Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in St. Louis
Homes in St. Louis
Apartments outnumber houses in St. Louis: 52% of its 174,111 homes are in buildings of two or more units. Detached houses make up 43% and townhouses and other attached houses 4%.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 65%. Only 8% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1938. 45% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 13 Missouri cities we have census figures for, St. Louis has the second-highest share of older homes and the highest share of apartments. In Florissant, 12 miles away, 19% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, St. Louis's homes are older than those in 97% 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
65% 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 86% 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
52% 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.
St. Louis weather and your shutters
At ST Louis Sci Ctr, MO (1 mi away), July averages a high of 89.6°F and January a low of 24.6°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from December to February.
About 47 days a year reach 90°F, 79 nights fall to freezing and 43.9 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Missouri cities we have climate normals for, St. Louis has the second-most hot days.
That's more 90°F days than in 54% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 52 min on the longest day to 9 h 28 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 75° above the horizon in June and 28° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, ST Louis Sci Ctr, MO (temperature) and ST Louis Sci Ctr, MO (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40.6°F | 24.6°F | 2.7 in |
| Feb | 46.2°F | 28.4°F | 2.3 in |
| Mar | 56.3°F | 37.8°F | 3.6 in |
| Apr | 67.7°F | 48°F | 4.8 in |
| May | 77.3°F | 58.6°F | 4.9 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 67.4°F | 4.7 in |
| Jul | 89.6°F | 71.6°F | 4.2 in |
| Aug | 88.5°F | 69.9°F | 3.8 in |
| Sep | 81.5°F | 61.7°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 69.7°F | 50°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 56.2°F | 39°F | 3.7 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 29.9°F | 2.6 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 43.9 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 St. Louis
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 St. Louis
- Florissant 12 mi
- St. Charles 18 mi
- St. Peters 22 mi
- O'Fallon 27 mi
- Springfield 86 mi
More about shutters in St. Louis
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using St. Louis’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.