How to Build Shutters for Interior Windows

Shutters – How to Make For Indoor Windows

Building window shutters is a difficult endeavor. Interior shutters work best when built to close tolerances. Select a wood for building shutters that is extremely straight and finishes well. A low quality wood will result in a poor quality shutter.

build shuttersFirst determine how the shutters will attach to each specific window. To install your own shutters to the inside of a window opening requires an entirely different and more specific approach than building a shutter unit to fit to the outside of the window. Making interior shutters to mount to the window jamb requires an overall shutter unit width and height about 1/4 inch less than the jamb to jamb measurement. Shutters built to install to the outside of the window should be slightly wider than the window with hang strips on either side.

Standard plantation shutters are generally 1-1/8 inch thick, while traditional shutters are 3/4 inch thick. Make shutter louvers for plantation shutters between 1-1/2 inches and 5 inches. A plantation louver can be made flat or elliptical, which keep their form better. Traditional louvers are naturally wedge shaped and about 1-1/4 inch in width.

Make a slight overlap between louvers to prevent light from entering the indoor room. Interior shutter movable louvers pivot on pins that connect the louvers to the side stiles. The holes for the pins need to be drilled on precise intervals to keep louvers perfectly horizontal. Any deviation from perfect attracts the eye, and will make the entire project a disaster. A tilt bar connects all of the louvers with staples, and allows them to rotate in unison. Top and bottom rails should be rabbited to allow the louvers to fully close. Make interior shutters with a notch in the top rail to fit the tilt bar in the closed position. Build shutters with greater detail using a beaded inside side stile and drop front top and bottom rail.

Each interior window requires a specific panel configuration. Often indoor shutter units consist of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 panels. The shutter unit may use one or two panels to cover the full height of the window. For the best results, make shutters with rabbited stiles in between panels. Build shutters with hanging side stiles mortised to accommodate hanging hinges.

Carefully finish the shutters with a quality paint or stain. Painted shutters should be sanded, primed, sanded, and painted. Spray paint over brush painting when possible. Stain shutters should be wiped of all drips, and then covered with a clear coat top protection.

All About Shutters recommends you consider purchasing interior shutters before attempting to build window shutters. There are many affordable ways to order custom made interior shutters. If you would like to save money while making shutters your own, order stock-size shutters as individual panels. You then may trim the shutters to fit the window opening, then paint or stain the shutters. Professional shutter companies have years of experience building wood interior shutters. Wooden shutters add beauty and function to your house.

 

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