Exterior Window Shutters
Shutters are the eyebrows of the home. I mean seriously though, they really are! I am shocked at how much character they added to our home and even though they aren’t complete show stoppers, they are not to go unappreciated. This project was probably the easiest project ever and I am thrilled at how it turned out!
Materials Needed:
12 - 1” x 5” x 8’ Common Boards
1 1/4” screws
2 1/2” screws
Varathane Stains
Classic Gray
Special Walnut
Ebony
Exterior Caulk
Power Tools Used:
Circular Saw
How To:
Measure the height of the windows to determine height of the shutters - they will be the same.
I only put shutters on two windows so I used my circular saw to cut 12 identical pieces to be the vertical boards.
Next, I set 3 of the vertical boards on the ground next to each other (parallel) and spaced them about 1/4” apart (no gaps between the boards are required, but I personally prefer the look of a small gap).
I measured the total horizontal distance of the 3 boards and the gaps in between to determine the length of the horizontal boards that would hold the shutters together.
I then used my circular saw to cut 8 identical pieces to be the horizontal/shorter boards.
Next, I placed two of the shorter boards perpendicularly across the longer boards.
After I determined exactly where I wanted to boards to be (I think mine are about 10” from each end), I then used 1 1/2” nails to secure the shorter, horizontal boards to the longer, vertical boards.
I repeated steps 6 & 7 three additional times until I had 4 identical shutters built.
Next, I took each shutter one at a time and began to secure them to the house. I put the shutter in the position I wanted and screwed them into the house.
After the shutter was secured, I backed each screw out and removed the shutter.
I applied a generous amount of caulk to each hole and then reattached the shutter in the exact same position. I included this step so that there was no chance of water damage to my home.
I repeated steps 9-11 three additional times until each shutter was secured and caulked.
Lastly, I stained the shutters. I created my own custom stain using the following Varathane stains: 1 can of Classic Gray, 1 Can of Special Walnut, and approx. 1/4 can of Ebony. I applied stain with a rag. I suggest using tape around the windows and on the siding to avoid getting stain where it doesn’t belong or you could stain the shutters prior to putting them up. I had no problem removing any excess stain with from the house with a magic eraser.
