Shutter BoysCalifornia shutters in Medicine Hat
Homes in Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat is a city of houses: of its 27,215 occupied homes, 63% are detached, 12% are semi-detached and row houses and 21% are apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes.
The biggest building period was 1961 to 1980, which accounts for 31% of homes standing today; 26% are from 2001 or later. Owners live in 71% of homes.
Of the 22 Alberta cities we have census figures for, Medicine Hat has the highest share of older homes. Nationally, Medicine Hat's homes are older than those in 63% of the 167 Canadian cities we have census figures for.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Period of construction and tenure come from the 25% sample; counts are randomly rounded.
Out-of-square openings
With 48% of homes built in 1980 or earlier, 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 6 mm, add a mounting frame in the designer, or choose an outside mount so the shutter covers the uneven edges.
Whole-house orders
With 63% 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.
Bought to stay
Owners live in 71% of homes, and shutters are usually bought to stay with the house. Poplar takes paint well, so they can be repainted years from now if you change a room's colours. Keep your order list: it records every size if you add a room later.
Medicine Hat weather and your shutters
At Medicine Hat (4 km away), July averages a high of 27.7 °C and January a low of −14.1 °C. Average lows sit at or below freezing from October to April.
About 26 days a year top 30 °C, 176 days drop to 0 °C or below and 331 mm of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in February.
That's more 30 °C days than in 97% of the 160 Canadian cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 16 h 23 min on the longest day to 8 h 4 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 63° above the horizon in June and 17° in December.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, Medicine Hat. Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −2.9 °C | −14.1 °C | 13.8 mm |
| Feb | −0.6 °C | −12.2 °C | 10.3 mm |
| Mar | 5.9 °C | −6.6 °C | 15.9 mm |
| Apr | 13.5 °C | −0.5 °C | 23.3 mm |
| May | 19.2 °C | 5.1 °C | 44.9 mm |
| Jun | 23.1 °C | 9.7 °C | 75.7 mm |
| Jul | 27.7 °C | 12.4 °C | 35.2 mm |
| Aug | 27.2 °C | 11.5 °C | 34.3 mm |
| Sep | 21.3 °C | 6.3 °C | 31.1 mm |
| Oct | 13.2 °C | −0.2 °C | 20.1 mm |
| Nov | 4.6 °C | −7 °C | 14 mm |
| Dec | −1.4 °C | −12.4 °C | 12.2 mm |
Cold winters
With 176 days at or below freezing a year, warm room air meets cold glass for months. Shutters closed tight overnight hold that air against the window, so condensation can collect on the sill: tilt the louvers open in the morning, and wipe the sill on windows that often run wet.
Months of hard sun
With 26 days a year above 30 °C, sun on the window is the main thing shutters do here. Closed louvers stop direct sun before it reaches the room; angled up, they still let light bounce off the ceiling. On south and west windows, white and light finishes stay cooler and show fading less than dark stains; keep stains for windows out of the afternoon sun.
Dry air
Only 331 mm of precipitation a year, and days and nights about 13 °C apart. Dry air pulls moisture out of wood, so poplar louvers can shrink very slightly through their first dry season; that's normal for real wood.
Fitting them in Medicine Hat
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.
More about shutters in Medicine Hat
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Medicine Hat’s own figures.
Price your windows
Choose Canada in the designer, enter millimetres or inches, and we reply with your quote in Canadian dollars.