Good Millwork: New Orleans Historic Shutters

We have a thing for shutters, and the City of New Orleans, LA has done an awesome job preserving these historic beauties. New Orleans has several districts that draw visitors from all over the world to get a “fix” of its old charm. Those who cannot get enough will visit this great city time and time again.

Shutters
Shutters (or blinds) are used on many buildings throughout the local historic districts. They are particularly suited to urban neighborhoods in a subtropical climate. Wood shutters are useful because they offer both protection from intruders and the ability to moderate the effects of climate. As with other features of historic architecture, shutter forms are varied and have undergone evolutionary and stylistic changes. The type and detail of a shutter is closely related to the age, type and style of the building on which it was originally hung. For this reason, wherever possible, shutter designs should be consistent with their location. The following is a descriptive listing of most of the types of shutters found on the historic buildings in local historic districts.

Batten Shutters
The simplest form of shutter consists of vertical boards with battens nailed crosswise (horizontally) to hold them together. The outer surface of the boards is usually grooved by vertical flush beads run onto the edges. Batten shutters invariable hang on wrought iron strap hinges which are about two-thirds as long as the shutter is wide.

Vertical Board/Rail and Stile Shutters
From the exterior side, this type of shutter looks like the simple batten shutter since it has vertical beaded boards. On the other side, the battens are replaced by a frame of rails and stiles. These have the effect of dividing the back side into panels and create a finer, more finished shutter. These shutters are usually hung on strap hinges. As is true of the edges of battens, the edges of these rails and stiles are molded, or a separate panel molding is added at the joint between the frame of rail and stiles and the flat, recessed rear surface of the vertical boards that make up the front of the shutter. In some instances, the interior paneled area is filled in with a single flat panel which covers the interior surface of the vertical exterior boards or with diagonal boards flush with the surrounding stiles and rails.

Paneled Shutters
Paneled shutters consist of frame of rails and stiles which support panels of wood that are held in place by panel moldings. In general, they look like small paneled doors. The size, profile and scale of each element is related to the style of the building. Shutters of this type may be hung on strap hinges or various types of butt hinges, depending upon the style and date of the building involved.

Louvered Shutters
Louvered shutters are most extremely useful because they afford privacy and a measure of security without preventing the free motion of air. They also block the direct rays of the sun and can be closed up tightly to resist hurricanes and intruders. The more common early type of louvered shutter had fixed louvers. Later, adjustable louvers became common. They are typically mounted using different types of butt hinges, depending upon the style and date of the building.

The Commission strongly discourages the removal of original shutters. A request to remove the shutters from a building must be reviewed by the Architectural Review Committee and the full Commission. Furthermore, the Commission encourages the installation of properly detailed shutters. As noted earlier in this section, it is absolutely required that all shutters be installed with operable hardware and that the shutters be properly sized to fit the window or door opening. The Commission’s staff is authorized to approve application for the installation of documented and properly detailed shutters on all rated structures.

The Commission recognizes the important role that shutters play in securing a building against unlawful entry and vandalism. For this reason, the Commission generally encourages the use of shutters in the place of exterior security devices such as bars or grilles. Because of the financial hardship involved in installing louvered and paneled shutters, battens are often requested as substitutes. The staff has been given the authority by the Commission to approve the installation of non-documented, non-original style shutters on gold and red-rated structures. The Architectural Review Committee reserves the right to approve the installation of non-documented, non-original style shutters on purple, blue and green-rated structures.

[ via City of New Orleans ]