Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Duluth
Homes in Duluth
Duluth's 39,978 homes are a mix: 60% detached houses, 35% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 3% townhouses and other attached houses.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 48%. Only 12% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1951. 59% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 19 Minnesota cities we have census figures for, Duluth has the highest share of older homes. Nationally, Duluth's homes are older than those in 87% 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
48% 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 78% 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
35% 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.
Duluth weather and your shutters
At Duluth Harbor Stn, MN (2 mi away), July averages a high of 75.2°F and January a low of 4.3°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from November to April.
About 2 days a year reach 90°F, 166 nights fall to freezing and 31.1 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in February.
That's more freezing nights than in 98% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 52 min on the longest day to 8 h 32 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 67° above the horizon in June and 20° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Duluth Harbor Stn, MN (temperature) and Duluth 3.0 NE, MN (precipitation, 4 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20.8°F | 4.3°F | 1 in |
| Feb | 25.7°F | 8°F | 0.9 in |
| Mar | 34.7°F | 18.6°F | 1.5 in |
| Apr | 45.3°F | 30.8°F | 2.6 in |
| May | 56.1°F | 40.8°F | 3.5 in |
| Jun | 66.2°F | 49°F | 4.4 in |
| Jul | 75.2°F | 57.7°F | 4.1 in |
| Aug | 74.4°F | 59.5°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 66.2°F | 50.8°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 52.1°F | 38.5°F | 3 in |
| Nov | 38.8°F | 25.9°F | 1.7 in |
| Dec | 26.7°F | 12.8°F | 1.5 in |
Deep cold
January nights average 4.3°F. Closed shutters trap a layer of still air against the glass, which keeps the room warmer, but the glass behind them gets colder too, and frost can form on the inside of older windows. Tilt the louvers open in the morning to let room air reach the glass, and wipe the sill if water collects.
Fitting them in Duluth
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 Duluth
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Duluth’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.