Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Portland
Homes in Portland
Portland's 307,719 homes are a mix: 52% detached houses, 41% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 5% townhouses and other attached houses.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 34%. Only 24% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1966. 52% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Of the 6 Oregon cities we have census figures for, Portland has the highest share of older homes and the highest share of apartments. In nearby Vancouver, 7 miles away, 40% of homes were built before 1980, so Portland's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Portland's homes are older than those in 71% of the 375 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
34% 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 63% 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
41% 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.
Portland weather and your shutters
At Portland Kgw-TV, OR (2 mi away), August averages a high of 80.6°F and January a low of 37.3°F. No month averages a high above 85°F or a low below freezing.
About 11 days a year reach 90°F, 18 nights fall to freezing and 44.9 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around December and least in July.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Portland Kgw-TV, OR (temperature) and Portland 0.8 ENE, OR (precipitation, 1 mi away).
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46.9°F | 37.3°F | 6.5 in |
| Feb | 50.5°F | 38.8°F | 4.4 in |
| Mar | 55.8°F | 40.9°F | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 60.7°F | 44.2°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 68°F | 49.4°F | 3 in |
| Jun | 72.9°F | 53.3°F | 1.7 in |
| Jul | 80.3°F | 57.9°F | 0.6 in |
| Aug | 80.6°F | 58.6°F | 0.6 in |
| Sep | 74.9°F | 55.1°F | 1.6 in |
| Oct | 62.9°F | 47.9°F | 3.9 in |
| Nov | 52.3°F | 41.6°F | 6.7 in |
| Dec | 45.9°F | 37.3°F | 7.3 in |
Dry summers, wet winters
Barely any of the year's precipitation falls in June, July and August; most comes in the cool months. Wood takes on moisture in the wet season and gives it back in the dry one, so expect the panels to feel slightly tighter in winter than in summer. Fit them in the season you're in, and leave the hinge screws a quarter turn from tight until they've been through both.
Fitting them in Portland
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.
Price your windows
Add each window, pick your options and send it to us. We check the sizes and reply with your quote.