What to Do to Shutter Hinges to Make Them Stay Open?

Shutter Dogs

• One way to keep the exterior shutters open is to install what are known as "shutter dogs" to the shutter itself. These prevent the shutters from swinging shut once open. When you want to close the shutter, you simply rotate the shutter dog so that they miss the exterior latch, allowing the shutters to close completely.

Hinge Type

• Specialized hinges can be installed to keep the shutters in the open position. These hinges are typically designed to lock in the open position and keep the shutter from being blown shut by the wind. The hinge is designed so that the shutter is lifted slightly to engage and disengage the locking mechanism. Acme, Lull and Porter hinges are common types of hinges that use this mechanism. Others, such as Clark's Tip hinges use a similar mechanism but are mounted differently.

Magnetic Latch

• Another possible way to keep the hinges from allowing the shutters to swing open and closed is to attach a magnetic latch to the backside of the shutter and the outside of the house. When the shutter swings to the open position, the magnets engage to prevent the shutters from opening. The downside to using a magnetic latch is that it attaches to the outside part of the shutter and may take away from its decorative nature.

Older Hinges

• Taking the hinges off some old shutters and putting them on your shutters can also provide you with an additional way to keep the shutters in the open position. Older hinges that have been exposed to the weather can rust and tend not to open as freely as new hinges. You can refinish these hinges by simply applying some decorative exterior spray paint, which will also slow down their ability to swing open and shut.