Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Kalamazoo
Homes in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo's 32,379 homes are a mix: 51% detached houses, 45% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 3% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 39% of homes standing today; 10% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1959. Most homes are rented: owners live in only 42%.
Of the 24 Michigan cities we have census figures for, Kalamazoo has the second-highest share of apartments. In Battle Creek, 19 miles away, 28% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Kalamazoo's homes are older than those in 85% 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.
Plaster walls and deep casings
37% 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 76% 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.
Apartments and condos
45% 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
39% 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.
Kalamazoo weather and your shutters
At Kalamazoo Battle CK Intl AP, MI (3 mi away), July averages a high of 83.1°F and January a low of 18.1°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from December to March.
About 13 days a year reach 90°F, 129 nights fall to freezing and 33.3 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around May and least in February.
That's more freezing nights than in 83% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 16 min on the longest day to 9 h 5 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, Kalamazoo Battle CK Intl AP, MI (temperature) and Kalamazoo Battle CK Intl AP, MI (precipitation, 3 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.5°F | 18.1°F | 1.7 in |
| Feb | 34.7°F | 19.5°F | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 45.9°F | 27.3°F | 2 in |
| Apr | 59.3°F | 37.7°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 70.3°F | 48.7°F | 3.7 in |
| Jun | 79.5°F | 58.1°F | 3.2 in |
| Jul | 83.1°F | 62°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 81.1°F | 60.4°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 74.1°F | 52.5°F | 3.3 in |
| Oct | 61.3°F | 41.9°F | 3.7 in |
| Nov | 47.6°F | 32.5°F | 2.5 in |
| Dec | 36.5°F | 24.2°F | 1.7 in |
Cold winters
With 129 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 Kalamazoo
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 Kalamazoo
- Battle Creek 19 mi
- Kentwood 42 mi
- Wyoming 43 mi
- Elkhart 44 mi
- Grand Rapids 47 mi
- Mishawaka 51 mi
More about shutters in Kalamazoo
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Kalamazoo’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.