Shutter BoysCalifornia shutters in Stratford
Homes in Stratford
Stratford's 14,740 occupied homes are a mix: 53% detached houses, 30% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 17% semi-detached and row houses.
More homes here were built 1960 or earlier than in any later period we count: 38%. Only 18% date from 2001 or later. 66% of homes are lived in by their owners.
In nearby Wilmot, 27 km away, 41% of homes were built in 1980 or earlier, so Stratford's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Stratford's homes are older than those in 90% of the 167 Canadian cities we have census figures for.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Period of construction and tenure come from the 25% sample; counts are randomly rounded.
Plaster walls and deep casings
38% of homes date from 1960 or earlier, 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 64% of homes built in 1980 or earlier, 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 6 mm, add a mounting frame in the designer, or choose an outside mount so the shutter covers the uneven edges.
Semis and row houses
17% of homes share a wall with the next one. Their front windows face the street side by side with the neighbours', so many owners pick a louver size and a white or off-white finish that sit well beside the houses on either side. Bay windows on semis usually need a separate panel set for each face.
Stratford weather and your shutters
At London (41 km away), July averages a high of 26.6 °C and January a low of −9.1 °C. Average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 11 days a year top 30 °C, 139 days drop to 0 °C or below and 962 mm of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more 30 °C days than in 63% of the 160 Canadian cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 24 min on the longest day to 8 h 57 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 70° above the horizon in June and 23° in December.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, London. Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −1.6 °C | −9.1 °C | 78.6 mm |
| Feb | −0.6 °C | −9 °C | 62.8 mm |
| Mar | 4.6 °C | −4.5 °C | 67.4 mm |
| Apr | 12.2 °C | 1.4 °C | 88.5 mm |
| May | 19.3 °C | 7.7 °C | 88.8 mm |
| Jun | 24.4 °C | 13.2 °C | 85.9 mm |
| Jul | 26.6 °C | 15.3 °C | 80.5 mm |
| Aug | 25.7 °C | 14.4 °C | 66.9 mm |
| Sep | 22.1 °C | 10.5 °C | 92.7 mm |
| Oct | 14.7 °C | 5 °C | 82.6 mm |
| Nov | 7.5 °C | −0.3 °C | 87.7 mm |
| Dec | 1.4 °C | −5.2 °C | 79.2 mm |
Cold winters
With 139 days at or below freezing 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.
Summer sun
On the 11 days a year above 30 °C, closed louvers keep direct sun off the glass and out of the room. In a window that takes afternoon sun, white and light paint finishes stay cooler to the touch than dark stains.
Fitting them in Stratford
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 Stratford
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Stratford’s own figures.
Price your windows
Choose Canada in the designer, enter millimetres or inches, and we reply with your quote in Canadian dollars.