Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Bethesda
Homes in Bethesda
Bethesda's 30,095 homes are a mix: 53% detached houses, 43% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 4% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 45% of homes standing today; 26% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1970. 64% of homes are lived in by their owners.
In Silver Spring, 6 miles away, 65% of homes are apartments, more than here. Nationally, Bethesda's homes are older than those in 66% 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 61% 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.
Replacement windows
45% 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.
Apartments and condos
43% 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.
Bethesda weather and your shutters
At Dalecarlia Rsvr, MD (3 mi away), July averages a high of 88.2°F and January a low of 25.5°F. Average highs reach 85°F from July to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from December to February.
About 44 days a year reach 90°F, 95 nights fall to freezing and 48.3 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Maryland cities we have climate normals for, Bethesda has the most hot days.
That's more 90°F days than in 52% 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 74° above the horizon in June and 28° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Dalecarlia Rsvr, MD (temperature) and Dalecarlia Rsvr, MD (precipitation, 3 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42.9°F | 25.5°F | 3.3 in |
| Feb | 46.4°F | 27.3°F | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 54.8°F | 33.5°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 67.6°F | 43.6°F | 3.5 in |
| May | 75.7°F | 53.7°F | 4.4 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 62.8°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 88.2°F | 68°F | 5.1 in |
| Aug | 86.2°F | 66.3°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 79.4°F | 59.2°F | 4.5 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 46.8°F | 4.4 in |
| Nov | 56.4°F | 36.4°F | 3.3 in |
| Dec | 46.9°F | 29.6°F | 3.8 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 48.3 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 95 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 Bethesda
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 Bethesda
- Silver Spring 6 mi
- Wheaton 6 mi
- Rockville 7 mi
- Arlington 7 mi
- Aspen Hill 7 mi
- Washington 8 mi
More about shutters in Bethesda
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Bethesda’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.