Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Peabody
Homes in Peabody
Peabody's 23,081 homes are a mix: 51% detached houses, 42% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 5% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 38% of homes standing today; 16% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1966. 66% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 26 Massachusetts cities we have census figures for, Peabody has some of the newest homes. In Lynn, 4 miles away, 61% of homes are apartments, more than here. Nationally, Peabody's homes are older than those in 69% 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 64% 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
26% 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.
Apartments and condos
42% 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.
Replacement windows
38% 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.
Peabody weather and your shutters
At Beverly Muni AP, MA (4 mi away), July averages a high of 81.8°F and January a low of 19.7°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from December to March.
About 10 days a year reach 90°F, 126 nights fall to freezing and 49.1 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more freezing nights than in 82% 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, Beverly Muni AP, MA (temperature) and Danvers 0.8 Ese, MA (precipitation, 3 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36.2°F | 19.7°F | 3.8 in |
| Feb | 38.5°F | 21°F | 3.7 in |
| Mar | 45.2°F | 28°F | 5.1 in |
| Apr | 56.5°F | 37.1°F | 4.3 in |
| May | 66.5°F | 46.8°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 75.8°F | 56.1°F | 3.9 in |
| Jul | 81.8°F | 62.2°F | 3.5 in |
| Aug | 80.7°F | 60.6°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 73.4°F | 53.2°F | 3.9 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 42.4°F | 4.9 in |
| Nov | 51.4°F | 33.9°F | 4.1 in |
| Dec | 41.5°F | 25.7°F | 4.9 in |
Cold winters
With 126 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
49.1 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 Peabody
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 Peabody
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Peabody’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.