Advice on Shutters provided by www.opennshut.co.uk

What are shutters?

In the world of shutters, there are exterior shutters for decorating the outside of properties, security shutters for protecting properties and the most well-known, interior shutters for improving the overall appearance of a home, viewed both inside and out.

Interior shutters provide a superior window covering which gives you control as to how much or little light you allow into your room. When open, you gain full advantage of daylight. When shut, they block almost all light.

Shutters are hinged to allow access to the window for cleaning or for maximum light to enter the room. They provide privacy, help with insulation and noise-reduction, add protection from weather and equally enhance the look of both modern and traditional homes.

Which shutters are the most popular?

In the UK, 9 out of 10 people choose silk white as the most popular colour of interior shutters. These provide a natural colour that blends well with all internal décor, particularly favourable where there is white window surround, since this avoids the need to replace them each time the room is redecorated. Other colours and wood stains are available. The favourite louvre blades are of a medium-size.

Choice of shutter styles

There are several different interior shutter styles to accommodate the variety of window types. There is a shutter style to suit, whether you have a standard casement window, square bay, patio doors, traditional sash window, or, one of the more complex designs of French doors, multi-paned bays, unusual shapes or large-size track requirements.

The standard style of window easily accommodates a basic design of shutters. Often this comprises of a set of panels to match your window layout, hinged in a 4?sided frame for ease of fitting.

The more complex styles often involve angled or curved shutters. These shutters normally require templates or detailed drawings, but with an expert helping you all the way, even the most inexperienced home improver can obtain a professional finish.

The styles of shutters allow you to choose a design to suit your need for maximum light, privacy and convenience. The options include:

Bays	Full Height	Half Height	Shapes	Top Opening	Track Mounted

• Full-height, with the option of horizontal middle rails should you require movement within independent sections.
• Top-opening, also known as tier-on-tier, providing a choice of opening sections.
• Half-height, also known as café style, which fit only a fraction of the way up a window leaving the top section fully open.

Shutters can also be made to suit bespoke shapes, allowing for curves, arches and angled designs. For wide-openings it is more likely that a Track system will be required. The shutters hang from an overhead track in order to support their weight. There may be an option to either fold these to the side via bi-folding pairs, or slide behind one another into a compact section to one end of the track.

The market provides many different materials and too many negative appraisals just to suit those companies? own products. An expert?s advice is crucial and neglecting to seek it can be very costly. For example, whilst certain woods look fantastic, they may be totally unsuitable for a kitchen or bathroom where there is high humidity and a tough durable product providing a water-resistant finish would be far more suitable!

The benefits of different louvre sizes

Shutter panels have movable horizontal slats, known as louvres/louvre blades that rotate to allow the louvres to open for access to light and visibility, or shut to reduce light and gain privacy.

How do I measure?

For the majority of windows, measuring is straightforward. Measure the width of your window inside the recess, in three places: across the bottom, middle and top of the window. Then, do similarly for the height. Take the smallest measurement of each to give you the width and height for calculating the cost. Shutters are priced in square metres, so how many panels or hinged sections you choose should not affect the cost.

For measuring more awkward shapes and bays, the overall width and height is normally all that is required initially. Then, any angles or curves requiring templates or detailed drawings can be achieved via expert advice to obtain accurate measurements for a perfect, professional finish.

How easy is it to fit DIY shutters?

The actual fitting of the shutters is almost as easy as measuring. All quality shutters are supplied ready-hinged for easy, clip-together assembly and fitting inside a 4-sided frame. The panels slot into position via drop-in hinge-pins, with ready-fitted magnet catches and frame reveal edges ensuring a secure fit with little fuss. (Certainly, no longer involving complicated carpentry work, only to hang loose from batten strips, as in the early days!)

Expert advice

With too many faceless companies out there, take extra care to deal with an expert who will take the time to advise and guide you at every stage without insisting on visiting your home to sell to you. Look for a website where you can see exactly who you are dealing with and choose an expert!

Information provided by www.opennshut.co.uk
The UK's largest online showroom for shutters and blinds, packed with helpful information and expert advice.

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