Shutters are the perfect add-on to your home for protection and decorative purposes. It adds appeal to your home and also protects you weather extremes. You can always opt for shutters to get a revamped look for your home. For a simple, stylish look to your homes, it is always better you go for shutters that perfectly fit the windows of your home. Be it a raised panel, board and batten or louvered shutter- you need to choose the right shutter that is of appropriate size and color.

Many people wish to install exterior shutters of their home all by themselves. A step-by-step guide to install shutters on your own is as follows:

Do the measurement carefully

The very first thing you need to do is to measure the windows carefully. The right measurement is very important to make your home look good. A shutter that does fit the windows properly never boosts the curb appeal of your home. So, be very careful in this process of measuring the windows.

Choose shutters wisely

You need to go for shutters that match the existing architecture of your home. It should compliment your home and add value to it. The window shutters also need to be smaller than the windows as it will be again nestled into a window casing. This won’t be much of a problem, since you already know the size of the windows. If you wish to open and close your shutters perfectly according to your requirement, it is important to choose appropriately sized shutters.

Prepare your shutters for installation

Once the house shutters are installed, it is very difficult to make the right changes. So, paint the shutters on all sides and not just the front and back. Make sure the shutters you have are the shutters you want hanging. Depending on the material, you need to apply a primer before applying the paint. For the best results, you need to use an exterior oil base paint or any kind of exterior latex paint. Also, remember the fact that the paint drying time on window shutters vary according to the weather conditions.

Be ready with required hardware

The next thing you need to do buy the required hardware for installing the shutters. To hang your shutters, you need to have hinges, tiebacks, pintle, pull ring and latches. So, ensure to purchase all these hardware items before you install the shutter. After you are done buying the hardware pieces, it is important to shim the shutters in the window. This is important to get that ¼” space on all sides.

Attach the hardware items properly

The next thing that you need to do for installing house shutters is to attach the hardware. Start with the upper hinge pintles. The next thing you need to do is mark the location of the screw holes for the hinge. Also drill pilot holes at the points that are marked just now on the window casing. Next, mark the location for the screws of the bottom hinge to attach the bottom hinges.

Shutter installation process

For installing house shutters, you need to follow the step by step process-

• The other half of the hinge needs to be attached to the shutter, so drill holes on it to hang the shutter.
• After making marks and knowing exactly where to drill, you need to drill pilot holes in the marks. This is important to attach the hinges with the help of appropriate screws.
• Next before setting the shutter you need to position and fasten the bolt and pull rings for the latch to one of the shutters. The next step involves putting the pins through the hinges for hanging the shutters in place.
• After this, you need to mount the shutter dogs that keeps the shutters open. These are usually attached the exterior walls of the house. You need to open the shutters to begin the process.
• After this the locking hardware needs to be attached. For this you need to close the exterior shutters and move inside the house. Position and attach the pull ring along with positioning the latch to complete the locking process.
• The last thing you need to do is attach capping to protect the surface with the help of silicone adhesives. This will help to seal the area and keep the surface protected.

So, if you wish to install window shutters on your own, you can always follow the above-mentioned process or take the help of a reliable shutter manufacturing company to complete the shutter installation process. Installing the right shutter enhances the overall look of your home and adds the right dash of style to it. Choosing the right shutter manufacturing company or following the process yourself can always help you install shutters for your home.