A shutter with a loose connection to the house can wiggle back and forth. This puts stress on the outside wood frame of the shutter. Weather conditions and poorly painted shutters can also contribute to the need to repair the frame. When the mortise-and-tenon joints that hold the frame together become loose, some or all of the lovers can fall from the frame.
Make repairs to the frame by cleaning it first with a stiff brush. Set the louvers back into position and push the interlocking joints back together. Dampen the frame’s joints slightly before you coat the joints with polyurethane glue. Water activates the glue and helps hold the joints together. A pipe clamp can help pull the two long sides of the shutters together while the glue dries. Drill screws into the frame to give the mortise-and-tenon joints more stability.
