also gives the illusion that there really are windows behind those exterior shutters.

This trick has long been used in commercial interiors where make-believe windows are strategically place to make a more comfortable lighter airy feel to a store's layout rather then the four walls of a mall.  The Hollister Store is certainly astounding with the many interior Plantation Shutters, many of which are made by us, installed throughout their stores.   

With a big focus in recent years towards basement remodeling this trick can also be used with interior shutters.  Just by installing a boxed window casing fitted with interior shutters on any wall you will make windows appear before your eyes for a lighter more natural feel inside under-the-ground.

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.  www.DIYShutters.com  1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Often when we think of exterior shutters we think about how they add curb appeal.  Improving the exterior of our home.  Sometimes, though, they can be part of a much greater transformation.  

The building shown above, located in Chièvres, Belgium, started out as a stable.  During WWII it had the unfortunate location of being right next door to the local Nazi headquarters.  Local legend has it that these stables ended up being used to hold and interrogate prisoners.  After it was delivered from such a use by the Allied forces in the Fall of 1944 it eventually fell in to disrepair.

Finally it was puirchased in the early 1990's.  We were told how " This old place was not so comfy 15 years ago, it was a deserted stable and chickens were roosting in the hay loft. It was so run down there were gaping holes in the roof and you could look up and see the sky from the inside. "

Over the course of those 15 years the new owner took this shell, turned it in to a house and finally, with lots of hard work, made it in to a home.  " The shutters are the last project and it will be restored to its original condition, thanks to you folks. You don't know how many people in town ask about your shutters, and even more astonished that they were made in the good old USA. "

It is an honor to have our shutters and doors chosen by a customer.  In this case we are stirred with rememberence knowing that our exterior shutters helped transform this building with a dark past into a comforting home.  It is a Memorial set in stone.  

The style of exterior shutters used this home is our 7145 Board & Batten Shutters with Breadboard Top and Diamond Cutouts

     A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.  www.DIYShutters.com  1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

If you find yourself traveling towards the South Jersey beaches this Memorial Day set aside some time for a little side trip down Route 9.  This will take you right through the village of Cape May Court House where you can see the Cape May County Court House that was built in 1850.

In the 1990's when it came time to replace the exterior shutters of the Court House their maintenance department turned to us for our DIY Shutter™ Kits.   Over 20 pairs of operable louvered shutters and shutter hardware were supplied in our exclusive kits for the department to assemble.  Now, over a decade later, the exterior shutters still adorn this historic landmark for all to see on their way to Cape May.

The shutter style used on the Cape May County Court House is our 1.7/8" Traditional Operable Louvered design.  Since these are  exterior shutters they were made from solid Spanish Cedar.  Frame joints are traditional pegged mortise-and-tenon joinery construction which makes the shutters easy to assemble on-site with a pair of clamps, a bottle of exterior grade glue, and a drill.

 Here is what was used on this project:

Kestrel Exterior Shutters style 1020 - 1.7/8" Traditional Operable Louvered D.I.Y. Shutters kits

Exterior Shutter Material: Spanish Cedar

Kestrel Exterior Shutter Hardware: 

Lift-off Mortise Butt Hinges:  HE1-401, Size 3" x 3"

Shutter Dogs / Tiebacks:  HE2-35, Plate Mount Cast Iron Flower

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.  www.DIYShutters.com  1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Here is another terrific outdoor project.  This customer made great use of Kestrel Exterior Shutters and Louvered Doors when designing their outdoor dining area and kitchen for their coastal home.

To allow for both air flow and privacy an Operable Plantation Louvered Door (style 6212) was used for the bathroom. All of the outer windows were fitted with awning style Bahama Shutters.  Operable Plantation Louvered Bahama shutters (style 1010) were used where privacy was needed while the other windows had Plantation Fixed Louvered Bahama Shutters (style 2010) to provide constant air flow.  The exterior shutters and door were custom sized and built from Spanish Cedar using traditional pegged, mortise and tenon joinery.

Below you can see the Operable Louvered Doors and the exterior view of the Bahama Shutters.

Here from the inside you can see how the Bahama Shutter Hardware is mounted to prop the shutter open creating an awning which is quite effective at screening the sun.  We installed Bahama Shutters on the exterior of our Southerly facing office last year.  The temperature inside was significantly reduced and the shutters also provided our Geranium packed window boxes just under each shutter  a bit of sunscreen.

This project turned out great!

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc.  www.DIYShutters.com  1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

Time to make your wish list of outdoor projects happen and we can help! 

Our Custom-made exterior doors and exterior shutters find a variety of uses outside such as for this terrific poolside cabana.  These cabana doors are Kestrel style 6161 - Fixed Traditional Louvered over Tongue & Groove.  The customer also installed our 3.1/2" fixed California Louvered exterior shutters to close over the bar counter window when not in use.  

>Shop Now for:

Doors, Shutters and Exterior Shutter Hardware 

A naturally beautiful and renewable choice- Wood shutters and doors by

Kestrel Shutters & Doors, Inc. www.DIYShutters.com 1-800-494-4321 / sales@diyshutters.com

In a small village named Snowdenville, where two roads intersect under an old maple tree, there are several older homes situated on each of the corners.  All of the homes are different with their own personality and charm.  One common bond that they do share is that they all display the same style board and batten shutters, each with the same simplistic conifer tree cut-out.  When December arrives, what could be more appropriate than a Christmas tree (or two) at every window?

Look at the happy Jack o' Lantern in the window...

While we did not make the shutters for this adorable and very old log cabin, we did make all new shutters just like these for the home that sits caddy corner to this one.  The modern day look alikes were made with an exterior-grade material called Extira®.  This material was a perfect and cost-effective way to recreate these decorative exterior shutters.  I will snap a picture of the project for an upcoming post once the scaffolding is down and the project is complete.

For a price quote in this design just contact our office.  We have several cut outs to choose from and you can also send us your own design that you may have such as a cat or dog, a house number, and even your initials.  The pattern can be cut through the shutter or carved into the shutter's surface as a relief.  Panel cut outs are a fun way to personalize your home.

If you want your exterior shutters to be able to open and close properly over your windows, you need to make sure that you choose the correct exterior shutter hardware.  This can be a bit confusing as every window and window frame is different.  Even if you have the same style of trim on all of your windows don't be surprised if some of the measurements are slightly different.

Throughout the Fall I will be writing articles on how to choose the correct exterior shutter hardware to make your shutters functional…or simply look functional.

This article will cover the types of hinges that are available.   At the bottom of this article is a Summary which has some Quick Reference tables that you can use.  If you are already familiar with exterior shutter hardware, feel free to skip directly down to the Summary.  You will also find some pictures showing different types of installations.

Types of Exterior Shutter Hinges

1. Straight Strap	2. L Strap	3. Plate	4. Mortised

Exterior shutter hinges can be broken into two groups; surface mounted and edge mounted.  Surface mounted hinges are typically installed on the back of the shutters.  These can include (1) straight straps, (2) L straps and (3) plate shutter hardware.  Bahama shutter hinges (not shown) are also surface mounted but attach at the top front face of the shutters.  Surface hinges can mount onto your house with either a plate pintle or with a lag bolt pintle.  Edge mounted hinges (4) are mortised into the edge of the exterior shutter closest to the window and look similar to a door hinge.

Closed Position for Your Shutters

5. Inside Mount - Window frame shown in Green	6. Overlap Mount -  Shutters overlay opening so no frame is exposed

The first thing that you need to decide is where the shutters will sit when closed over your window.  Exterior shutters can be mounted to fit within your window frame and/or jamb (see diagram 5 above - inside mount) or to completely cover your window frame (see diagram 6 above - overlap mount).  Most often shutters are mounted as an inside mount.  This is because with an inside mount installation, exterior shutters are seated and secured within the frame when the shutters are closed.  More resistance to high winds is achieved because the wind cannot "lift" the shutter off like a kite in the wind.  Also, inside mount installations will help prevent break-ins as the shutters cannot be lifted off the hinges when closed properly.  The reason you would use an overlap mount is if you were using Bahama shutter hardware or if there was not enough depth for the shutters to sit within the window frame and/or jamb.

Inside Mount for Exterior Shutters (see diagram 5)

If you are using an inside mount take a look at where your shutters will sit within the window opening when closed.  You need to know what the material is that will be around your closed shutters.  (This is shown in green in diagram 5 above) If this is framed in wood that is deep enough to hold your shutters then you can use either surface mounted hinges or edge mounted hinges.  If the opening is a material other than wood, such as brick, vinyl or stone, then you will need to use a surface mounted hinge.

Overlap Mount for Exterior Shutters (see diagram 6)

If your shutters will be overlapping your window opening, so that there is no window frame visible, the most practical option is to use a surface mounted hinge.  These can be any strap or plate hinge mounted to the sides or Bahama shutter hinges mounted at the top.

Hinge Mounting Method

If you are using surface mounted exterior shutter hinges you need to decide where you can mount the hinge pintle.  This will determine whether you need to use a plate pintle with screws or a lag bolt pintle.  If you are able to mount the hinge pintle directly onto the flat surface of your wood trim or wood frame (shown in green in diagram 5) you will be able to use a plate pintle.  If you need to mount the hinge pintle onto some other material like brick or stone you will need to use a lag bolt pintle.

Once you know the type of exterior shutter hinge and pintle you will need to determine the offset.  This will be covered in next blog post.   

Summary  / Quick Reference

To help choose the type of hinges you will need to mount your exterior shutters follow these 4 steps.

Step 1.  Determine whether you have an inside mount (see diagram 5 above) or an overlap mount (see diagram 6 above).

Step 2.  Look at the building material around your window opening and, using Table A below, find out whether you need a surface mounted hinge or an edge mounted hinge. 

Step 3. Look at the building material where you will be mounting your hinges and, using Table B below, find out the type of mounting method you will need to use. 

Step 4. Using Table C below look for a hinge that meets your requirements for hinge type (step 2) and for mounting method (step 3).  You can see the available hinges pictured above (pictures 1,2,3 and 4) to help decide the look you want.

Hinge Type - Table A

Use this table for quick reference for determining hinge type

Hinge Mount - Table B

Use this table for quick reference for to determine the type of pintle to use with your surface mounted hinges

Available Hinges - Table C

This next table will list different hinges and the mounts available.

Mounting Examples

The following photos show some different mounting methods used on different buildings.

Pennsylvania - Stucco face - inside mount - wood frame - surface mounted plate pintle with screws.

St. Croix USVI - Stucco face - inside mount - no frame - lag bolt pintle mounted through the stucco.

California - Concrete face - overlap mount - surface mounted Bahama shutter hardware

Belgium - Stone face - inside mount - stone window frame - lag bolt pintles

West Virginia - Stucco over brick face - inside mount - wood frame - surface mounted plate pintles with screws.