Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Detroit
Homes in Detroit
Detroit is a city of houses: of its 329,393 homes, 64% are detached, 7% are townhouses and other attached houses and 28% are apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 57%. Only 4% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1947. 50% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 7 Michigan cities we have census figures for, Detroit has the highest share of older homes. In Dearborn, 7 miles away, 20% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Detroit's homes are older than those in 100% of the 375 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
57% 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 90% 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.
Whole-house orders
With 64% of homes detached, most orders here cover a whole house: bedrooms, a patio door, perhaps a bay. Put every window in one list in the designer so the louver size and colour match from the street, and if you have an HOA, send it the drawings before you order.
Detroit weather and your shutters
At Dearborn #2, MI (4 mi away), July averages a high of 84.1°F and January a low of 19.4°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from December to March.
About 17 days a year reach 90°F, 125 nights fall to freezing and 35 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Michigan cities we have climate normals for, Detroit has the most hot days.
That's more freezing nights than in 86% of the 381 US cities we have climate normals for.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Dearborn #2, MI (temperature) and Dearborn #2, MI (precipitation, 4 mi away).
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 19.4°F | 2.1 in |
| Feb | 35.9°F | 20.1°F | 2.1 in |
| Mar | 45.8°F | 27.1°F | 2.5 in |
| Apr | 58.9°F | 37.1°F | 3.2 in |
| May | 69.9°F | 48.2°F | 3.7 in |
| Jun | 79.2°F | 59.4°F | 3.7 in |
| Jul | 84.1°F | 63.4°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 62.2°F | 3.5 in |
| Sep | 75.2°F | 54.5°F | 3 in |
| Oct | 62.5°F | 43.1°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 49.3°F | 33.3°F | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 37.3°F | 25.4°F | 2.4 in |
Cold winters
With 125 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 Detroit
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.
Price your windows
Add each window, pick your options and send it to us. We check the sizes and reply with your quote.