Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Decatur
Homes in Decatur
Decatur is a city of houses: of its 25,467 homes, 70% are detached, 6% are townhouses and other attached houses and 23% are apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 47% of homes standing today; 16% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1977. 63% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 10 Alabama cities we have census figures for, Decatur has the third-highest share of older homes. In nearby Madison, 16 miles away, 11% of homes were built before 1980, so Decatur's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Decatur's homes are older than those in 59% of the 881 US cities we have census figures for.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Estimates carry margins of error.
Replacement windows
47% of homes went up between 1950 and 1979, and most of them have had their original windows replaced since. A replacement window often sits further into or out of the wall than the old one, so the depth you have for an inside mount may differ from window to window in the same house. Measure every opening rather than copying one.
Out-of-square openings
With 55% of homes built before 1980, many openings have had decades to settle. Measure each one's width at the top, middle and bottom, and both diagonals. If the diagonals differ by more than about ¼ inch, add a mounting frame in the designer, or choose an outside mount so the shutter covers the uneven edges.
Whole-house orders
With 70% of homes detached, most orders here cover a whole house: bedrooms, a patio door, perhaps a bay. Put every window in one list in the designer so the louver size and colour match from the street, and if you have an HOA, send it the drawings before you order.
Decatur weather and your shutters
At Decatur 4SE, AL (3 mi away), July averages a high of 89.3°F and January a low of 31.2°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to August and average lows sit at or below freezing in January.
About 41 days a year reach 90°F, 52 nights fall to freezing and 58 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more 90°F days than in 50% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 28 min on the longest day to 9 h 50 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 79° above the horizon in June and 32° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Decatur 4SE, AL (temperature) and Decatur 4SE, AL (precipitation, 3 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52.4°F | 31.2°F | 5.4 in |
| Feb | 56.8°F | 34.1°F | 5.6 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 41.4°F | 5.4 in |
| Apr | 73.8°F | 49.3°F | 5.2 in |
| May | 80.2°F | 58°F | 4.9 in |
| Jun | 86.6°F | 65.9°F | 4.6 in |
| Jul | 89.3°F | 69.3°F | 4.8 in |
| Aug | 88.9°F | 68.4°F | 3.9 in |
| Sep | 84.4°F | 62.1°F | 3.9 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 50.3°F | 3.9 in |
| Nov | 62.9°F | 39.8°F | 4.4 in |
| Dec | 54.9°F | 33.9°F | 6 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 58 inches of precipitation make for heavy summer air. Wood swells when it's humid, so give kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms some air: run the fan after a shower and tilt the louvers open so steam doesn't sit behind them.
Fitting them in Decatur
Shutter Boys shutters are made for you to fit yourself: an inside or outside mount takes a drill, a level and our step-by-step guide. If you'd rather hire someone, a finish carpenter or blinds installer can fit them; ask on your quote and we'll tell you if we know one near you. You arrange and pay the installer directly.
Near Decatur
- Madison 16 mi
- Huntsville 20 mi
- Birmingham 73 mi
- Spring Hill 81 mi
- Hoover 83 mi
- Franklin 93 mi
More about shutters in Decatur
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Decatur’s own figures.
Price your windows
Pick your look once, add every window, and see each one drawn and priced. Send it to us and we reply with your quote.