Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Portland
Homes in Portland
Apartments outnumber houses in Portland: 59% of its 36,559 homes are in buildings of two or more units. Detached houses make up 36% and townhouses and other attached houses 5%.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 52%. Only 11% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1946. 47% of homes are lived in by their owners.
In nearby Haverhill, 75 miles away, 63% of homes were built before 1980, so Portland's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Portland'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.
Plaster walls and deep casings
52% 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.
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.
Apartments and condos
59% 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.
Portland weather and your shutters
At Portland Intl Jetport, ME (6 mi away), July averages a high of 79.5°F and January a low of 15.6°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 5 days a year reach 90°F, 144 nights fall to freezing and 48.3 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more freezing nights than in 90% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 26 min on the longest day to 8 h 56 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 70° above the horizon in June and 23° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Portland Intl Jetport, ME (temperature) and Portland Intl Jetport, ME (precipitation, 6 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32.4°F | 15.6°F | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 17.3°F | 3.5 in |
| Mar | 42.3°F | 26°F | 4.1 in |
| Apr | 53.8°F | 35.4°F | 4.4 in |
| May | 64.2°F | 45.5°F | 3.7 in |
| Jun | 73.6°F | 55°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 79.5°F | 61.2°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 78.7°F | 59.7°F | 3.6 in |
| Sep | 71.1°F | 52.1°F | 3.8 in |
| Oct | 59.5°F | 41°F | 5.3 in |
| Nov | 48.4°F | 31.7°F | 4.3 in |
| Dec | 38.3°F | 22.4°F | 4.5 in |
Cold winters
With 144 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.
Wet months
48.3 inches of precipitation a year keeps the air damp for long stretches. Steam and condensation are hard on any joint, so in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms keep the air moving and wipe water off the sill before it sits.
Fitting them in Portland
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 Portland
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Portland’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.