Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Baltimore
Homes in Baltimore
Baltimore has an unusually large share of townhouses and other attached houses: 50% of its 295,032 homes, beside 15% detached houses and 35% apartments.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 53%. Only 9% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1947. 48% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 18 Maryland cities we have census figures for, Baltimore has the second-highest share of older homes. In Dundalk, 6 miles away, 14% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Baltimore's homes are older than those in 92% 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.
Townhouses
50% 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.
Plaster walls and deep casings
53% 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 82% 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.
Baltimore weather and your shutters
At MD Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD (1 mi away), July averages a high of 90.1°F and January a low of 30°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from January to February.
About 43 days a year reach 90°F, 52 nights fall to freezing and 44 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Maryland cities we have climate normals for, Baltimore has the second-most hot days.
That's more 90°F days than in 51% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 56 min on the longest day to 9 h 24 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 74° above the horizon in June and 27° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, MD Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD (temperature) and MD Sci Ctr Baltimore, MD (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43.7°F | 30°F | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 46.8°F | 31.9°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 55.2°F | 38.7°F | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 66.8°F | 48.2°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 75.9°F | 58°F | 3.4 in |
| Jun | 85.4°F | 67.7°F | 3.4 in |
| Jul | 90.1°F | 72.9°F | 4.7 in |
| Aug | 87.3°F | 71°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 80.4°F | 64.5°F | 4.5 in |
| Oct | 68.8°F | 52.6°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 57.6°F | 42.6°F | 3 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 34.6°F | 3.7 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 44 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 Baltimore
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 Baltimore
- Dundalk 6 mi
- Towson 6 mi
- Glen Burnie 10 mi
- Ellicott City 12 mi
- Severn 12 mi
- Columbia 15 mi
More about shutters in Baltimore
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Baltimore’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.