Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Waterloo
Homes in Waterloo
Waterloo is a city of houses: of its 32,143 homes, 69% are detached, 4% 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; 13% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1962. 62% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 11 Iowa cities we have census figures for, Waterloo has the second-highest share of older homes. In nearby Cedar Rapids, 50 miles away, 59% of homes were built before 1980, so Waterloo's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Waterloo's homes are older than those in 85% 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 76% 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.
Plaster walls and deep casings
30% 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.
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.
Whole-house orders
With 69% 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.
Waterloo weather and your shutters
At Waterloo Muni AP, IA (5 mi away), July averages a high of 85°F and January a low of 10.7°F. Average highs reach 85°F in July and average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 15 days a year reach 90°F, 150 nights fall to freezing and 38.4 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in January.
Among the Iowa cities we have climate normals for, Waterloo 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 18 min on the longest day to 9 h 3 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 71° above the horizon in June and 24° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Waterloo Muni AP, IA (temperature) and Waterloo 1.9 Sse, IA (precipitation, 2 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.2°F | 10.7°F | 1.1 in |
| Feb | 32.6°F | 15.2°F | 1.2 in |
| Mar | 46.5°F | 26.9°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 60.9°F | 37.9°F | 4 in |
| May | 72.8°F | 50.2°F | 4.9 in |
| Jun | 82.2°F | 60.8°F | 5.9 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.6 in |
| Aug | 82.9°F | 61°F | 4.1 in |
| Sep | 76.8°F | 52.4°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 40.2°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 47.1°F | 27.7°F | 2 in |
| Dec | 33.7°F | 17°F | 1.6 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 Waterloo
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 Waterloo
- Cedar Rapids 50 mi
- Iowa City 71 mi
- Ames 73 mi
- Ankeny 83 mi
- Dubuque 84 mi
- Des Moines 91 mi
More about shutters in Waterloo
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Waterloo’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.