Installing Decorative Vinyl Shutters and Choosing the Right Hardware

Installation begins with identifying the shutter style, fastener type, and wall surface. Vinyl spikes, Shutter-Loks, and metal screws use different instructions. Board-and-batten shutters may also have different mounting locations from louver or panel shutters.

Check the package before starting

Lay out the shutters and supplied hardware, and compare them with the product description. Mid-America’s current brochure lists Shutter-Loks and screws with its standard louver, panel, and board-and-batten products in the standard color program. Specialty products and other color programs can have different hardware packages, so check the exact item.

Plan the position

1. Hold the shutter beside the window and check its top and bottom alignment.
2. Confirm a clear mounting area and identify the surface behind the siding.
3. Mark the mounting points using the manufacturer’s layout for the selected style.
4. Use the specified hole sizes, depth, fasteners, and any required anchors for that wall surface.
5. Secure the shutter without overtightening or distorting its face.

The manufacturer’s instructions take precedence over a general checklist. Perfect Shutters publishes separate directions for spikes, screws, board-and-batten, and other designs. Do not use one drilling pattern for every shutter.

Separate fasteners from decorative hardware

Installation fasteners secure the shutter to the building. Decorative hinges and S-hooks add a visual detail. They do not turn a fixed vinyl shutter into an operable one. Functional hinges, pintles, and holdbacks belong with shutters designed to use that system.

For a replacement, identify the existing fastener before removing it. Follow the maker’s removal method rather than pulling the shutter away from the wall.

Read the Perfect Shutters installation instructions or find the appropriate guide in Mid-America’s resource library.

Choosing Shutter Colors and Paintable Finishes

Shutters can blend with the trim or introduce an accent color. Compare the proposed finish against the siding, roof, masonry, and front door together. A color that looks attractive on its own may look different beside warm brick or cool gray siding.

Build a simple color plan

• For a quiet exterior: Choose a shutter color that sits comfortably with the trim and siding.
• For contrast: Compare a darker shutter against a lighter facade, or a lighter shutter against a darker one.
• For an accent: Pick a color that connects with the door or another existing exterior detail.

View a physical sample outside in daylight when one is available. Screen and printed colors are only representations. Check the manufacturer’s color name and code on the exact product; the same descriptive name across two brands is not a guarantee of a match.

Choose a paintable product for a custom finish

Paintability depends on the shutter material and manufacturer. Perfect Shutters specifies color 049 for its paintable vinyl and says its color-through products are not suitable for painting. Mid-America identifies its paintable option as color 030. Do not assume that an ordinary colored vinyl shutter can be repainted.

For Perfect Shutters paintable vinyl, follow the company’s preparation, primer, finish-coat, and curing instructions. Its current painting guide calls for four days of drying before installation. Use the directions for the product you are buying rather than transferring paint advice from one brand to another.

Review your selection before ordering

Check the finish against every pair in the project, including any separately selected accessories. If you are replacing only part of an older installation, compare a sample with the existing shutters rather than relying on a color name from memory.

See Perfect Shutters’ painting guide and Mid-America’s paintable-shutter instructions.

Choosing an Exterior Shutter Style for Your Home

A good shutter choice starts with the whole house. Look at the roof, siding, window trim, and front door together before choosing a style. The shutters should frame the windows and repeat details that already belong on the exterior.

Compare the main styles

• Louver: Horizontal slats create a lighter, detailed appearance. A center or offset mullion changes the balance of the design.
• Raised panel: Defined panels give a more solid appearance. Equal panels feel orderly; unequal panels add a different rhythm.
• Board and batten: Vertical boards and horizontal battens create a simple, rustic accent. Joined boards have a continuous face; spaced boards show gaps between the boards.
• Shaker or classic panel: Clean panel designs can suit a quieter exterior where you want the windows to remain the main feature.

Use these descriptions as a starting point rather than a rule for a particular house style. A cottage can look good with more than one shutter design. Compare the lines and proportions against a photo of your own home.

Keep the details consistent

Try one style across a group of windows first. If you mix styles between floors, keep a common color and a deliberate relationship between their sizes. Decorative hinges or hooks can add detail, but they should complement the shutters rather than crowd them.

Choose appearance and function separately

Decorative vinyl shutters mount beside the window. Perfect Shutters confirms that its vinyl products are fixed and non-operable, including their louvers. An open-louver appearance does not mean adjustable slats or window protection. If your project requires shutters that close, use a product and mounting system specifically designed for that purpose.

Compare vinyl shutter styles in the catalog.

How to Measure for Decorative Vinyl Shutters

Measure before choosing a size. For decorative vinyl shutters, you are planning the appearance and available mounting space beside the window. Record the measurements for each window, even when several windows look identical.

Make a simple window list

1. Label each window. Use names such as front-left bedroom or garage-right. Note how many pairs are needed.
2. Measure the visible frame height. Record the distance from the top of the window frame to the bottom. Note any sill, header, or projecting trim that affects where the shutter can sit.
3. Measure the window width and the space on each side. Check for corners, pipes, lights, downspouts, and adjoining windows.
4. Compare the proposed panel size. Use a cardboard outline or tape marks to see whether the shutter looks balanced and fits beside the trim.
5. Record width and height in inches. Keep fractions where needed, then compare your measurements with the options on the exact product page.

Understand the unit you are ordering

A width selection normally describes one shutter panel, not the combined width of both panels in a pair. Check the product’s unit label and selected options before adding quantity. When replacing existing shutters, measure one panel as well as the window so you can compare the old proportions with the new design.

Check shaped tops and special designs

Do not assume a curved top adds the same amount to every product. For an eyebrow shutter, use the product’s instructions for the longest height. Mid-America identifies its shutter dimensions as nominal; check the design information rather than assuming every listed measurement is an exact finished dimension.

Operable shutters and Bahama shutters need a different fit. Their clearances and hardware matter. Use the relevant manufacturer’s measuring instructions instead of applying decorative-vinyl measurements to those products.

Find your shutter and check its available measurements.

Standard or Custom Vinyl Shutters: Which Should You Choose?

Standard and custom shutters solve different sizing needs. Start with the measurements and appearance you want, then compare the available designs. A familiar style name alone does not tell you whether two products have the same width, height, or layout.

When a standard size works

Standard shutters offer a defined set of widths, heights, and designs. They can be a straightforward choice when one of those sizes fits the mounting area and gives the window the proportions you want. Choose an actual listed size rather than rounding a measurement without checking the result.

When to consider custom

Custom shutters offer more control over supported dimensions and layouts. Depending on the product, you may be able to choose panel arrangements, a mullion position, a shaped top, or a board-and-batten configuration. Each family still has its own permitted widths, height increments, and limits.

Mid-America’s offset-louver designs require a measurement from the top of the shutter to the top of the mullion in whole inches. Its unequal-panel design also needs a top-to-mullion measurement. Keep this information with your window list when selecting those designs.

Compare the exact configuration

• Confirm the manufacturer and style.
• Check width, height, and any fractional measurement.
• Choose the supported color and top profile.
• Review the quantity and whether the product is sold per pair or individually.
• Check which installation hardware is described for that product.

Similar sizes are not interchangeable: 14½ inches differs from 14¾ inches, and 59 inches differs from 60 inches. The price shown for your selected options is the figure to review before adding the product to your cart.

Browse standard and custom vinyl shutters.

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