Shutters and your windows: cleaning, screens and replacement

They can. An inside mount puts frame on the sill, top and sides of the window. Windows and screens that come out from the inside can hit that frame. An outside mount keeps the opening clear, and it is never an issue when you replace your windows later.

Which mount looks better from outside the house?

Most homeowners care more about the look inside the room, but the view from the street comes up often. With an inside mount, the L-frame and hardware sit right behind the glass. From outside, you see the back of the frame, a bulky look that draws the eye as you walk up to the house.

Which mount is easier for window cleaning and screens?

Outside mount. An inside mount puts frame on the sill, along the top of the window and down both sides, which makes the glass and sill harder to reach. With an outside mount, you open the panel and the whole window is clear to clean. Homeowners ask about this often, and it is worth thinking about for kitchens and windows you clean a lot.

Many windows come out for cleaning. Sliding windows lift and swing into the room sideways, and hung windows lift up and pull out. With an L-frame or Z-frame inside the opening, the window can hit the frame on the way out, which defeats the purpose. Screens that come out from the inside run into the same problem.

Before you choose an inside mount, check how your windows and screens come out. With an outside mount, the opening stays clear for both.

What happens to shutters when you replace your windows?

With an outside mount, nothing. The frame is mounted on the wall, not the window, so new windows go in behind it. We have tens of thousands of outside mount shutters in homes that replaced their windows after the shutters went in, and it has never been an issue.

With an inside mount, flush or Z-frame, the frame is fastened to the window jamb, so new windows can conflict with it. We often get calls from homeowners changing their windows who want our installers to take the shutters down first, including shutters other companies installed. Pulling a frame off a jamb after it has been mitered, painted and sanded, without damaging it, is very difficult and close to impossible. New windows can also need a whole new shutter design, which can mean new shutters.

If your windows might be replaced in the next few years, plan for it now. Choose an outside mount, or replace the windows first and add inside mount shutters after.

This is part of our inside vs. outside mount guide. To see the options in person, visit our factory and showroom in Lake Forest, or call 949-951-0600 for a free in-home consultation.