While living and working in Indonesia, we had our new home built in Dublin, Georgia after moving all our belongings back from Italy and kept in storage.
In November of 1990 we moved in but had to leave again for Indonesia, for a couple more years.
When not there during construction, all sorts of things can go wrong...
So, finally in January of 1995, husband Pieter got to hang anew our solid oak indoor shutters.
Our contractor had put the mortise hinges in face-mounted and by doing so, they did of course no longer shut...
So they went on by mutilating them even further by sawing the excess on the center (closing) panel off!
The face-mounted hinges resulted in ugly gaps between all panels, causing furniture, rugs, to fade from sunshine and also losing full privacy.
Too bad that such fine craftsmanship by Historic Windows in Virginia got ruined by non-professionals!
When viewing the video on your PC you see at clickable minute 0:30 in text below video, how Pieter painstakingly added narrow strips of wood to the window casing for making the window smaller to fill up the space.
Gaining just a little and then putting the wooden corner strip back on at minute 0:50 and start hanging the shutters anew.
At minute 0:58 Pieter places mortised hinges on correctly instead of face-mounted. Painstakingly chiseling out the space for hinges, precision job... 24 mortise hinges for each window!
At 1:50 hinge is now mortised into the edge of the shutter, thus preventing shutters from 'gaping'.
At 1:59 Pieter is showing how much they actually had CUT off... because they had placed the hinges face-mounted.
At 2:16 showing how Pieter added about 1.5 cm to casing and on other side 0.75 cm to compensate for what they had cut off, then caulking, sanding and painting.
At 3:50 painting in living room with the Dutch World Radio on... flooding in The Netherlands.
Pieter speaks in Dutch as this was our 'spoken' letter for my Parents, back in The Netherlands...
But you still get a very clear idea!
Happy for having those home videos archived!
We selected the CHARLESTON as that is exactly what we got for all doors, except in living room; dining room; kitchen and veranda where we have French doors with 15 glass panels.
Both of us like indoor shutters far better than curtains.
Curtains can become very dusty, and may interfere with certain health issues.
Easy cleaning instead of curtains.
Eco friendly as they insulate very well; both for cooling in summer and heating in winter.
Their historic look is also a big plus.
Too bad that HISTORIC WINDOWS where we got ours for our previous home, after getting rid of all curtains and again for our present home that we moved into in November of 1990, no longer produces...
~
Similar solid wood interior shutters you can find at Colonial Shutters in Mattapoisett, MA 
This also shows you, when professionally hung with mortised hinges, they CLOSE!
This is the Beacon Hill - full length Williamsburg style click link
These shutters are far more insulating then the cheaper plantation version with only slats that are also rather dusty and not maintenance friendly...
Does any of you have indoor shutters?
Related link:
{Our 'GREEN' Bedroom} | how husband Pieter installed some clever indoor shutters for French Door
Is there anything this man can’t do??? Multi-talented! 👏👍
ReplyDeleteDearest Coffeeshoplady,
DeleteNever have come across anything that my Pieter would 'not' attempt to do; and do it WELL!
He sure has golden hands.
Hugs,
Mariette
Hello Mariette, This goes to show that when you want something done right, you must do it yourself. That said, I have never heard of shutters of this type installed with flush hinges--it just doesn't make sense. I'll bet that Pieter's very professional repair took longer than the original installation job.
ReplyDeleteSlatted shutters were more practical in a day before central heating and air conditioning when ventilation was more important than insulation. Fires for cooking and heating could produce toxic gasses and smoke that needed to escape, and any breeze in the summer was welcome. Even then, however, interior shutters had mortised hinges!
--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteYou are so right about wanting to have it done right. But if you work halfway around the globe and only every two months would fly back home?... It made us want to cry but the damage got done and we no sooner found that much time for the tedious repair.
Your explanation about the slatted or 'plantation' shutters make sense! So very true in that respect. The ones my Parents had in the home I was born in, they had mortised hinges too.
Those were the ones I've always remembered and wanted to get and so did Pieter recall the ones from the old time.
Hugs,
Mariette
What a shame that the workers did not install them correctly. They obviously realized their mistake and tried to saw things off to make them work rather than making the appropriate repairs. People here install electric metal shutters to keep everything out -- dust, sunlight, peepers ... and seem to keep them closed up tight often. I can't imagine living in such darkness. We have tinted windows and just that makes our place seem like a cave.
ReplyDeleteDearest Tammy,
DeleteYes, it really is a shame that they did not take the hinges off and place them on correctly, mortised into the edge of the shutters. But nobody was there to 'correct and/or reprimand them!
We in The Netherlands also had those aluminum shutters but we operated them manually.
You are so right about living in a cave like place if you darken it up like that.
For people like yourself and me, doing lots of handwork, or even reading, one needs daylight for doing it well! It also affects your mood.
Hugs,
Mariette
Pieter is such a talented man!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching your video, Mariette.
Have a lovely day.
Dearest Tomoko,
DeleteThank you and yes, he is great at solving others' problems too.
Guess if people would only try a bit harder and think before they do anything that drastic, it would work out.
Hugs,
Mariette
Pieter is certainly multi-talented, Mariette! Glad you finally were able to select shutters that worked for you.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Dearest Martha Jane,
DeleteMulti-talented my Pieter for sure is!
But these WERE the correct shutters, only painstakingly altered by Pieter. Taking them totally out, filling in the window casing to make it narrower so the cut-off panels would fit tight now inside the window casing after Pieter mortised them all.
No, those were the one and only solid oak shutters we wanted and had ordered. They got made by a professional with great expertise. But then they got MUTILATED by people who did not know what they were doing...
Hugs,
Mariette
Fortunately, your husband knew how to fix it.
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteYes, he helped out his uncle in his carpentry shop, across the street, when he was a boy and learned a lot from him. He was married to his Mom's sister.
Pieter usually figures things out and manages to tackle them; but why can't so-called professionals do so?!
Hugs,
Mariette
Hay que estar muy al tanto, cuando te hacen una obra...si no estás al cuidado de lo que hacen, nos sabes lo que te puedes encontrar. Lamentablemente el trabajo de tu marido en otro país, hizo que no pudiera estar ahí. Menos mal que él tiene bastantes conocimientos y lo pudo por fín arreglar.
ReplyDeleteBesos
Querida Antónia,
DeleteSí, nos dos estábamos, por desgracia, viviendo y trabajando en Indonesia, demasiado lejos para comprobarlo. Hoy en día con Internet, todavía habría funcionado. Pero de hecho, Pieter logró corregir este error de los trabajadores.
Abrazos,
Mariette
Not an easy job but we have restored our solid oak shutters which are outdoors. We had all the windows replaced with oak frames as well, but we did get a professional to do that for us. None of our windows are the same size and some are not quite straight! 200+ year old house and it is very kinky!
ReplyDeleteStay safe Diane
Dearest Diane,
DeleteNo, the upkeep from anything antique is quite a task but any solid oak is worthy of it!
All our furniture inside is solid French oak. Not the indoor shutters, they're made from American red oak. Quite a challenge with different windows and that is one of the good things of the more modern era, standard sizes. Outdoor shutters are of a cheaper and much lighter version than the ones you have replaced, they're the louvered ones and only for decoration, not for actual closing.
Hugs,
Mariette
What an amazing man
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteYes, he is exceptional and there are not many like him... Sure is a KEEPER!
He also deserves to be honored.
Hugs,
Mariette
What a really talented family you all are.
ReplyDeleteGod bless always.
Dearest Victor,
DeleteThank you and guess it also has a lot to do with the period of our upbringing!
Hugs,
Mariette
Your husband is a real handy man Mariette, mine is also! I don't like curtains either and love my French doors ✨
ReplyDeleteDearest Grace,
DeleteIt is a treasure for having someone that is able to solve most problems in and around the home!
Curtains block the view out too much, aside from their dust collection.
For the same reason we love our French doors, for the light!
Hugs,
Mariette
What a pity the workers did such a bad job when installing the shutters and lucky that Pieter is such a handyman and was able to solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteIn Portugal we had electric aluminium shutters which I loved. They are becoming popular in Australia now, but still quite expensive. I only have normal blinds but they do get quite dusty and need to get cleaned frequently.
Dearest Sami,
DeleteIt sure is a pity and thank goodness Pieter managed to solve it in order to minimize that damage.
You talk about the outdoor shutters in Portugal, we had those in The Netherlands as well. In my very first home I had normal blinds and learned to never ever wanting those back because of their cleaning issues!
Hugs,
Mariette
Hallo Mariette, prachtig zulke shutters. Fijn dat Pieter dat zelf kan. Leuk filmpje. Ik heb ook nog wat opgevangen van de radio die te horen is. Fijne dag, lieve groet Willy
ReplyDeleteBeste Willy,
DeleteJa, die zijn mooi en historisch. Bovenal praktisch en heerlijk licht in huis, zelfs al staan ze niet helemaal open.
Verbazend, toen hadden we nog Radio Nederland via de Wereldomroep die we ook in Indonesië konden luisteren. Die zijn gedumpt helaas door het cabinet Rutte in 2011. Opzij van mijn blog kun je bovenaan in 'search' het woordje Wereldomroep intikken en lezen.
Liefs,
Mariette
Hard to believe that the workers were so lazy as they couldn't sink the hinges. Pieter, a fine craftsman. He made it look so easy as he was punching away, but I know it's not. Takes time and a trained eye. They are such lovely shutters and I do like them very much. Harrisonburg Va is not terribly far from me and my niece went to college in Harrisonburg Va. I watched the video twice as I enjoyed listening and seeing.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday, Betsy
Dearest Betsy,
DeleteThose were fore sure not knowledgeable carpenters as they did a rough job and mutilated those fine solid oak panels. Too bad the one in Harrisonburg, VA is no longer in business, guess he retired long ago. Thank you for your reply and we sure love ours and always will!
Hugs,
Mariette