Selecting Hinges for Functional Shutters

Selecting Hinges for Functional Shutters

This guide will help you select functional shutter hinges. We are here to help you throughout the process but we need information and input from you. Nearly every installation is somewhat different and construction and terminology vary across the country. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

Getting started:

To select hinges, a basic understanding of shutters is quite helpful. Please review our “Shutter Hardware Installation Details Guide” available at www.jwright.com or click here.

Take a look at available shutter hinge types on our website or click here.

Planning:

What type of siding is on the house around the window (brick, wood lap, hardy plank, etc)?

What type of molding (wood brick mold, 1x4 flat, metal, etc) is around the window or does the siding material butt up to the window with no molding at all?

Are the shutters going to be closing into a pocket or window opening? How deep? Anything in the way?

Where will the pintle (or part of the hinge mounted to the house) be placed?

What is the distance from the outside edge of the trim board to the face of the sash itself?

How thick is the shutter?

Take pictures and make a sketch:

Pictures will help us help you. Head-on pictures from a distance are not that helpful so please take close-ups and shots from different angles. Including a tape measure in close-ups is helpful.

Sketches always help. You do not need to be an artist to make a very useful sketch. Below are some examples to help visualize an installation.

Think about where the shutter will be in the open and closed positions. Consider what is in the way given the thickness of the shutter and where the pintle will mount.

Worksheet:

Make a sketch showing about where you want the open shutter and where you want the closed shutter. Add as many dimensions to the sketch as possible.

In order to swing the shutter from open to closed, look at what is in the way.

Make sure you consider the thickness of the shutter. Also consider any hardware that you might mount to the shutter like a slide bolt or pull ring. It is always best to leave a small gap between the shutter and building wall or window. Give yourself some extra room to work with and do not expect things to be perfectly true, accurate, and plumb.

Decide where the pintle or house side of the hinge will mount. If not mounting to a flat piece of wood, a lag pintle, jamb pintle, brick pintle, or other mount may be best.

Make sure you account for and understand the offset and throw of the hinge.

Take some good pictures.

If possible, email your pictures, notes, and dimensioned sketch to us first at info@jwright.com and then call if you need assistance. If this is your first shutter installation, it may be best if you order one set of hinges to test fit things before ordering enough to do the entire house. Unused items in new condition can be returned to us for a refund or credit.