John Wright
Faux Hinge
A non-working cast iron hinge for fixed decorative shutters.
- MaterialCast iron, black powder coat
Hardware guide
Cast Iron, Galvanized Steel, Aluminum or Stainless: Which Shutter Hardware Lasts?
Shutter hardware lives outdoors all year. The metal it is made from decides whether it rusts, how it handles salt air, and what upkeep it needs. Here is how each material we sell behaves in the weather, what to choose near the coast, and what the manufacturer warranties cover.
Compare Cast iron Galvanized Aluminum Stainless Coastal picks Prevent rust Warranties FAQ
The four metals side by side
| Material | Rusts? | What it is like | Coastal use | Our examples | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cast iron | Yes, if bare | Rigid and brittle. Protection comes only from the finish. | Only with a sealed finish | John Wright faux hinges, cast iron New York sets | John Wright: 1 year replacement |
| Galvanized steel | Slowly | Forged steel with a zinc layer under the powder coat. About twice the life of powder coat alone. | Inland, 20+ miles from the coast | Suffolk and New York hinge sets, pintles, heavy duty S stay | Lynn Cove: 5 years |
| Cast aluminum | No | Marine-grade alloy. Light and corrosion resistant, softer than steel. | Good | Dolphin and rat tail stays, ring pulls, scroll bolt, clavos | Lynn Cove: 5 years |
| Stainless steel | Resists rust | 18-8 (304) alloy with a self-healing oxide layer. Strong. | Best | Propeller and hidden stays, slide bolt, stainless hinges and pintles | Lynn Cove: 5 years |
Lynn Cove hardware is finished in black powder coat over a corrosion pretreatment and comes with 18-8 stainless steel screws or lags. On a phone the table shows material, rust and coastal use; the rest is in the sections below.
Cast iron Poured into molds
Cast iron is poured into a mold, which allows detailed traditional shapes. The result is rigid but brittle, and it has no chromium, so it has no protective layer of its own. Its protection comes entirely from its finish. It is a good choice for fixed decorative shutters inland, and a poor one in salt air.
In the weather
- If the coating is chipped, bare iron shows orange surface rust within days in wet weather.
- Moisture works into the porous metal, so neglected rust goes deep and can flake.
- Rust can run down and stain the shutter and siding below it.
- Being brittle, it can crack from an impact or an over-tightened screw instead of bending.
How it is protected
- Paint or powder coat seals the surface. Raw cast iron pieces must be primed and painted before installation; pieces sold with a factory powder coat or WeatherWright finish arrive finished in black. Check the finish on each product page.
- John Wright’s WeatherWright finish is a zinc electroplate under a black matte powder coat, tested by John Wright to at least 144 hours of salt spray with no red rust.
John Wright
Faux New York Style Hinge
The New York hinge look in cast iron, for fixed shutters.
- MaterialCast iron, black powder coat
John Wright
Cast Iron New York Hinge & Pintle Sets
Working cast iron hinges with matching pintles.
- MaterialCast iron
John Wright
Cast Iron & Stainless Ring Pulls
Available in cast iron or stainless steel.
- MaterialCast iron or stainless
Galvanized steel Forged steel with a zinc layer
Our Suffolk and New York hinges, pintles and many stays are forged steel, offered in a galvanized version and a stainless version. Forging gives a dense, tough part that bends before it breaks, which is why working hinges and pintles that carry the weight of a shutter are made this way. Galvanizing adds a zinc layer under the black powder coat.
In the weather
- Under an intact powder coat, it holds up for years of normal use.
- Chips and wear points, such as where the hinge sleeve turns on the pintle pin, are where rust starts.
- Salt air speeds this up a lot. Lynn Cove recommends galvanized only for homes at least 20 miles from the coast.
How it is protected
- Lynn Cove pretreats every piece against corrosion, then applies a hard, UV-resistant black powder coat.
- The zinc layer gives about twice the life of powder coat alone, according to Lynn Cove.
- Mounting screws and lags are 18-8 stainless, so no plain steel touches the hardware.
Lynn Cove
Suffolk 'L' Hinge Set
Hinges and pintles for two shutters.
- MaterialGalvanized or stainless steel
Lynn Cove
Suffolk Strap Hinge Set
Strap hinges and pintles for two shutters.
- MaterialGalvanized or stainless steel
Lynn Cove
New York 'L' Hinge Set
Hinges and pintles for two shutters.
- MaterialGalvanized or stainless steel
Lynn Cove
Suffolk Rounded Pintle
Match the metal to the hinge.
- MaterialGalvanized or stainless steel
Lynn Cove
Heavy Duty 'S' Stay
A flat S-scroll holdback.
- MaterialGalvanized or stainless steel
Cast aluminum Marine-grade alloy, no iron
Lynn Cove casts its decorative pieces in marine-grade aluminum alloys, made to look like traditional cast iron. Aluminum contains no iron, so it cannot form red rust. It is lighter and softer than steel, so it suits stays, pull rings and bolts better than hinges that carry the full weight of a shutter.
In the weather
- Bare aluminum forms a thin protective oxide. In salt air an exposed chip may turn chalky white, but it does not stain siding the way rust does.
- Contact with steel or copper in wet weather can cause galvanic corrosion, which is why these pieces use stainless mounting hardware.
- A slammed shutter can bend or snap a thin aluminum part, where steel would only flex.
How it is protected
- A black powder coat over the corrosion pretreatment, the same finish used on the steel pieces.
- Stainless lags and screws, so no plain steel touches the aluminum.
- Lynn Cove lists marine-grade aluminum as suitable for salty environments.
Lynn Cove
Dolphin Stay
Made for coastal and very humid homes.
- MaterialCast aluminum
Lynn Cove
Flat Rat Tail Stay
Lag or plate mount.
- MaterialCast aluminum
Lynn Cove
Decorative Scroll Bolt
A 9 inch slide bolt for closed shutters.
- MaterialCast aluminum
Lynn Cove
Antique Ring Pull
A decorative pull for the shutter edge.
- MaterialCast aluminum
Lynn Cove
Clavos
Decorative nail heads.
- MaterialCast aluminum
Stainless steel 18-8 (type 304)
Stainless steel contains enough chromium to form an invisible oxide film on its surface. Scratch it and the film re-forms by itself, which neither cast iron nor plain steel can do. It keeps the strength of steel, so it works for every part of a working shutter. Lynn Cove calls it the best choice for coastal homes.
In the weather
- It does not rust through or flake.
- In salt air, light brown surface spots (often called tea staining) can appear where salt sits and dries. They are cosmetic and wipe off.
- If the black powder coat chips, the stainless metal underneath will not rust.
How it is protected
- Its own chromium oxide layer, plus the black powder coat for color.
- Matching 18-8 stainless screws, so there is no mix of metals.
- Near the water, a fresh-water rinse every few months keeps salt from sitting on it.
Lynn Cove
Propeller Stay
A 7 inch lag-mount holdback.
- MaterialStainless steel
Lynn Cove
Hidden Stays
Stainless or rubber. Nothing shows from the street.
- MaterialStainless steel (or rubber)
Lynn Cove
Heavy Duty Slide Bolt
A 12 inch bolt for closed shutters.
- MaterialGalvanized or stainless steel
Lynn Cove
Plate Mount Ring Pull
Square plate, stainless.
- MaterialStainless steel
Lynn Cove
Stainless Hinge & Pintle Screws
Packs of 10, sized for Suffolk or New York hardware.
- Material18-8 stainless steel
What each kind of weather does
Rain and humidity
Harmless while the finish is intact. Bare cast iron and steel rust at any chip; aluminum and stainless do not.
Salt air
Salt holds moisture on the surface and speeds corrosion several times over. Choose stainless or aluminum within sight of the water, and galvanized only 20 or more miles inland.
Freeze and thaw
Water trapped behind a hinge or in a chip freezes, expands and lifts the coating. Brittle cast iron can crack if it is already under strain.
Sun (UV)
UV chalks and fades poor coatings. Lynn Cove’s powder coat is made to resist UV, so black stays black.
Best hardware for coastal homes
Within a few miles of salt water, or anywhere with salt spray or very high humidity, choose the material by how close the house is to the water.
Best
Stainless steel for everything that works: the stainless version of the Suffolk and New York hinge sets and pintles, the propeller stay, hidden stay, and the 12 inch slide bolt.
Very good
Cast aluminum for decorative and light-duty parts: dolphin and rat tail stays, pull rings, the scroll bolt and clavos. Pair them with stainless hinges and pintles.
No rust
Molded plastic faux hinge kits cannot rust, which makes them the easy coastal choice for fixed vinyl shutters. See the vinyl shutter hinge kit.
Inland only
Galvanized steel. Lynn Cove recommends it for homes at least 20 miles from the coastline.
Avoid at the coast
Cast iron. It will rust at the first chip in salt air. If you choose it for its look, plan on yearly touch-ups.
How to keep shutter hardware from rusting
1
Choose the metal for your location first.
No upkeep makes plain steel last like stainless on a beach house.
2
Use stainless steel fasteners.
Plain steel or zinc screws rust and streak, and they corrode aluminum where the two touch.
3
Drive screws snug, not crushed.
Over-tightening can crack cast iron and plastic, and it chips powder coat.
4
Touch up chips in the finish.
On cast iron and galvanized steel, do it the same day with a rust-inhibiting primer, then exterior black enamel. On cast aluminum and stainless a chip will not rust, so touch-up is only for looks.
5
Inspect twice a year,
in spring and after storm season. On working shutters check hinge sleeves, pintle pins and slide bolts first, because they wear the most.
6
Treat corrosion the right way for the metal.
Rust on iron or steel: wire-brush to clean metal, prime and repaint. Brown spots on stainless: clean with mild soap and a soft cloth or nylon pad, never steel wool, which leaves iron particles that rust. White chalky spots on aluminum: wash, then rub lightly with a nylon pad.
7
Rinse coastal hardware
with fresh water every few months to wash off salt. A coat of automotive paste wax helps water bead off.
8
Lubricate moving parts.
Use a dry or silicone lubricant on pintle pins and slide bolts. Faux hinges and stays do not move and do not need it.
Manufacturer warranties
Lynn Cove Foundry & Forge
5 yearsfinish, function, workmanship
- Covers: Lynn Cove hardware in galvanized or stainless steel and cast aluminum.
- Remedy: refund or replacement hardware, shipped free.
- Not covered: labor to remove the old piece or install the replacement.
- To claim: use Lynn Cove’s online warranty claim form, or call Lynn Cove at 1-800-975-7089. Call us at 1-888-778-4774 and we will help.
John Wright Company
1 yearreplacement
- Covers: John Wright cast iron shutter hardware.
- Remedy: replacement of the defective part.
- To claim: contact us with your order number and a photo, or call John Wright at 1-800-444-9364.
Warranty terms are set by each manufacturer and may change; the manufacturer’s current terms apply.
Questions
Will cast aluminum hardware rust?
No. Aluminum contains no iron, so it cannot form red rust. Our cast aluminum stays, pull rings, bolts and clavos are powder coated black and use stainless mounting hardware. The dolphin stay is made specifically for coastal and very humid homes.
Is stainless steel worth the extra cost?
At the coast, yes. Stainless forms its own self-healing oxide layer, so a chip in the black finish will not rust. Lynn Cove rates it the longest-lasting choice for coastal homes. Inland, the galvanized version gives good life for less money.
Is galvanized steel OK near the beach?
Lynn Cove recommends galvanized steel for homes at least 20 miles from the coastline. Closer to salt water, choose the stainless version or cast aluminum.
Are the John Wright faux hinges functional?
No. They look like real cast iron hinges but do not swing. They suit fixed decorative shutters. If your shutters open and close, choose a working hinge set.
Do plastic faux hinges need any upkeep?
No. Molded plastic faux hinge kits cannot rust or corrode. They only need an occasional wash with the rest of the shutter. See our vinyl shutter hinge kit.
Which pintles fit which hinges?
Match the pintle to the hinge family. Suffolk hinges use Suffolk pintles (1/2 inch pin) and New York hinges use New York pintles (3/8 inch pin). Match the metal too: stainless with stainless, galvanized with galvanized.
What screws should I use?
Use the 18-8 stainless steel screws or lags supplied with Lynn Cove hardware. If a piece does not include stainless fasteners, buy stainless exterior screws. Plain steel screws rust, leave streaks and corrode aluminum where they touch it. We sell stainless hinge and pintle screws.
How do I keep the wind from blowing my shutters open or shut?
A slide bolt latches closed shutters together. To hold them open, use a stay, dolphin, rat tail, propeller or hidden stay. See slide bolts and tie backs and shutter dogs.
Ready to shop?
Browse by type, or call us and tell us how far your home is from the coast.
Hinges & Pintles Tie Backs & Shutterdogs Slide Bolts Bahama Hardware Miscellaneous
Not sure which fits? Call 1‑888‑778‑4774.
Sources: Lynn Cove warranty; Lynn Cove 2022 catalog, Materials and Finishing; John Wright 88-385 cut sheet (WeatherWright finish, salt spray, warranty); Period Homes: The Short Course on Shutter Hardware.