Z-Frame Shutter vs L-Frame Shutter

What is the difference between a "Z-Frame" shutter and an "L-Frame" shutter?

The answer is simple! The shape.

A Z-Frame has the shape of the letter "Z" which allows the frame the be mounted inside the window, while wrapping around the edges of the window. You can see a depiction of this below. 

An inside mount L-Frame shutter sits inside the window, without wrapping around the edges. An L-Frame shutter is a great solution when a window has molding and can not accommodate a Z-Frame.

An inside mount L-Frame shutter is a perfect rectangle. If a window is slightly out of square (which is very common), there will be slight gaps on the edges/corners of the window. These gaps can easily be covered with caulk. In the case of large gaps, a shim may be required.

An L-Frame shutter is often used in outside mount shutters as well.

An inside mount Z-Frame shutter is more forgiving of out-of-square windows, hiding the gaps that would appear with an L-Frame shutter. A Z-Frame is often a little easier to install as well.

When possible, we recommend using a Z-Frame for the reasons mentioned above.