Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Providence
Homes in Providence
Apartments outnumber houses in Providence: 70% of its 79,423 homes are in buildings of two or more units. Detached houses make up 26% and townhouses and other attached houses 4%.
More homes here were built before 1950 than in any later period we count: 61%. Only 8% date from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1938. Most homes are rented: owners live in only 41%.
Of the 4 Rhode Island cities we have census figures for, Providence has the second-highest share of older homes and the highest share of apartments. In Pawtucket, 4 miles away, 62% of homes are apartments, fewer than here. Nationally, Providence's homes are older than those in 91% 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
61% 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.
Apartments and condos
70% 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.
Out-of-square openings
With 82% 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?
59% 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.
Providence weather and your shutters
At Providence T F Green AP, RI (7 mi away), July averages a high of 83.6°F and January a low of 22.1°F. Average lows sit at or below freezing from December to March.
About 12 days a year reach 90°F, 109 nights fall to freezing and 47.7 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
Among the Rhode Island cities we have climate normals for, Providence has the second-most hot days and the second-most freezing days.
That's more freezing nights than in 71% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 13 min on the longest day to 9 h 8 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 72° above the horizon in June and 25° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Providence T F Green AP, RI (temperature) and Providence T F Green AP, RI (precipitation, 7 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38.3°F | 22.1°F | 4 in |
| Feb | 40.5°F | 23.5°F | 3.4 in |
| Mar | 47.7°F | 30.2°F | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 58.9°F | 39.6°F | 4.3 in |
| May | 68.9°F | 49.2°F | 3.4 in |
| Jun | 77.7°F | 58.8°F | 3.8 in |
| Jul | 83.6°F | 65.2°F | 2.9 in |
| Aug | 82.2°F | 63.9°F | 3.6 in |
| Sep | 74.8°F | 56.5°F | 4.2 in |
| Oct | 63.8°F | 45.1°F | 4.2 in |
| Nov | 53.2°F | 35.8°F | 4.3 in |
| Dec | 43.4°F | 27.6°F | 4.7 in |
Cold winters
With 109 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
47.7 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 Providence
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 Providence
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Providence’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.