How to Install Functional Shutters on Brick

Functional shutters offer real window protection

While brick veneers do not need dressing up, shutters can add exterior detail to the windows. Properly mounted and installed, they give the house a professionally built appearance and frame the windows appealingly. Shutters come in two styles: fixed and fully functional. While fixed, non-functional shutters provide a realistic appearance of shutters, they are not true shutters in that you cannot close or open them. For the aforementioned advantages, dress up the brick veneer of your house with functional shutters.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Pencil/marker
• Drill and masonry bit
• Hammer
• Plastic screw sleeves
• Shutter hardware
• Short level
• Shutters

Instructions

1. Measure the window carefully. Make sure you measure exactly at the top, middle, bottom and from left to right. If the three measurements are identical, the window is square. Take the smallest figure, if you get two or three different measurements when you measure each window.

2. 

   Functional shutters should cover the entire window and fit perfectly when closed

   Divide the measurement of Step 1 by two to determine the width of the shutter you need. Avoid the tacky appearance of a shutter that does not match the window size. For instance, if the window is 30 inches wide, the shutter should be 15 inches wide.

3. Measure the window vertically from top to bottom to determine the correct height of the shutter. Measure the window on the left side, down the middle and on the right side. Use the smallest of these three measurements as the shutter height to avoid getting a shutter that is too tall for the window.

4. 

   Choose shutter hardware that will outlast the shutter

   Select the mounting hardware for the functional shutters. Buy weather-resistant hardware, since the hardware is the key to properly functioning shutters. Buy shutter caps, shutter hinges, shutter bolts and tie backs, also called shutter dogs. Match these in painted wrought iron to get the most durable option.

5. Install the shutter hardware onto the shutters. Set the shutter bolt assembly on the closed shutter and mark the holes for the attachment screws. Hold the bolt assembly in place and use a power driver to attach the bolts to the shutter. (Plan to mount the strap of the pintle so it is on the outside when the shutters are closed.) Locate and mark the hinges on the shutter. Attach the hinges to the shutters 1 to 2 inches off the bottom and top of each shutter allowing enough room at the side for the shutter to properly close. Use a screw gun and the screws that came with the shutter hardware to attach the hinges.

6. 

   Be sure to firmly attach the pintles, and make sure they are straight

   Slide the pintle into the shutter hinge. (The pintle is the upright pin of the hinge assembly upon which the hinge rests and pivots.) Lift the shutter into place on the brick. Using a level to make sure the shutter is held evenly and straight, mark the mounting holes of the pintle onto the brick. Set aside the shutter and drill holes at the marked positions.

7. Drill holes into the mortar joints of the brick where the shutters will be mounted. Blow out the holes and use a hammer to lightly drive in plastic anchors for the mounting screws. Attach the pintles to the holes just drilled into the mortar joints with the pintle mounting screws. Lift the shutter into place, slipping the hinges over the pintles. Use a hammer to lightly tap the hinges into final position if you feel slight resistance as you are fitting the shutter into position on the pintle.

8. 

   Align the tie backs to catch the lower outside corners of the shutters

   Attach the lag mount tie backs directly to the brick, after marking their location and pre-drilling the holes. (Lag tie backs are the hardware that hold the shutters in place in their open positions. The term "lag" refers to the heavy duty screw needed to attach the tie back assembly to brick.) Install the shutter caps at the top of each shutter. Open and close the shutters making minor adjustments as needed until the shutter opens and closes smoothly on the hinge.

Tips & Warnings

• Double check all measurements for level and straight before beginning installation; a crooked shutter is a troublesome, minimally functional shutter.

• Do not buy cheap shutter hardware; the hardware is the major key to strong, weather-resistant shutter installation.

References

• All About Shutters: Shutter Hinges, Dogs and Bolts
• Outdoor Shutters: Decorative & Functional Exterior Shutters

Resources

• Custom Shutter Company: Functional Installation Guidelines