Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Fort Smith
Homes in Fort Smith
Fort Smith is a city of houses: of its 40,475 homes, 66% are detached, 3% are townhouses and other attached houses and 30% are apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 42% of homes standing today; 20% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1977. 53% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 9 Arkansas cities we have census figures for, Fort Smith has the second-highest share of older homes. In nearby Fayetteville, 51 miles away, 25% of homes were built before 1980, so Fort Smith's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Fort Smith's homes are older than those in 60% 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.
Out-of-square openings
With 56% 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.
Replacement windows
42% 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.
Whole-house orders
With 66% 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.
Fort Smith weather and your shutters
At FT Smith Rgnl AP, AR (1 mi away), July averages a high of 94.1°F and January a low of 29.6°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to September and average lows sit at or below freezing in January.
About 78 days a year reach 90°F, 63 nights fall to freezing and 47.4 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Arkansas cities we have climate normals for, Fort Smith has the most hot days.
That's more 90°F days than in 71% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 33 min on the longest day to 9 h 46 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 78° above the horizon in June and 31° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, FT Smith Rgnl AP, AR (temperature) and FT Smith Rgnl AP, AR (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51.3°F | 29.6°F | 2.9 in |
| Feb | 56.6°F | 33.4°F | 2.7 in |
| Mar | 65.6°F | 41.5°F | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 74.5°F | 49.8°F | 4.9 in |
| May | 81.4°F | 59.5°F | 5.6 in |
| Jun | 89.4°F | 68.3°F | 4.6 in |
| Jul | 94.1°F | 72.1°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 93.7°F | 70.9°F | 3.6 in |
| Sep | 86.5°F | 63.1°F | 4 in |
| Oct | 75.9°F | 51°F | 4.4 in |
| Nov | 63.4°F | 40°F | 3.9 in |
| Dec | 53.3°F | 32.3°F | 3.5 in |
Summer sun
On the 78 days a year above 90°F, closed louvers keep direct sun off the glass and out of the room. In a window that takes afternoon sun, white and light paint finishes stay cooler to the touch than dark stains.
Humid summers
Hot days and 47.4 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 Fort Smith
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 Fort Smith
- Fayetteville 51 mi
- Springdale 60 mi
- Rogers 68 mi
- Bentonville 70 mi
- Broken Arrow 93 mi
More about shutters in Fort Smith
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Fort Smith’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.