Steve Nott of Steve Nott and Son Carpentry reviews the steps involved in installing the window shutters. The old shutter has been removed as it had fallen into a state of disrepair and might use lead paint. New shutters from J&L Shutters were used as replacements. The shutters are made from Permex, a synthetic material, and are pre-painted with a ten-year warranty. The shutters also have metal reinforcement through the stiles and historic-style hinges. The hinge section has already been attached to the shutter and the hinge pin is attached to the window casing. The shutter is a working shutter and can be closed to protect windows during a storm. Measurements for the screw holes have already been made. A pilot hole is then drilled into the wood. Pilot holes are important because drilling a screw into the wood without one can weaken the wood. Once the pins are in, the shutter is put into place. The shutter dog is then installed at the bottom to hold the shutter in an open position. First, the shutter dog is put in position and marked on the wall. A hole is then drilled into the stucco using a masonry bit. After the stucco is penetrated, the bit is switched to a standard bit to drill into the sheathing underneath. The use of the old-style hinges retains the historic appeal of the home. These shutters are resistant to rot and will last a long time.

When putting up shutters, the key is to have good, sturdy hardware. Look for pressure treated wood shutters for exterior use. To have operable shutters, the shutter dogs and hinges need to be sturdy (and of high quality). After marking the location for the hinges, drill pilot holes for the screws. Then screw the hinges and other hardware in place. Hang your shutters and test the fit.

Bob Ryley is on hand to help hang some new Withers Industries shutters on the front of the center-entry Colonial. The shutters are made from Southern Yellow Pine, and add an authentic touch to the Colonial fa�ade. The painters have coated them in Charles Green paint from the Bob Vila Signature Line collection. Ryley begins with the pintles that will hold the shutters off and away from the window casing. Bob and Ryley drop the shutters into place on the pintles, then Ryley attaches some new wrought-iron shutter dogs to hold the new shutters in place.

Shutters add a rich detail and character to your home while protecting your windows from damaging winds and rain.

Bob meets with the restoration contractor, Richard Marks, and looks at shutters. They also visit the Withers Industries plant where the shutters are made.

Bob meets general contractor Wes Lohr at the Colonial-style affordable home in Mashpee, Massachusetts. The exterior of the home is receiving finishing touches as synthetic Permex shutters from JL Shutters are installed. These solid, handsome shutters feature a lifetime warranty against defects and a ten-year warranty on the painted finish from Sherwin Williams.

Bob reviews the finishing touches on the front porch with Bob Ryley and general contractor Kevin Kalman. Next Bob confers with Pat and Randy Withers of Withers Shutters as they install exterior shutters at the Lifespan House in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

House nine of the Elmwood project. The finishing touches are done on the front porch with a Sherwin Williams latex paint on the exterior and new yellow pine shutters.

Bob Ryley installs plantation shutters in a bedroom wall. A wood jam had to be fastened to the wall to allow the shutters to be mounted and adjusted.

Bob takes a tour of the American Plywood Association testing facilities with Tom Williamson, the Executive Vice President of Engineered Wood Systems. Tom explains the various wood tests to Bob. First is the gluelam tester that tests the large beam with two load heads that apply up to two hundred fifty thousand pounds of pressure to the beam. The beam breaks at thirty-two thousand pounds of load. Next, Tom shows Bob the cyclic shearwall test which pushes an OSB wall and framing system back and forth to simulate an earthquake and measures the amount of load the can be applied to it. Tom then leads Bob to the panel flexure test, which determines the bending stiffness and strength of an OSB panel. Another test simulates a plywood window shutter by shooting a two by four into it with an air cannon. Finally Tom shows Bob the buckling wall test that exposes a plywood sidewall to three weeks of continuous rain and then measures how much it has buckled and moved. After three weeks, the wall has moved less than one tenth of an inch.