Here you
can find and order all of the different styles of strap, edge mortised
and cast surface hinges offered at Kestrel Shutters. We also offer
a variety of shutter dogs, gate hinges and latches which you can view by
clicking here. Don't see what you
are looking for? Let us know and we will find it or have it custom
made for you.
Here
at Kestrel we are proud of the fact that many of our exterior
shutter hardware pieces are made locally by some of the most respected and
skilled blacksmiths and foundries in the country. When you see
this symbol you can be assured that your hardware is made within 50
miles of our own manufacturing facility.
Even if you only plan to use your
shutters as decoration you should still use exterior shutter hinges. When
shutters are mounted directly to the face of a house there is no room for
ventilation between the shutter and the house. This results in a
tremendous heat build up from the sun that can cause damage to siding and
painted finishes.
One way around this is to mount
the shutters permanently to a block of wood so that there is room for
ventilation. The drawback with this is that whenever you need to do
housework in the area of your windows you will have to pry the shutters off the
face of your house. This can be avoided by using any of the hinges we
offer. They only take a few minutes to install and will allow you to
easily lift off the shutters when you go to repaint or even just to wash off the
siding.
If you have an older house that
had shutters at one time, take a look for any hardware that is still mounted to
your house. While the shutters may have been destroyed, or taken
down and lost, the hardware was usually left on the house. This is one way
to find out what was originally used. You can also take a look at
some other homes in your area. Another way is to check in with the local
historical society. They will often have old photographs showing what was
used in your area.
If you are not matching a style of
hardware then go with what you like the most. However, certain type of
hardware will only work in certain situations.
Mortised hinges like the Acme Lull
& Porter can only be used where there is enough wood trim, within the
opening, to mount the shutters. One way to think of this type of hinge is
picture it as a fancy door hinge. Part of the hinge is mortised into the
edge of the shutter, part is mortised into the window trim. If your
windows are flush with the face of your house and your trim then you will need
to use a surface mounted hinge.
Surface mounted hinges are exactly
that; hinges that are mounted to the face of your window trim or the face of
your house. If you are using your shutters for storm protection we
recommend going with the heavier, straight strap hinges.
If you are using an edge mortised
hinge like the Acme Lull & Porter hinges you are going to choose a hinge
based on the overall width of the hinge when in the open position. Measure
the distance from where the shutter will rest when in the closed position to the
position where the shutter will sit in the opened position. Remember, when
the shutters are in the opened position they should stand out from the face of
the house. This way there will always be ventilation behind the
shutter. Once you have this measurement choose the hinge that's width is
larger than than this measurement. For example, if the measurement from
the shutter in the opened position to the shutter in the closed position is
4.5/8", choose the 5" wide Acme Lull & Porter hinge.
For
surface mount hinges you are going to choose the hinge based on the
offset. The offset you will need will be based on the type of construction
you have and the depth of your window sill. The smaller the offset, the
shallower the depth of your window frame. For simple reference use this
drawing.
If you're still not sure which
hinge will work best for you click
hereto view and fill out
our window and hinge worksheet. The worksheet will help us to help you
determine which hinge will work best for you.
Here
at Kestrel we are proud of the fact that many of our exterior
shutter hardware pieces are made locally by some of the most respected and
skilled blacksmiths and foundries in the country. When you see
this symbol you can be assured that your hardware is made within 50
miles of our own manufacturing facility. 
For
surface mount hinges you are going to choose the hinge based on the
offset. The offset you will need will be based on the type of construction
you have and the depth of your window sill. The smaller the offset, the
shallower the depth of your window frame. For simple reference use this
drawing.
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