PICS?

The areas of decaying wood can be filled with repair filler, and if necessary you can replace a few parts.

It would be a learning project - How are your DIY skills? Shutters with no louvers are really just a cabinet door.

Just beware that any type filler( I have tried them all) will not hold up all that well on the exterior. You might get 5 or 6 years out of the repairs. After 35 years of repairing mine( original about 1928), I am just going to have new ones made.Yes, it will be very expensive!

Not hard but extremely tedious. Get good new ones

Yes, we repaired shutters constantly for years - no money for new ones. They were held together with filler, paint and a prayer!

We finally broke down and bought new shutters. I am very picky and want shutters that are on hinges, not screwed to the house, and I want them to be wide enough to be able to close over the complete window. No, they never will be closed, but the proportions just don't look right if they can't. Finding shutters that wide was a challenge, but then we discovered Timberlane shutters online. On my! They are gorgeous and SO well-made. We sprang for all except on front 3 windows about 13 years ago. They arrived pre-primed and still don't need painting. When I replace the 3 big, long window's shutters about 3-4 years ago, I went with a local millwork shop as the shipping on the Timberlane was very expensive. The ones I had made are nice, but can't compare with Timberlane. My daughter just bought new shutters for the front of her house from Timberlane - got them painted a very dark black/green. They look fabulous.

I don't know where you live, but if within a reasonable drive to PA, buy the Timberlane and pick them up yourself - will save a lot of shipping cost. You're ultimately going to have to get new shutters.

Thanks for all the information. I'll definitely look into Timberlane (we are in MN so would have to have shipping). I'm in contact with two local woodworkers who said they can make them--I don't have prices yet. I think you are correct that we will have to buy new rather than attempt to repair.

Here's one of the shutters: they are all in about the same condition.

Trying to keep those from eventually falling apart would be a loseing battle. Buy new one's at any big box and concentrate on more important things.

They are very similar to mine, for sure better off getting new.

Any woodworker with a decent shop(table saw, planer, jointer,router table, sander) could replicate those shutters. As for the cost, that would be up to the person doing the work.

Cabinet shops and lumber yards(not home improvement stores) with shops can also do that work.

"Sorry klem this is one of the most important things we can do to change the appearance of the front of our house. It is a big decision. So we will not be buying from a big box store."

Sorry cassandra you didn't mention any desire to change the appearance of your house,you basicly asked if it's advisable or even possible to repair the existing shutters. If you stay true to the origional design and have them constructed from Ebony or Ivory by a world renownend sculptor then paint them no one can tell the difference in those your local handyman bought ready made and routered pine trees in.

Those would be very easy to replicate. It's not much different than an inset panel cabinet door.

Several vendors online selling them unfinished or primed in a very close design. Mount them on the old hardware and paint them and no one will be able to tell.

Thanks all for your helpful comments. I have quotes from three local woodworkers who do quality work and they are turning out more reasonable then we initially thought. You are right lazy garden that they are easy to replicate and they can also easily replicate the cut out. We're excited to get this project done!

Christopher Nelson, I hope that what you have written above is not true. I'm hoping my repairs last a lot longer than 5 or 6 years.