Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Harrisburg
Homes in Harrisburg
Harrisburg has an unusually large share of townhouses and other attached houses: 43% of its 24,130 homes, beside 14% detached houses and 42% apartments.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 53%. Only 6% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1947. Most homes are rented: owners live in only 37%.
Of the 10 Pennsylvania cities we have census figures for, Harrisburg has the highest share of apartments. Its housing is much like Lancaster's, 35 miles away. Nationally, Harrisburg's homes are older than those in 96% 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.
Townhouses
43% 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 townhouses usually need a separate panel set for each face.
Plaster walls and deep casings
53% 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 85% 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.
Renting?
63% of homes are rented. Shutters screw into the window frame or casing, so ask your landlord before you install; taking them down later leaves only screw holes to fill.
Harrisburg weather and your shutters
At Harrisburg 1 NE, PA (1 mi away), July averages a high of 85.2°F and January a low of 21.8°F. Average highs reach 85°F in July and average lows sit at or below freezing from December to March.
About 18 days a year reach 90°F, 111 nights fall to freezing and 45.3 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more freezing nights than in 71% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 3 min on the longest day to 9 h 18 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 73° above the horizon in June and 26° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Harrisburg 1 NE, PA (temperature) and Harrisburg 1 NE, PA (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36.6°F | 21.8°F | 2.9 in |
| Feb | 39.5°F | 22.5°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 48.1°F | 30°F | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 40.2°F | 3.9 in |
| May | 71.7°F | 50.6°F | 4 in |
| Jun | 80.6°F | 60.3°F | 4 in |
| Jul | 85.2°F | 64.7°F | 4.8 in |
| Aug | 82.9°F | 62.4°F | 4.3 in |
| Sep | 75.1°F | 54.8°F | 4.6 in |
| Oct | 63.1°F | 43.1°F | 3.8 in |
| Nov | 51.1°F | 33.8°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 40.8°F | 26.7°F | 3.4 in |
Cold winters
With 111 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.
Wet months
45.3 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 Harrisburg
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 Harrisburg
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Harrisburg’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.