Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Olympia
Homes in Olympia
Olympia's 26,795 homes are a mix: 52% detached houses, 40% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 5% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 29% of homes standing today; 25% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1982. 50% of homes are lived in by their owners.
In nearby Lacey, 5 miles away, 25% of homes were built before 1980, so Olympia's windows are on the whole older. Nationally, Olympia's homes are newer than those in 52% 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
40% 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 48% 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.
Olympia weather and your shutters
At Olympia AP, WA (5 mi away), August averages a high of 78°F and February a low of 32.3°F. No month averages a high above 85°F or a low below freezing.
About 7 days a year reach 90°F, 77 nights fall to freezing and 59.1 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around November and least in July.
Among the Washington cities we have climate normals for, Olympia has the most precipitation.
That's more freezing nights than in 58% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 15 h 54 min on the longest day to 8 h 30 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 66° above the horizon in June and 20° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Olympia AP, WA (temperature) and Olympia 1.3 S, WA (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 33.2°F | 8.9 in |
| Feb | 49.1°F | 32.3°F | 5.7 in |
| Mar | 53.7°F | 34.5°F | 6.4 in |
| Apr | 58.9°F | 37.5°F | 4.2 in |
| May | 66.1°F | 43°F | 2.5 in |
| Jun | 70.8°F | 47.4°F | 1.9 in |
| Jul | 77.6°F | 50.7°F | 0.7 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 50.5°F | 1.1 in |
| Sep | 72.1°F | 46.2°F | 2.2 in |
| Oct | 60.2°F | 40.5°F | 6.2 in |
| Nov | 50.6°F | 35.8°F | 9.7 in |
| Dec | 44.9°F | 32.8°F | 9.6 in |
Wet months
59.1 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.
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 Olympia
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 Olympia
- Lacey 5 mi
- Lakewood 19 mi
- Tacoma 25 mi
- South Hill 29 mi
- Federal Way 32 mi
- Auburn 37 mi
More about shutters in Olympia
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Olympia’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.