Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Ellicott City
Homes in Ellicott City
Ellicott City's 27,645 homes are a mix: 54% detached houses, 27% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 19% townhouses and other attached houses.
The 1980s and 1990s built 39% of today's homes, more than any other period we count. 26% are older than that and 35% newer. The median home dates from 1992. Owners live in 72% of homes.
In nearby Columbia, 6 miles away, 43% of homes were built before 1980, so Ellicott City's windows are on the whole newer. Nationally, Ellicott City's homes are newer than those in 79% 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
19% 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.
Rounded drywall corners
74% 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.
Shallow openings
35% 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.
Bought to stay
Owners live in 72% 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.
Ellicott City weather and your shutters
At Cylburn, MD (11 mi away), July averages a high of 86.5°F and January a low of 26.6°F. Average highs reach 85°F in July and average lows sit at or below freezing from December to February.
About 18 days a year reach 90°F, 92 nights fall to freezing and 49.8 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more freezing nights than in 64% 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, Cylburn, MD (temperature) and Columbia 2.3 N, MD (precipitation, 3 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42.4°F | 26.6°F | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 46.3°F | 28.3°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 53.8°F | 34.2°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 65.5°F | 44.9°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 73.2°F | 54.5°F | 5.1 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 63.9°F | 4.8 in |
| Jul | 86.5°F | 69.3°F | 5.3 in |
| Aug | 83.9°F | 67°F | 3.9 in |
| Sep | 76.8°F | 59.8°F | 4.7 in |
| Oct | 66.3°F | 48.5°F | 4.2 in |
| Nov | 56.4°F | 38.7°F | 3.7 in |
| Dec | 46.4°F | 31.5°F | 4 in |
Cold winters
With 92 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
49.8 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 Ellicott City
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 Ellicott City
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Ellicott City’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.