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

Closed Position	Material Around Opening	Hinge Type to Use
Inside Mount	Wood	Surface or edge mounted
Inside Mount	Brick	Surface mounted
Inside Mount	Stone	Surface mounted
Inside Mount	Vinyl	Surface mounted
Inside Mount	Stucco or other veneer	Surface mounted
Outside Mount	Any	Surface mounted

 

 

 

 

 

Hinge Mount - Table B

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

Material Pintles Are to be Mounted To	Use This Pintle
Wood (flat surface)	Plate Pintle with screws
Wood (non-flat surface)	Lag Bolt Pintle
Brick	Lag Bolt Pintle
Stone	Lag Bolt Pintle
Vinyl	Lag Bolt Pintle
Stucco or other veneer	Lag Bolt Pintle

Available Hinges - Table C

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

Hinge Type	Item Codes	Available Mounts
Edge Mounted	HE1-401	Edge Mounted
	HE1-405	Edge Mounted
	HE3-370	Edge Mounted
Straight Strap	HE1-701	Plate Pintle with screws OR Lag Bolt Pintle
	HE1-702	Plate Pintle with screws OR Lag Bolt Pintle
	HE1-705	Plate Pintle with screws OR Lag Bolt Pintle
	HE2-10	Plate Pintle with screws OR Lag Bolt Pintle
	HE6-4000	Plate Pintle with screws OR Lag Bolt Pintle
L Strap	HE2-40	Plate Pintle with screws OR Lag Bolt Pintle
	HE6-2000	Plate Pintle with screws OR Lag Bolt Pintle
Plate	HE3-321	Plate Pintle with screws
	HE3-323	Plate Pintle with screws
	HE5-670	Plate Pintle with screws

 

 

 

 

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.

 

In my last post, "Finding a Wood Shutter", I included this picture as shown. While it is a beautiful picture of Kestrel European Board and Batten Shutters with a breadboard top, I noted that there is something wrong with the hardware installation. It will be easier to see if you imagine the shutters closing over the window.

For starters some of the slidebolts were installed on the wrong sides. This is the hardware that is located in the middle of the shutters. When the shutters are closed, the bolt on one shutter slides into the catch on the ajoining shutter to securely lock the shutters closed. The slide bolts would need to be mounted to the outer side of the shutter, not to the inside next to the window as shown on the right in this picture.

The other error that we noticed in looking at this picture is that the shutter dogs, also known as tiebacks, were installed a bit unusual. Most shutter dogs are typically designed to be mounted below the bottom outer corner of the shutter in order to hold the shutter steadfast against the wall. Shutter dogs have a "weighted" or heavier bottom side to allow the piece to stay in an upright position to hold the shutter in positon. These shutter dogs were installed on the vertical sides instead. While the shutter dogs may not function properly if mounted this way, it can still be aestically pleasing. Keep in mind though, that we do have offset shutter dogs available which are designed and weighted for side mount installations.

Finding a wood shutter supplier with a simple Google search is easy, just be attuned to where and how the shutters are made and with what they made with before you buy. Do your homework by simply asking questions and doing some internet research on the materials and construction methods. There are many types of wood that shutters can be made with but you’ll want to choose the material that is best suited for your installation whether it is inside or out.

Each supplier or direct manufacture should be able to help you with selecting shutter and shutter hardware styles suited for the application and the sizes that you will need. Some companies even offer finishing services from a basic prime to a full finish ready to install. With the different types and styles of shutter hardware that are available your shutters can be fully functional as well as decorative.

Picture at right: Kestrel European Board & Batten with Breadboard top. However, there is something wrong with this install- Do you know what it is? You are welcome to post your answer in the comments section below.

Here at Kestrel Shutters & Doors we have been making both interior and exterior shutters since 1989. We are located in Southeastern Pennsylvania where so many shutters adorn the classic Chester County façade found on many historic homes and sites. The shutter designs that we have chosen as ‘standards’ follow the older shutter styles found not just here in Chester County but also throughout the US and abroad.

The shutters that we build are made entirely by us entirely here in house. We have a very good as well as dedicated team who produce each order. It’s a several step process before each shutter is assembled by hand. The process begins with hand sorting rough lumber for each order and then milling it to size and profile. Through the use of various specialized equipment we then process the milled materials into individual component parts. Where components are joined together we use what is called a mortise and tenon joint construction.

Note: Just because it's mortise and tenon joinery does not imply that it is good unless it's milled correctly. Joints that are loose or secured with screws in the end of the tenon are not as strong and are prone to failure. The best and most historically accurate way to secure a mortise and tenon joint is with a peg that goes through the tenon locking it in place like a cotter pin.

Kestrel mortise and tenon joints fit snugly together and are secured with Honduran Mahogany pegs. The pegs are positioned on the face of each stile according to the size of the tenon.

The hardwood that we use, Basswood and Spanish Cedar, come out of forests that are managed and are harvested responsibly. American Basswood is for interior use and Spanish Cedar is for exterior and interior use. Basswood, known as Linden wood, is used by woodcarvers because of it's many good qualities. The stability, workability, and light patterned even graining is why carvers use it and that is what makes it a great choice in making interior shutters and interior doors, especially those with louvers, since the material holds straight and true. Spanish Cedar is traditionally used in lining cigar boxes and humidors. We began using Spanish Cedar over a decade ago as an alternative to Western Red Cedar because of the consistent quality of the wood that was lacking in Western Red and we found it to be more durable. While Spanish Cedar is predominately used for exterior work because it "breathes" out moisture making it rot resistant, the material also performs very well for interiors too, especially in humid areas where moisture is prevalent. It has also been used as a substitute for Honduran Mahogany since the grain pattern, color and quality are very similar.

Every shutter and door is made to order and available in unfinished wood or completely finished. By choosing full finishing in either paint or stain the shutters are ready for installation once received. However, if you are a DIY, do-it-yourself, kind of person we are the originator of a product called The Original DIY Shutter™ kit.

DIY Shutters™ are the same as our fully assembled version; we just do not assemble them. DIY Shutters™ are an easy to assemble kit to be completed start to finish on site with some general woodworking tools. We developed DIY Shutters just about the same time that the company started. The benefits in a DIY kit is about saving money and a great satisfaction in building your very own top quality shutters.

Did you know? We also offer DIY Shutter™ component parts.

Deciding on a Louver style is a combination of how the louvers will be used, the surrounding décor, and your own personal preference.

First to think about is how will the louvers be used. For both inside and outside applications knowing the purpose of the louvers is helpful to determine if you need fixed or operable louver blades- then you can decide on louver width. Some things to consider when choosing a width are if the louvers are going to be used for privacy, ventilation, and if you will be adjusting them for viewing. If you prefer to have operable louvers, both narrow and wide louver widths will provide privacy when closed. However, a larger louver blade width will have a wider viewing area since each louver is spaced further apart. Also, a wider operable louver blade will allow for greater ventilation since blades can be adjusted to a fully opened position. The opposite is true with our standard fixed louvers. In a smaller stationary louver greater ventilation is achieved because there are more open areas simply because there are more louvers. When louvers are used to hide appliances make sure that you have the required amount of cubic feet per minute, CFM, of air flow. Keep in mind that fixed louvers do not offer complete privacy but if you like the look of louvers and do not have ventilation requirements you could choose a faux louver which will provide privacy with a louvered look.

The next consideration is the surrounding décor. Your home may be anything from Traditional to Contemporary, Cottage to Art Deco but, regardless of styling, any of these could match a narrow louver blade or a wide louver depending on room, window, and furniture proportions. Match the louver size with the scale of what you see. In my last post, “Made to fit vs. Make it fit”, I mentioned proportions and how some are more comfortable then others. For example, a large window with one shutter might not suit smaller louvers but be perfect with wider louvers for a more open and airy appearance. The same window when fitted with several smaller shutters will look proportioned correctly with a smaller louver.

Sample louvers can help you see which looks best for the application if you are just not sure. Much like taping paint color samples onto a wall when deciding on room colors and glancing at them at different times of the day to see which one you like; do the same with louver samples, you’ll know in a matter of days which one is just right for you and your home.

Did you know? Plantation Louvers may give a hint of a Southern style but it is actually just a generic marketing name that refers to an operable louver shutter with a louver blade that is between two to three inches in width. However, you will find that louver blade widths can be dependant throughout regions due to both climate and cultural differences.

Note: If you live in an old historic home then you also need to consider what the home should have. If you are lucky you will have some of the original shutters but if not check other old homes of a similar style nearby that might have their original shutters. Most likely yours had very much the same. The historic commission in your area should also be able to lend some assistance with old photographs.

Louver & Panel combination shutters:

With my fuel bills now at least double what they were two to three years ago I have an idea that this year I will reinstall exterior shutters on this old home that I live in and shut them during the winter on the prevailing wind side.  My farm house once had them as most old houses do for very much the same reasons that I am trying to achieve- security and heat conservation. During the winter months the shutters will be drawn over the front roadside windows to insulate against the cold.  I usually keep curtains drawn over these windows for privacy and to help keep the warmth and coziness inside. 

Having the windows shuttered will be a comforting sense of security to me when I step inside my home on a cold windy night.  When spring arrives the shutters will be opened and latched back to the stone facade with a fanciful tie back, also known as a shutter dog.  During the summer months, should it be hot, I will be able to use the louvers selectively to keep the sun's heat at bay.  And whatever the season a removable window box at each sill will accent the shutters charm with greens in the winter and floral décor the rest of the year.

Wood is such a great, renewable and natural, insulator.  Adding wood shutters provides a classic window dressing that most definitely will help in keeping the warmth inside your home during the cold winter months and the sun’s heat moderated come summertime.  With conservation in energy equaling conservation to the environment by reduction of “green house gases” you will be helping to turn your house into a “green” house with a beautiful window treatment all year round.  In the long run you will also save money for your piggy bank rather then just literally burn it up in rising fuel costs.  Saving money is always good.

So, what weekend project could you do to add value to your home but best of all add comfort?  Build and install something that will last you and your home a lifetime or more while providing all those years many positive and beneficial uses.  

Written by Jewel A. Foulds
February 23, 2008

Did you know that an average home may loose 30% of its heat or air-conditioning energy through its windows?

Don’t judge a book by its cover. We have all heard this numerous times in our life and yet we still let ourselves be surprised when something is not as it seems. It is that mouth watering piece of moist, dark chocolate cake that, sadly enough, turns out to be some bizarre experiment in carob meets soy paste. Recently it was Aqua Dots, a cool looking toy and craft for small children that has since been recalled because it contains a variation of the date rape drug. Whoops!

Sometimes it is mass produced shutters, many made in China, that are finished with what we assume (and hope!) is a non toxic paint and sold on web sites and in American home centers. Granted they do look nice but then again, what wouldn’t? How many curb appeal type shows have we all seen where they stress putting on fresh coats of paint to hide poor workmanship just to make it easier to sell your home. Because it looks shiny and new doesn’t mean it was made well.

When buying shutters, whether they are for the interior or exterior of your home, spend some time “kicking the tires” so to speak.

Is the wood a solid hardwood or finger jointed drop off?
Is the joinery traditional pegged, mortise and tenon or do they cut corners by using dowels and screws?
Are the operable louver self balancing so they stay in any position you place them or do they rely on a mechanical tension screw that you need to adjust every time the humidity in your home changes?
Do the fixed louvers and panels float to allow for expansion and contraction?
Are the operable louvers attached with solid brass screw eyes that cannot fall out or do they use staples that will, sooner or later, fail?

Really, the idea is to try to learn as much as you can about your shutters before you buy them. Get samples from each company and compare. Does the shutter feel substantial in your hands or are you afraid that one good sneeze might tear it apart? Look behind that pretty white paint and golden oak stain and see for yourself whether your shutter is really a shutter, or is it just a lemon.