Installing your new window shutters

1. Installing your new window shutters Installation overview. Historically, interior shutters attached directly to the window jamb or casing and folded neatly into deep-set pockets next to the window. That's not an option with retro-fitted shutters, which remain in plain sight open or shut. For the best-looking installation, you'll want your shutters to rest parallel to the wall when open, not askew like a half-opened door. That means the folding point of the hinges needs to protrude beyond the casing. The best way to accomplish this is by attaching the shutters to a frame. The frame that holds the shutters can be two simple hanging strips inside the window opening. Or, for windows that are out of square, a three- or four-sided frame around the outside of the casing will work better. The trickiest part of the process is figuring out how to position the hanging strips on the jamb. To align them, you must fasten the hinges to the shutters, then hold the shutters at the windows in an open position the hanging strips to the jamb. To align them, you must fasten the hinges to the shutters, then hold the shutters at the windows in an open position parallel to the wall and mark the wall where the hinges fall on the jamb. That provides a guideline for the hanging strips. Once they're in the right place, setting the shutters in the window opening and mounting them on the strips is quick and simple.