What is the easiest shutter design to install?

Our DIY guides and helpful shutter experts are here to simplify shutter installation even if you have little to no prior DIY experience.

If you are new to installing or have windows that may be very large or not perfectly level, the easiest style to install is full height shutters.

Full Height Shutters

Full Height is also our best-selling style. Covering the entire window from top to bottom, full height shutters offer the most light-blockage and privacy.

Use a 4-sided frame and installation will be as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Assemble the frame using the bowtie shape Hoffman keys provided in your hardware kit.

2. Mount the frame to your window opening

3. Line up the hinges, and drop in the hinge pins to connect the panels to the frame

The panels will have magnets that catch a metal plate on your top and bottom frame pieces to keep the panels properly closed and aligned.



Full height shutters are our best-selling style and easiest to install.

What about café style or tier on tier shutters?

Café style and tier on tier style are also simple to install, following the same steps as full height shutters.

Since café style shutters only cover the lower half of the window opening, they generally have a 3-sided frame: left, right and bottom. If the window is very wide, you might have to make some extra adjustments or install extra magnets to get the panels to close properly without the additional support provided by the top frame piece.


Café style shutters are also simple to install but a 4-sided frame may be recommended for wider windows.


Tier on tier style shutters have more panels within each window opening and may require more adjustments to get all panels to hang squarely. If the window is very wide, you may need to adjust the hinges frequently to prevent the top tier from sagging over the bottom.


Tier on tier style shutters may need the most adjustments for a successful installation.


There are 2 mounting options for any interior shutter installation: inside mount or outside mount.

Inside Mount

Inside mount shutters fit inside the recessed window opening. They are easier to measure for, since you just need to provide the window opening size.

However, it is much more important for inside mount measurements to be exact. You’ll want to measure multiple spots in each window opening to check for variance, and order using the smallest exact measurements.

If there is a lot of variance within the window opening, you may have to shim and/or caulk to fill any gaps upon installation.


Many customers prefer inside mount, so the shutters are flush with the wall.
 

Outside Mount

Outside mount shutters fit around the outside of the window opening and mount directly to the wall or on top of any existing trim you have surrounding the window.

It is very important to use our measuring guide so you can be sure your measurements are large enough to include the shutter frame you have chosen.

Outside mount is more forgiving if your measurements are a little too big or too small and will hide any variance in your window opening if it is not perfectly square.


Outside mount is more forgiving and easier to install if your windows are shallow or have a lot of variance in the measurements.
 

Take a look at our installation guides and videos to get an overview of the steps involved for window shutters installation. Click here to view all available shutter styles or to enter your dimensions for a quick quote. For any ordering or installation questions you can always give us a call or email, or chat with us online for help.

This post was brought to you by Yasmeen, one of The Shutter Store USA's experienced shutter consultants. Contact our team today for advice on your shutters. We're here to help!