Inside vs Outside Mount Plantation Shutters

Once you have settled on a material and a rough budget, mount type is the next real decision, and it changes both the look and the fit. Inside mount and outside mount are not interchangeable style options: your window reveal usually dictates which one is even possible. This guide covers what each mount is, how to tell which your windows need, the Adelaide quirks that catch people out, and why the measure is where the answer actually lands. If you want the numbers behind the frames first, our custom made-to-measure shutters page and the room-by-room estimator give you a quick feel before anyone visits.

Inside mount: the built-in look

An inside mount, sometimes called a recess or reveal fit, sits the whole shutter frame inside the window opening, flush with the wall. It is the look most people picture when they think of plantation shutters: crisp, architectural, and part of the window rather than sitting on top of it. It keeps your sill and architrave visible, so it flatters period Adelaide homes where the timber detailing is worth showing off.

The catch is depth. An inside mount needs enough reveal for the frame and louvres to sit without fouling the handle or the glass. As a rule, a full flush recess wants around 70mm of depth, and a slimmer frame can work from roughly 45mm to 50mm. Below that, a specialist will step the frame forward or move you to an outside mount. Getting this judged correctly is one of the reasons a professional measure matters, covered in how to measure for plantation shutters and why a pro should, and it is a question worth raising when you read how to choose a plantation shutter installer in Adelaide.

Outside mount: the flexible fix

An outside mount fixes the shutter frame to the face of the wall or the architrave, so the panels sit over the opening rather than inside it. It is the practical answer when the reveal is too shallow for a recess fit, when the opening is noticeably out of square, or when you want a window to read as larger and more imposing than it is.

Because the frame overlaps the wall, an outside mount hides an uneven or out-of-square opening that would otherwise show ugly light gaps on an inside fit. It also gives better light blockout, since there is no reveal gap for light to sneak around, which makes it a strong choice in bedrooms. The trade-off is that it projects further into the room and covers the architrave, so on a heritage window with beautiful joinery you lose some of that detail. This is a common decision on wide or angled glass, which we cover in plantation shutters for bay windows and angled openings.

Inside vs outside mount at a glance

The Adelaide angle: character homes and shallow reveals

Mount choice is not a coin toss in Adelaide, it tracks the housing stock. In the character belt around Unley, Norwood and Prospect, you meet solid double-brick walls with deep reveals, often 90mm or more. Those homes take an inside mount beautifully and the flush look is worth having. Move to a 1970s brick-veneer in the outer suburbs, or a modern build with aluminium window frames set close to the wall face, and the reveal can drop under 40mm, which quietly forces an outside mount.

Here is the myth worth correcting: people assume outside mount is the cheaper or lesser option. It is not. The frame and panels are the same made-to-measure product either way, and the price moves on size and material, not on mount type. What actually catches Adelaide homeowners out is the out-of-square window. A century-old cottage window can be 15mm to 20mm wider at the top than the bottom, and an inside mount on that opening leaves a visible wedge of daylight down one side. An outside mount, sized about 30mm to 40mm larger than the opening on each side, swallows that discrepancy and looks perfect. This is precisely the sort of judgement that only a measure reveals, not a phone quote.

How to know which mount your windows need

• Measure your reveal depth. From the face of the wall to the glass or window handle. Around 70mm or more is comfortable for an inside mount, under 45mm usually points to outside.
• Check for square. Measure the width at the top, middle and bottom of the opening. If they differ by more than a few millimetres, an outside mount will look cleaner.
• Look at what is in the reveal. Winder handles, locks, exposed pipes or a protruding sill can rule out a flush recess fit.
• Decide what you value. Showing off period architraves favours inside, while maximum blockout and hiding a tired opening favour outside.

For a plain-English primer on window fittings and how they affect a room, the Australian Government’s Your Home guide is a solid independent reference, and CHOICE publishes useful consumer guidance on comparing home fit-out quotes before you commit.

Why the measure settles it

You can shortlist a mount type from your sofa, but you cannot confirm it there. A specialist measures the reveal depth, checks the opening for square at 3 points, notes the handles and obstructions, and only then confirms inside or outside and prices the exact job. That measure is free and carries no obligation, and it is the single figure on this page you can actually bank. Before you book anyone, it is worth checking they are licensed and insured, which South Australia’s Consumer and Business Services can help you verify.

The bottom line

Inside mount gives the built-in, flush look and suits Adelaide’s deep-reveal character homes. Outside mount is the flexible fix for shallow reveals, out-of-square openings and maximum blockout, and it costs no more. Neither is universally better, your windows decide. The fastest way to know for certain is to get it measured. Get 3 free measured quotes from vetted local specialists who cover your suburb, and you will have the mount, the fit and the real price confirmed in one visit.