Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Washington
Homes in Washington
Apartments outnumber houses in Washington: 67% of its 361,014 homes are in buildings of two or more units. Detached houses make up 11% and townhouses and other attached houses 22%.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 41%. Only 24% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1958. Most homes are rented: owners live in only 42%.
In nearby Arlington, 5 miles away, 53% of homes were built before 1980, so Washington's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Washington's homes are older than those in 76% 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.
Plaster walls and deep casings
41% of homes date from before 1950, when walls were plaster on lath and windows sat in deep wood casings. Plaster cracks if you drive screws carelessly: drill a pilot hole, use fixings made for plaster, and fix into the casing or the framing behind it. A deep casing is good news for an inside mount; measure its depth before you choose a louver size.
Apartments and condos
67% of homes are in buildings of two or more units. Balcony and patio doors suit bypass or bifold panels rather than hinged ones, which need floor space to swing. Check what your HOA or building allows to show from outside before you order: most rules are about the colour seen through the glass.
Out-of-square openings
With 69% 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.
Townhouses
22% of homes share a wall with the next one. Their front windows face the street side by side with the neighbours', so many owners pick a louver size and a white or off-white finish that sit well beside the houses on either side. Bay windows on townhouses usually need a separate panel set for each face.
Washington weather and your shutters
At Natl Arboretum DC, MD (2 mi away), July averages a high of 89.8°F and January a low of 27.8°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from December to February.
About 47 days a year reach 90°F, 84 nights fall to freezing and 45.6 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more 90°F days than in 54% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 54 min on the longest day to 9 h 26 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 75° above the horizon in June and 28° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Natl Arboretum DC, MD (temperature) and Natl Arboretum DC, MD (precipitation, 2 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44.7°F | 27.8°F | 3 in |
| Feb | 47.8°F | 29.5°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 55.9°F | 36.5°F | 4 in |
| Apr | 67.6°F | 46.4°F | 3.4 in |
| May | 76.9°F | 56.6°F | 4.3 in |
| Jun | 85.4°F | 66.1°F | 4.6 in |
| Jul | 89.8°F | 70.9°F | 4.6 in |
| Aug | 88.4°F | 68.8°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 81.7°F | 61.5°F | 4.1 in |
| Oct | 69.9°F | 49°F | 4.2 in |
| Nov | 58.4°F | 38.9°F | 3.2 in |
| Dec | 49.2°F | 31.9°F | 3.7 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 45.6 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.
Cold winters
With 84 freezing nights 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.
Fitting them in Washington
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 Washington
- Arlington 5 mi
- Silver Spring 7 mi
- Alexandria 7 mi
- Bethesda 8 mi
- Wheaton 11 mi
- Aspen Hill 14 mi
More about shutters in Washington
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Washington’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.