How to Hang Exterior Shutters

Install exterior shutters

Applying shutters to the exterior of the home adds not only a unique visual style, but can offer efficiency as well. Full exposure to the summer sun can heat certain exterior walls and windows. Shutters offer an economical blockage to the invading ultraviolet light and heat. The homes windows can also be protected from prevailing winter winds and severe storms. Today's shutters can be simplistic from a couple of boards nailed together to elaborate designs. Most home centers offer a variety of stylish hardware for hinges, exterior hook type locks and ornate stops.

Things You'll Need

• Old cardboard
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Exterior hook-type shutter locks (one per window)
• Pliers
• 4 cedar shims (per set of shutters)
• Screwdriver
• 4 exterior hinges (per set of shutters)
• 2 exterior shutter stops (per set of shutters)

Instructions

1. Lay the set of finished shutters on a flat surface under the old cardboard. Face the shutters exterior-side-up when closed. Align the top and bottom of the shutters. The cardboard will keep the surface from being scratched. Find the inside mating center point on the shutters using the tape measure. Mark lightly with pencil.

2. Attach the exterior hook shutter lock to the outside face of the shutter. Lay the hook and loop lock over the center-line pencil mark on the mating joint of the two shutters. Attach the hook first by screwing it into the shutter sideboard with the pliers. Align the locking loop with the hook and screw it in also with the pliers.

3. Insert the shutters into the window and slip the four cedar shim boards, one each, into the outside upper and lower corners. Secure the hook and loop lock to hold the shutters together. Adjust the shims to center the shutters in the opening. The shims will hold the shutters in the opening.

4. Install the shutter side of the hinge hardware to the outside shutter support boards using the provided screws and the screwdriver. Attach all four-hinge pieces according to the manufacturers placement instructions. Various weights of shutters and strength of hinges will dictate different mounting places on the sideboards of the shutters.

5. Slip the hinge pin into the shutter side hinge while holding the house hinge attachment. Align the house hinge to the home and install the screws. Remove the cedar shims after all hinges are secured in place. Allow the shutter to swing open and close. Adjust the hinges if necessary for free operation and a centering fit inside the opening.

6. Open the shutters. Attach the shutters stops to the home and to the lower outside portion of the shutter.

Tips & Warnings

• Full matching hardware can be found to fully accent custom exterior shutters. Typical colors are black and brass. Custom colors can also be ordered.

• You can paint your own custom colors over flat black hardware. Use exterior-grade spray paint.

• Non-operational vinyl-type shutters will simply be screwed alongside the exterior window openings using one screw per each outside corner. Align the top and bottom of the fake shutter to match the horizontal window trim.

References

• This Old House
• Principles and Practices of Light Construction; Ronald C. Smith; Prentice Hall Publishers; 1970