Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Ankeny
Homes in Ankeny
Ankeny's 29,781 homes are a mix: 58% detached houses, 25% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 15% townhouses and other attached houses.
Much of Ankeny is new: 63% of homes were built 2000 or later, and only 19% before 1980. The median home dates from 2006. Owners live in 71% of homes.
Of the 11 Iowa cities we have census figures for, Ankeny has the newest homes. In nearby Des Moines, 11 miles away, 70% of homes were built before 1980, so Ankeny's windows are on the whole newer. Nationally, Ankeny's homes are newer than those in 86% 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.
Shallow openings
63% of homes were built in 2000 or later. Newer windows are often set close to the room side of the wall, and handles, cranks and alarm sensors stick out into the space a louver swings through. Measure the depth to the glass and to anything that sticks out; the designer checks it against the louver size you pick.
Rounded drywall corners
81% of homes here were built from 1980 on, and many houses of that era have rounded ("bullnose") drywall corners around the windows instead of square returns. A shutter can't sit flat against a curve: choose an outside mount with a frame that clears the corner, or an inside mount if the flat part of the opening is deep enough for your louvers.
Townhouses
15% 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.
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.
Ankeny weather and your shutters
At Ankeny, IA (2 mi away), July averages a high of 85.7°F and January a low of 11.7°F. Average highs reach 85°F in July and average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 23 days a year reach 90°F, 150 nights fall to freezing and 37.2 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in January.
Among the Iowa cities we have climate normals for, Ankeny has the second-most freezing days.
That's more freezing nights than in 94% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 13 min on the longest day to 9 h 8 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 72° above the horizon in June and 25° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Ankeny, IA (temperature) and Ankeny, IA (precipitation, 2 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.5°F | 11.7°F | 1 in |
| Feb | 34.2°F | 16°F | 1 in |
| Mar | 47.4°F | 27.4°F | 2 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 38.1°F | 4 in |
| May | 71.9°F | 50.3°F | 5.3 in |
| Jun | 81.8°F | 60.8°F | 5.4 in |
| Jul | 85.7°F | 64.7°F | 4.2 in |
| Aug | 83.7°F | 61.7°F | 4.7 in |
| Sep | 77.1°F | 52.9°F | 3.6 in |
| Oct | 63.6°F | 40.5°F | 2.7 in |
| Nov | 47.8°F | 28.9°F | 1.9 in |
| Dec | 34.7°F | 18°F | 1.4 in |
Cold winters
With 150 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 Ankeny
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 Ankeny
- Des Moines 11 mi
- West Des Moines 16 mi
- Ames 21 mi
- Waterloo 83 mi
More about shutters in Ankeny
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Ankeny’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.