The Types of Shutter Stiles
author: Estelle
2023-08-14
A shutter panel swings opened and closed on a hinge, look a door, and has moving blades that open and close to control the light when the panels are closed. Holding everything in place on your shutter panel are the stiles.
Stiles are the left and right vertical rails that hold the blades in place and connect to the solid top and bottom rails to comprise your shutter panel.
There are three types of stiles of shutters.
* Beaded
Beaded stiles have a decorative groove routed along the length of the stiles on both sides of the shutter panel. The groove is cut along the edge of each stile nearest to the louvers. They have an attractive decorative appeal, and have a more traditional appearance.
* Rabbet
Rabbet stiles have matching stepped edges that fit together where the two panels meet. (The hinged side of the panel will always be flat.) The overlapping of the rabbet reduces unwanted light penetration between shutter panels. Typically, the right side will overlap the left. With reverse rabbet stiles, the left overlaps the right instead.
* Astragal
The shape is a little different from a rabbet. When two panels meet, the stile of one panel has a strip that overlaps and covers the edge of the other panel's stile. Installers love this because sometimes when you have to tweak a frame, no one will see the gap when dealing with out-of-square windows. Typically, the right side overlaps the left side. Reverse astragal may also be specified, where the left side overlaps the right instead.
