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daleslad
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2015 04:12pm
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Hi All,
I'm looking for ideas, advice, suggestions or anything else I can use to help me decide on what kind of shutters I can make for my cabin.
They don't have to be pretty as they will only be used in the winter to keep the snow off the window glass.
At present I have a pair of hanging shutters that have eyebolts along the top that hang on hooks.
They are heavy and hard to put up and store so I'm wanting to come up with hinged shutters that I can just leave up during the summer.
What kind of material would be better to use and work with?
The window size including the 3 inch frame is 65.5 in. x 51 in.
Has anyone ever used any kind of heavy duty plexiglass or plastic material for shutters.
Thanks.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2015 06:02pm
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I've thought about making shutters from Hardi panel, the cementious stuff they sell in 4x8 sheets for soffits etc. I'm in fire area so a fire barrier over the windows would be a good idea. But you probably don't need that. Another alternative I considered was corrugated metal roofing, with 1x pieces on the back as a support. If each shutter was made from one piece of roofing it would not need the support of a frame to resist racking, but it would need a frame to keep the metal from flapping in the wind and also to attach hinges to.
For hinges I thought about strap hinges with the L shaped lag screws with short posts on them that the hairpin of the strap fits over. Advantage to these is that the shutter would lift off the hinge easily when not in use and be easy to replace.
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skootamattaschmidty
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2015 07:37pm
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I've never thought of making shutters with plexi glass but I think you could be on to something. Plexi glass is tough. I have made windows out of plexi glass and used pine for the frame and dadoed a groove for the plexi glass to fit into. I don't see why you couldn't use it for shutters and that way the light would still get through. Just a thought.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2015 07:44pm
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I have both kinds , the top hung ones are heavy and a summer storage problem . The side hinged ones are easy to open and close , mine have 2in hinges that are mortised in . I do have trouble with the hinges rusting ., perhaps they make stainless now . Mine are old . They are made from T&G Pine painted white and require continuous maintenance but the do protect the windows and provide some security .
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2015 08:32pm
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I think that plexiglass doesn't hold up well exposed to light. It's made of acrylic and less expensive. Lexan is polycarbonate, more expensive, better impact resistance, and doesn't degrade in light as quickly. I think that's how it goes.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 5 Oct 2015 09:01am
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I will be looking into this too and watching this thread. I have window covers for winter to protect glass from blowing/falling tree limbs etc and lookers. I want something to be fire resistant now also. bldg insp, your idea sounds perfect. I will add to fold the emtal roofing over the 1X framing to keep sparks off of framing and do it in a way to shed water down the sides too. Also, a small overhang above the covers to keep blowing sparks from getting behind the cover from above.
I have 2X on it now and 3/8" plywood over it. Light and I can skin it with metal. Cement board would make it heavy.
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davestreck
Member
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# Posted: 5 Oct 2015 06:23pm
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Mine are T&G pine with oak braces. I used Acme Lull and Porter hinges, which use the shutter's own weight to hold it open. They work great. When I close the cabin up for the year I latch the shutters closed with brass sash locks.
Astute readers will notice that the z-braces on the first picture are backwards. I installed the shutters the wrong way. I keep meaning to fix that but end up forgetting every trip.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 5 Oct 2015 08:10pm
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SHARP looking doublehungs, davestreck. I think in reality cross braces like that work just fine, they are just in tension not compression. Catches the eye, though.
I was wondering whether to put a cornice above mine, now I think I will. Did you do a traditional mold treatment inside? Pics?
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davestreck
Member
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# Posted: 5 Oct 2015 08:49pm
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Thanks. The double-hungs I built myself from discarded wood sash. The cornice molding dresses up the casing nicely, I think.
The inside of the cabin remains unfinished while we decide what to do about insulation and wall treatments. I want to do Roxul and wood paneling, with traditional molded casings, but that is a project fairly low on the list. Much else to do before I'll be tackling that.
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KinAlberta
Member
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2015 09:47pm - Edited by: KinAlberta
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I have one small window pane I did in Lexan about 15 years ago. No yellowing and it's hard to tell it from the glass in the pane right below it. So Lexan shutters is a really neat idea! They'd work as storm windows if sealed as well or at least you wouldn't have to open them every time you visited the cabin. (Which could be a fire safety issue if the locked from the outside.)
I love the look of the green shutters posted above.
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