How to Build an Exterior Shutter

Plan and estimate your job. Measure the windows you want to shutter and figure for enough wood to cover the window with a few inches to allow for pivoting on the sides. Use cedar, treated, engineered wood or structural composites rated for outdoor use, and never use products made with glues that are not weatherproof. Shutter hardware, once almost a special-order item, is now more widely available as historic restoration and new construction based on historic styles have gained popularity. Once you've estimated your job, check with companies that build shutters. Many of them also sell kits, unfinished shutters and shutter components like louver panels. It may be more economical to use some of these products, depending on the type of shutter you want.

Design your shutters. Try to match the style of shutter to the style of your house. Plantation shutters might look odd on a "modern" home of the 1940s but perfect on a Cape Cod cottage of the same vintage. Board and batten shutters can be used on rustic or modern designs but would need some "cut-out" patterns to look right on the Cape Cod. Hurricane shutters are a specialized category requiring specific designs, materials and mounting practices outlined in local building codes.

Once you've got your materials, build a "prototype" to make sure you've got what you want in terms of size and design. For plantation, paneled or louvered shutters, begin with vertical stiles that run the entire length of the shutter; rails go between stiles at top and bottom to frame the shutter. If a shutter is wide enough, it will need extra support, called mullions, on the interior of the frame. These pieces are butted up against the outer rails and stiles from the inside. Board and batten shutters are the simplest shutter to build---they are simply a set of wide vertical boards connected by a batten across the back. Board and batten shutters can be solid, gapped (space between the stiles) or cut-out (with shapes cut for the shutter). Large board and batten shutters should have additional "Z" braces between battens to keep the shutter from twisting.

Once you've made any adjustments, use your prototype as a pattern to cut the rest of your materials. Assemble frames using mortise and tenon joints, pegged and glued. Assemble paneled or louvered shutters by beginning on one side, inserting the panel or louvers, working toward the opposite stile. Attach battens with wood screws---nails will fall out or loosen in weather. Attach trim with tacks or finish nails and glue---never staples.

"Lap" the inside edges of the center stiles if you plan to close your shutters. Sand surfaces before finishing and use marine varnish or exterior paint to protect the wood. Hang shutters when completely dry, using exterior hardware that will support more than the weight of the shutter and is built to withstand the stress of wind and rain (or snow).