Definitions

Exterior Shutter Terminology

Board
Vertical members of board & batten exterior shutters.

Board & Batten Shutters
Shutter style constructed from vertical boards and horizontal cross members called battens.

Bottom Rail
A solid horizontal bar across the bottom of a shutter.

Cedar
Ideal material for building outdoor wood shutters and for use in other exterior construction. The wood resists decay, requires little maintenance, finishes well, and the aroma deters bugs.

Combination Shutters
Shutter style incorporating louvers and either a raised or grooved panel. The shutter may be configured with the louvers above or below the divider rail.

Composite
Man-made material manufactured from pressed wood fibers and marine-grade resins.

Custom
External shutters made to exact size and component specifications. ShutterLand offers material, size, configuration and color options to create made-to-order shutters for each unique application.

Cut Out
Shapes that are cut out from solid panel shutters. We offer cut outs on grooved panel, raised panel and combination style shutters. The cut out shape is specified in the order process.

Decorative
For cosmetic purposes only. See “Non-Functional.”

Divider Rail
A horizontal bar that creates a top and bottom section of an individual shutter. A divider rail is optional on all louvered and raised panel shutters under 70″. A divider rail is required on all combination shutters to create separation between the louvered and paneled areas.

Exterior Shutters
Shutters constructed for use on the outside of a building or structure. Exterior shutters are generally built from materials that naturally withstand the outdoor environment.

Faux
Fake or false.

Finger-Joint
Method to join two short pieces of wood to form a longer component. We use solid wood components, and DO NOT use finger-jointed wood.

Finish
Paint or Stain. Unfinished is without paint or stain. ShutterLand external shutters are available painted, primed or unfinished.

Functional
Exterior shutters installed to swing open and closed using shutter hinges.

Grooved Panel
Shutter style that incorporates a flat insert with vertical grooves to simulate boards.

Hardware
Used to attach exterior shutters to the outside of a building. Shutter hardware can be used to make shutters functional or for decorative purposes on non-functional shutters. References shutter hinges, pintles, shutter dogs, bolts, and ring pulls. Vinyl faux hardware simulates the appearance of real hardware.

Horns
Special order style using side stiles that extend above the top rail. Shutter horns are available on request.

Joint
The intersection between a stile and rail.

Louver
Horizontal slats contained within a shutter panel. ShutterLand offers exterior shutters with different louver sizes depending on the material. All louvers are fixed in position and do not rotate.

Made-to-order
ShutterLand offers thousands of sizes in each style. Once an order is received, it is manufactured to the sizes and specifications received.

Mahogany
Premium lumber used to build wood shutters.

Non-Functional
Shutters that are installed directly to the building for aesthetic purposes only.

Operable Shutters
See “Functional.”

Panel
A single shutter. Or a solid insert within a shutter, see “raised panel” or “grooved panel.”

Pine
See “Southern Yellow Pine.”

Primed
First step in finishing exterior shutters. Wood or composite shutters are sanded, then coated with a premium coat of primer to prepare shutters for painting. All exterior shutters should be primed before painting.

Rail
See “Top Rail”, “Bottom Rail” or “Divider Rail.”

Raised Panel
Shutter style that incorporates one or two (using a divider rail) raised panel sections. Raised panel shutters are constructed out of exterior grade MDF. The front of the raised panel sections are beveled on the edge and escalate to a center plateau. The back of the panel sections are flat. Raised panels are not suitable for staining. Shutter style details found on raised panel shutter page.

Screws
Method for installing vinyl shutters. A metal screw is designed to attach outdoor shutters to wood, vinyl or other soft siding.

Southern Yellow Pine
Entry-level timber used to build economy Pine wooden shutters.

Spikes
Method for installing vinyl shutters. A vinyl spike is designed to secure shutters to masonry, stucco, hardboard or other hard surfaces.

(Side) Stile
Vertical solid bar on either side of a shutter that extends the length of the panel.

Style
ShutterLand manufactures louvered, raised panel, combination, grooved panel, board & batten, and bahama shutters.

Tails
Special order style using side stiles that extend below the bottom rail. Shutter tails are available on request.

Tilt Bar
A vertical bar used for adjusting the louver position. A dummy, or faux, tilt bar may be used to give fixed louver shutters the appearance that the louvers will rotate.

Top Rail
A solid horizontal bar across the top of a shutter panel.

Unfinished
Wood that is raw without finish.

Vinyl
One of several man-made materials used for crafting exterior shutters.

Window Shutters
Includes both interior and external shutters.