Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Arlington
Homes in Arlington
Apartments outnumber houses in Arlington: 66% of its 121,970 homes are in buildings of two or more units. Detached houses make up 25% and townhouses and other attached houses 9%.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 32% of homes standing today; 27% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1976. Most homes are rented: owners live in only 41%.
Of the 16 Virginia cities we have census figures for, Arlington has the highest share of apartments. Its housing is much like Alexandria's, 4 miles away. Nationally, Arlington's homes are older than those in 56% 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.
Apartments and condos
66% 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 53% 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.
Plaster walls and deep casings
21% 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.
Arlington weather and your shutters
At Washington Reagan AP, VA (4 mi away), July averages a high of 89.6°F and January a low of 30.1°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from January to February.
About 40 days a year reach 90°F, 60 nights fall to freezing and 47.2 inches of precipitation falls, spread fairly evenly through the year.
That's more freezing nights than in 53% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 54 min on the longest day to 9 h 26 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 75° above the horizon in June and 28° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Washington Reagan AP, VA (temperature) and Mclean 2.3 SE, VA (precipitation, 4 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44.8°F | 30.1°F | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 48.3°F | 31.8°F | 2.7 in |
| Mar | 56.5°F | 38.6°F | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 48.4°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 76.5°F | 58°F | 4.6 in |
| Jun | 85.1°F | 67.5°F | 4.4 in |
| Jul | 89.6°F | 72.4°F | 4.8 in |
| Aug | 87.8°F | 71°F | 3.8 in |
| Sep | 80.7°F | 64.1°F | 5 in |
| Oct | 69.4°F | 52.2°F | 4 in |
| Nov | 58.2°F | 41.6°F | 3.3 in |
| Dec | 48.8°F | 34.5°F | 3.8 in |
Humid summers
Hot days and 47.2 inches of precipitation make for heavy summer air. Wood swells when it's humid, so give kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms some air: run the fan after a shower and tilt the louvers open so steam doesn't sit behind them.
Fitting them in Arlington
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.
Near Arlington
- Alexandria 4 mi
- Washington 5 mi
- Bethesda 7 mi
- Silver Spring 9 mi
- Wheaton 12 mi
- Reston 14 mi
More about shutters in Arlington
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Arlington’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.