Popular national online wholesaler of exterior shutters provides helpful tips for improving the appearance and function of your windows. Topics include selecting the right material for your application, choosing the correct style to work with your home's architectural design, measuring and installation. We offer four materials: vinyl, composite, wood and PVC. Popular woods for construction of exterior shutters include Red Grandis, Cedar, African Mahogany, and economically focused Southern Yellow Pine. We introduce louvered, raised panel, grooved panel, board and batten, and combination styles.
This is the worse way to install these types of shutters Shutter spikes deteriorate from UV and then break. Do not use this method unless you want to replace these spikes every year or two. 👎🏻👎🏻
What keep shutter dogs from just spinning out of place? Are there fixed shutter brackets that mount to the window trim that look like the ones that are functional?
@@ShutterLand I saw on another channel the guy cuts them off if they won't come out. Then he uses a flathead screwdriver and hammer to push the remaining spike through the hole.
@@southern842 the bracket screws will need a secure anchor. You may need to test to see if the plywood is thick enough to hold the screws. Otherwise, you will need to align the screws with studs. The holes in the brackets are not pre drilled, so you will have the opportunity to best locate the screws.
I just removed 22 shutters from my house to repaint them. For the first several spikes, I followed the video's instructions and tried to use a pry bar to remove the spikes, with mixed results. In particular, the heads of the ones immediately adjacent to the window tended to break off, since these spikes are probably embedded into a hole drilled into the framing (it's a tight fit), and not into an empty void. In the video, you can see that the pry bar tries to remove the spike at a slight angle, and not straight out. This will cause many of them to break off. I had to drill out the old spikes, which is a bad thing, since the hole can become larger than the original one. I then tried placing the pry bar behind the shutter (and against the vinyl siding) near each spike and made several sharp tugs, careful not to damage the vinyl siding. The shutter came off easily with all of the spikes completely intact. No more drilling out the old spikes! I could almost get away with re-using the old spikes (definitely not recommended, however). As for silicone caulking the holes before re-installing the shutters, this will cause the spikes to permanently bond with the vinyl siding, and it will be a major PITA for whoever is doing this the next time. Don't do it. My shutters were made with 6 factory mounting holes, so reinstalling them using new hole locations in the future is not a good option. So definitely don't use caulk of any kind that is going to gunk up your perfectly good hole locations and make future spike removal next to impossible. Oh, and I painted the shutters using Benjamin Moore Regal Select exterior acrylic paint, and they look brand new again!
Thanks for the great tips. Here's another one for everyone. Number the shutters as you take them off. Then the holes will align perfectly after painting. I think I'm going to give my shutters a light sanding and a primer coat. Then, two coats of paint. It's a little more work but I don't want to touch them for another seven years or so. I heard if you don't prime them they start to peel after a few years and look horrible. However, I'd welcome any feedback from the pros who have experience doing this type of home improvement. Thanks!
Living in Vegas I’m concerned about curling from the heat. Is this ever an issue with these types? If so, what are options for this area and the extreme heat?
Our exterior shutters are designed for a wide range of environmental conditions. We've been selling vinyl exterior shutters for many years and have not experienced any issues due to intense heat.
How well do these hold up during a hurricane? Also I have a two story house and it is elevated because it is on a shore line. I suppose they can be operated from inside the house, through the open window.
Wood Bahama shutters are primarily designed for light control and will naturally deter some debris but are not rated for hurricane protection. Yes. you should be able to open and close the shutters through an open window.
I’m wondering what happens to the spike that was cut off & left in the wall. The new spike when installing new shutters will ultimately hit the old spike. Video didn’t show how to get it out of the wall. Any thoughts?
I'll give it a try. I would've thought it was held more firmly than just in the siding. My shutter has 6 screws and I think 4 are broken behind the siding I'll try the push to the side method
ok wait, I can just pull them out? OK here's what happened, a HUGE storm ,complete with hail, has ripped off one of my shutters. Actually, they look just like the shutters you have in this vid. I thought it was screwed in from behind so I was like "How the heck did they do that?" So Anywho, I guess I just pull the screws out, buy 4 more, and just re-attach the shutters? How do those screws work? Do they expand on the other side? or held down simply by the threads? Thanks for this video.
Technically the spikes are not screws. They have flaps that collapse when they are pushed into the hole. They then grip the walls of the hole and resist coming out. If you can remove the old spikes, you should be able to purchase new spikes and reinstall the shutters.
So I am doing some replacements for my moms house. When I take off the old shutters i can re-use the same hole? Also, do you have to pre drill the new holes on the new shutters if it’s going in vinyl siding.If so, what size is the bit.? Second question is I have to install new ones on a stone wall section of the house it already has the holes and what not. But the screws are the tap in ones. What size would the bit be for the pre drilled holes? Thanks They already have old ones. So again, what size is the bit to make a new hole for the tap in nail? Because I’ve seen vinyl and
You can view the size holes required for our vinyl shutters at www.shutterland.com/install-vinyl-shutters/. Other manufacturers may require different size holes.
I'm really struggling with finding an example and recommendation for functional board and batten shutters over vinyl siding. Do you have any recommendations?
Functional shutters need to be installed with hinges that attach to both the building and the shutter. The area of the structure where the hinge connects needs a solid member for the screw to grip. The framing around the window may provide that support. It is difficult to answer definitively because each window is different.
Too much work and too expensive. I don't have some brick mansion. I'll just take some old rotted drapes and screw them into the outside of my windows since I can't find a single video that does this affordable.
I needed this tutorial, but I have a question. The ending photo (Hit pause at 2:16) seems to show the left shutter snug to the window trim, yet the right shutter with a slight space. I'm thinking of using a thin paint stick when mounting, between the shutter and the trim, to give a consistent look. Any schools of thought on a slight space, or being snug against the trim? Thanks so much!
Using a fixed spacer is a great idea to keep a consistent gap between the window and the shutter. A paint stick thickness is just about right in our opinion.
And what if you don’t want to put up new shutters....what do you do about the discoloration /darker areas where the shutters were? ( without having to paint the house)
If the shutters have been in place for a long time, it may be extremely difficult to hide the variation between the the area that was covered and the uncovered surface. We think installing new shutters is a pretty great solution.
Thank you. Are these shutters secure enough for hurricanes? I need something simple yet effect that I don't have to overspend. The price of hurricane shutters are so expensive it's almost Criminal. Seems like if a plywood covering is sufficient, then we should be able to have functional plantation shutters. I hope that is an option!
Wood and composite shutters can provide some protection from tropical storms. However, they are not hurricane rated and simply can't protect a window like exterior shutters fabricated specifically for strong winds and object impact.
We tried installing shutters on vinyl siding. The problem my husband found Is the top screws are not catching securely as they should. The middle and bottom fasteners are holding shutter in place. But bees can build a nest behind top of shutter due to not secured to siding. My husband thinks the screws at top are running into metal strip used to install vinyl siding. Otherwise we remove shutters and patch up holes from screws- and skip shutters. Any ideas?
Screwing wood or composite shutters into aluminum or vinyl siding can be problematic. There needs to be a solid support behind the siding to serve as an anchor. If not, as you have stated, the screw will not hold. You probably need to identify where the studs are behind the vinyl or aluminum facade. Then you might be able to attach a vertical brace behind the shutter that connects with horizontal studs. That would give the necessary backing for the threads of the screw to grasp. Otherwise, you may look at installing with hinges that would support the shutter from the window side. Or, vinyl shutters are very light and are designed to attach to vinyl or aluminum siding with spikes. Install with hinges: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NElAjpb-RQY.html Install vinyl shutters with spikes: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-md6CvqlteK4.html
We actually suggest installing vinyl shutters to vinyl siding with shutter spikes, not screws. See: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-md6CvqlteK4.html
Thanks for the question. In the event that the window is not deep enough to accommodate the exterior shutters inside of the opening, the panels will sit just in front of the window trim. The shutters will need to be slightly wider and taller than the window opening and mount with hinges that have zero offset, sometimes called "New Construction" hinges (see www.shutterland.com/exterior-shutter-hardware/exterior-shutter-hinges/ for assistance).
@@ShutterLand Oh wow. So glad you wrote me back. I bought all the wrong hardware. Haven't even opened it yet. Thanks so much!! I have jalousie windows!
