Are you are preparing to install functional shutters on your home? Or perhaps you already have shutters, and you're looking to give them a facelift by replacing the old, rusty hardware with something new? By now, you've probably realized that when it comes to functional shutter hardware, there are a myriad of parts to choose from. This essential glossary will describe and define the many different components of shutter hardware.

Various Shutter Hardware Components:

Plate Pintel--Pintels are the rod or pin upon which the hinges turns. A plate pintel is a pin mounted on a plate, and the plate attaches to the house with screws.

Lag Pintel--This type of pintel is attached to a lag screw (a long, pointed screw that goes into the wood or brick mold that surrounds the windows).

Shutterdog--A shutterdog is an S-shaped part (sometimes also referred to as an S-Holdback) that attaches to your house with a lag screw and hold the shutter against the house in an open position. The shutterdog spins on the lag screw, and is weighted at one end, so that it stays in an upright position. When you want to close the shutter, just turn the S-shaped part to free the shutter, allowing it to close.

Rat Tail Holdback--Like a shutterdog, the rat tail holdback is another way of holding a shutter back against the house, in an open position. It is mounted to the house on a lag screw, and is weighted at one end to keep it in an upright position. The bottom part of the rat tail holdback is curved around to fit over the shutter and hold it in place. When you want to close the shutter, just turn the rat tail holdback to free the shutter, allowing it to close.

Acorn Holdback--Acorn holdbacks (also referred to as bullet catches) can be used as a substitute for shutterdogs and rat tail holdbacks. The acorn shaped part attaches to the house on a lag screw, and the catch is mounted to the back of the shutter. When the shutter is opened, the acorn and catch engage and hold the shutter against the house.

Center Slide Latch--Center slide latches are a common way to secure your shutters in the closed position. Usually a part with sliding bolt is attached to one shutter, and the catch is attached to the other shutter. When the shutters are fully closed, the bolt slides into the catch, holding the shutters together in a closed position.

Hook Latch and Eye--This is an inexpensive, though less durable, alternative to a center slide latch. The hook latch attaches to one shutter and the eye attaches to the other. When the shutters are closed, the hook latch slips into the eye and keeps the shutters closed.

Pull Ring--This part attaches to the face of the shutter and provides a place to grab onto the shutter and pull it closed. Pull rings are not an essential item. They can be added if desired, but will not affect the functionality of the shutters if not added.

Other Important Terms To Know:

Offset--When purchasing plate pintels or hinges, you'll need to choose an offset. In terms of a plate pintel, the offset is the distance between the plate that screws onto the house and the pin that the hinge sits on. In terms of a hinge, the offset is the distance from the pintel pin to the flat part of the hinge, where it attaches to the face of the shutter.

Throw--Throw is the total distance needed for the shutter to clear the siding material when in the open position. The amount of throw your shutter hardware provides can be calculated by adding the plate pintel offset and the hinge offset.