How to Install Exterior Window Shutters
By Ellen Russell
Photo: © Lisa F. Young - dreamstime.com
Shutters can be functional weather blockers, or they can be used to add much needed character to a home. Shutters provide a decorative accent that helps break up large, blank wall spaces. They can also help enlarge the look of exterior windows by casting a larger footprint.
Faux exterior window shutters are constructed from rot resistant, easy-to-clean vinyl. Installation is simple, requiring no more than a hammer and drill. When functionality is of no concern, faux window shutters can be easily hung without perfecting measurement and fit, and without the concerns of blowing, banging, and wind damage.
Today, most vinyl shutters are hung with shutter-loks, a hybrid-fastening product that combines the ease of a nail with the holding power of a threaded screw. Shutter-loks are available at hardware stores, but are usually provided with vinyl shutters at purchase.
How to Install Faux Exterior Shutters
Step 1. To hang a faux exterior shutter with a shutter-lok, match the shutter against the window and then mark where you will drill the holes. |
Step 2. Pre-drill shutter-lok holes into the vinyl shutter before hanging. Small shutters require only four shutter-loks for hanging. Six fasteners are needed for shutters that are more than fifty inches tall.
Step 3. Holding the shutter in place on the house wall, drill through the pre-drilled shutter holes into the wall to a depth of three and one-quarter inches (3 inches into the house wall). Make sure the drilled hole is deep enough to accept the entire length of the shutter-lok.
Step 4. Push the shutter-lok into the matched drill holes. Gently hit the shutter-lok with a hammer to drive the fastener all the way into the wall. Do not pound the shutter-lok into the wall too deeply, or the shutter will warp.
If shutter-loks are not available, use screws with large, flat heads (or back with washers) so the screws do not pull through the shutter.
Functional Exterior Shutters
Functional exterior shutters are easy to hang as well, but they must be fitted to the window frame. On functional exterior shutters, hinges are attached to the side edge of the shutter. The backside of the hinge is screwed into the inside edge of the window frame. Make sure the window frame material or underlying wall is sturdy enough to carry the weight of the shutter before you install it.
There are many shutter options available; consult a reputable shutter dealer/installer for the ideal product for your home's need for form, color, style, and functionality. |
