Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Columbia
Homes in Columbia
Columbia's 56,054 homes are a mix: 53% detached houses, 39% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 6% townhouses and other attached houses.
Much of Columbia is new: 39% of homes were built 2000 or later, and only 32% before 1980. The median home dates from 1993. 49% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 13 Missouri cities we have census figures for, Columbia has the second-highest share of apartments. In O'Fallon, 87 miles away, 12% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Columbia's homes are newer than those in 73% 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.
Shallow openings
39% 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.
Rounded drywall corners
68% 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.
Apartments and condos
39% 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.
Columbia weather and your shutters
At Columbia U OF M, MO (1 mi away), July averages a high of 88.6°F and January a low of 22.5°F. Average highs reach 85°F from July to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from December to February.
About 41 days a year reach 90°F, 93 nights fall to freezing and 44.7 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more 90°F days than in 50% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 54 min on the longest day to 9 h 26 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 74° above the horizon in June and 28° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Columbia U OF M, MO (temperature) and Columbia U OF M, MO (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39.3°F | 22.5°F | 2.4 in |
| Feb | 44.9°F | 26.5°F | 2.3 in |
| Mar | 56.2°F | 35.8°F | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 45.8°F | 4.8 in |
| May | 75.7°F | 56°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 84.5°F | 65.2°F | 5.1 in |
| Jul | 88.6°F | 69.1°F | 4.6 in |
| Aug | 87.6°F | 67.4°F | 4.1 in |
| Sep | 79.9°F | 58.8°F | 4.3 in |
| Oct | 68.3°F | 47.3°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 54.8°F | 36.5°F | 3 in |
| Dec | 43.6°F | 26.9°F | 2.2 in |
Cold winters
With 93 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.
Humid summers
Hot days and 44.7 inches of precipitation make for heavy summer air. Wood swells when it's humid, so give kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms some air: run the fan after a shower and tilt the louvers open so steam doesn't sit behind them.
Fitting them in Columbia
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 Columbia
- O'Fallon 87 mi
More about shutters in Columbia
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Columbia’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.