Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Salem
Homes in Salem
Salem's 71,124 homes are a mix: 58% detached houses, 33% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 4% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 36% of homes standing today; 26% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1980. 56% of homes are lived in by their owners.
Its housing is much like Albany's, 21 miles away. Nationally, Salem's homes are older than those in 51% 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.
Out-of-square openings
With 50% 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.
Replacement windows
36% of homes went up between 1950 and 1979, and most of them have had their original windows replaced since. A replacement window often sits further into or out of the wall than the old one, so the depth you have for an inside mount may differ from window to window in the same house. Measure every opening rather than copying one.
Salem weather and your shutters
At Salem Mcnary Fld, OR (2 mi away), August averages a high of 83.6°F and December a low of 35.1°F. No month averages a high above 85°F or a low below freezing.
About 18 days a year reach 90°F, 49 nights fall to freezing and 46.7 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around December and least in July.
Among the Oregon cities we have climate normals for, Salem has the second-most hot days and the most precipitation.
Daylight runs from 15 h 36 min on the longest day to 8 h 46 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 69° above the horizon in June and 22° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Salem Mcnary Fld, OR (temperature) and Salem 1.1 Wsw, OR (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48.4°F | 35.8°F | 6.6 in |
| Feb | 52.1°F | 35.9°F | 5.2 in |
| Mar | 56.8°F | 38.3°F | 5.3 in |
| Apr | 61.6°F | 41°F | 4.3 in |
| May | 69°F | 46.3°F | 2.5 in |
| Jun | 74.6°F | 50.8°F | 1.5 in |
| Jul | 83.5°F | 55.1°F | 0.4 in |
| Aug | 83.6°F | 54.8°F | 0.5 in |
| Sep | 77.5°F | 50.6°F | 1.7 in |
| Oct | 64.8°F | 43.9°F | 3.9 in |
| Nov | 53.6°F | 39°F | 7 in |
| Dec | 47.4°F | 35.1°F | 7.8 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.
Wet months
46.7 inches of precipitation a year keeps the air damp for long stretches. Steam and condensation are hard on any joint, so in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms keep the air moving and wipe water off the sill before it sits.
Fitting them in Salem
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 Salem
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Salem’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.