Advice
Everything people ask us before they order
Twenty-odd questions we answer most weeks, written out properly. If yours isn't here, ask us, we'd rather have the conversation than have you guess.
Choosing your shutters
The decisions that shape how a room feels, style, louvre size, and how much light and privacy you actually want.
- Which shutter style should I choose?
- Full height is the default for most rooms: one clean run of panels, simplest to live with, and the best value. Tier-on-tier splits the panels so you can close the bottom half for privacy while the top stays open, it suits period bay windows and any room overlooked from the street. Café style covers only the lower part of the window and leaves the top clear, which works beautifully in kitchens and hallways. Tracked and bi-fold systems are for wide openings and patio doors, and shaped panels handle arches, apexes and circles. If you're unsure, that's exactly what the consultation is for.
- What louvre size is right for my window?
- Larger louvres mean fewer of them, a more contemporary look and a better view out when open; smaller louvres give a more traditional, finer-grained appearance and slightly better light control when closed. 76mm is the most popular all-rounder. 47mm and 64mm suit smaller period windows and cottage proportions. 89mm and 114mm suit larger modern openings, bi-folds and tall rooms. We bring physical samples so you can hold them up against your own window before deciding.
- Will shutters make my room dark?
- Less than most people expect. With the louvres tilted open, shutters let in more usable light than a half-drawn curtain because the light is spread across the whole window rather than blocked at the edges. Closed, they block the great majority of daylight but are not a blackout product, the light seeps between the louvres and around the frame. If you need genuine blackout in a bedroom, we either fit shutters with an integrated blackout blind behind the panels, or pair shutters with a separate roller.
- Can I have shutters in a colour other than white?
- Yes. Alongside the standard white range we offer custom colour matching, so panels can be sprayed to a specific paint reference, and wood stains that let the grain show through. Custom colours and stains are among the most popular choices we fit, deep charcoals, soft greys, heritage greens and warm naturals all work particularly well in period homes.
- What's the difference between a hidden tilt rod and a visible one?
- A traditional tilt rod runs down the centre of the panel and moves all the louvres together, it's the classic plantation look. A hidden tilt system moves the louvres from a concealed mechanism in the side stile, giving an uninterrupted view of the louvres and a cleaner, more modern face. Hidden tilt also lets us split the panel so the top and bottom sections of louvres move independently, which is genuinely useful for privacy.
Windows, rooms and awkward openings
Bay windows, wet rooms, listed buildings and the shapes that other companies turn down.
- Can you fit shutters to a bay window?
- Yes, bay windows are some of our most common work. Each face of the bay is measured and made as its own panel set, and the frames are mitred so the joins follow the angles of the bay rather than cutting across them. Victorian and Edwardian splayed bays, square bays and curved bows are all achievable. Tier-on-tier is a popular choice here because it gives street-level privacy without losing the light from the upper half.
- Can shutters be fitted in a bathroom or wet room?
- Yes, but the material matters. In a bathroom, shower room or anywhere with sustained humidity we specify a waterproof or moisture-resistant material rather than a natural hardwood, because timber will eventually move in that environment. The finish and the look are the same; the substrate is what changes.
- Do you make shutters for arched, angled or circular windows?
- We do. Arched heads, apex and gable windows, sunburst arches, angled staircase windows and full circles are all made to a template taken on site. Shaped panels are usually fixed above an operable lower section, or made as a working sunburst where the louvres radiate from a central point. These take longer to survey and make than a rectangular window, and we'll say so at the consultation.
- Will shutters work with my sash or casement windows?
- Yes. Sash windows are ideally suited to shutters, the panels sit in front of the sashes on a frame, so both sashes still open and the shutter hardware never fouls the window furniture. With inward-opening casements and tilt-and-turn windows we either build the frame out on a deeper sub-frame so the panels clear the handle, or fit tracked panels that slide clear. This is worked out at the survey, not left to chance on fitting day.
- Can I have shutters if my home is listed or in a conservation area?
- Internal shutters are inside the building and don't change the external elevation, so they are usually far less contentious than external alterations. That said, rules vary by property and local authority, and we can't give planning advice. If your home is listed, check with your local conservation officer before ordering, we're happy to provide drawings and specifications to support an enquiry.
Measuring, making and fitting
What actually happens between the first conversation and the day we leave your house tidy.
- How long does the whole process take?
- Our standard lead time is around nine weeks on express shipping, counted from the day you pay the initial deposit. Fitting is then booked on a date that suits you once we have confirmed delivery. Shaped and specialist panels can take longer, and we'll tell you that up front rather than after you've ordered.
- Do I need to measure my own windows?
- No, and please don't order anywhere that asks you to. Every set we make is measured on site by our own surveyor, because the tolerances on a made-to-measure panel are tighter than most people expect and an out-of-square opening needs to be recorded properly. The survey is also when we finalise the style, material, louvre size, colour and hinge finish against your actual window.
- Who fits the shutters?
- Our own installation team, not a subcontractor found for the week. The same business that surveyed and made your shutters is the business that hangs them, which means there is no one to pass the blame to if something isn't right. Fitters carry the tools to adjust panels on site and take away all packaging when they leave.
- How much mess and disruption is there?
- A typical whole-house installation is one day, a few windows less than that. There's drilling into the window reveal, so there is some dust, fitters use dust sheets and clear up as they go. Furniture close to the window is best moved back beforehand, and we'll tell you what we need access to when we confirm the date.
- Do you remove my old blinds or curtains?
- We can take down existing blinds and curtain poles on fitting day if you ask us to when booking, so the window is clear for the new panels. Making good and redecorating around old fixings is not something we take on.
Pricing, payment and guarantees
What things cost, how payment is staged, and what happens if something goes wrong later.
- How much do made to measure shutters cost?
- The estimator on this site gives you an instant indicative range based on the number and size of your windows, including delivery, installation and VAT. It is a guide, not a quotation: the final figure depends on the style, material, louvre size, colour finish and any shaping. A typical standard window sits at the lower end; bay windows, shaped heads and specialist materials sit above it. You get a written, fixed quotation after the survey.
- Why are shutters more expensive than blinds?
- Because they are joinery rather than a fabric product. Each panel is a made-to-measure hardwood frame with individually fitted louvres, sprayed to a furniture-grade finish, hung on adjustable hinges in a frame scribed to your opening. They also last: a good set of shutters is a permanent fixture that adds to the room, where a blind is a consumable you replace every few years.
- How is payment staged?
- 60% on order, 30% on delivery and the final 10% on completion. The last payment is only due once the installation is finished and you're happy with it.
- What does the guarantee cover?
- Our shutters carry a ten-year guarantee covering the panels, frames and moving parts against manufacturing defects in normal domestic use. It does not cover accidental damage, misuse, or the effects of unsuitable environments, for instance a natural timber shutter fitted somewhere permanently humid against our advice. Full terms are on our guarantee page.
- Do shutters add value to a house?
- We won't put a number on that, because nobody honestly can. What we can say is what buyers and agents consistently respond to: shutters are a fitted, permanent feature that stays with the property, they photograph well, and they solve overlooking on street-facing rooms in a way curtains don't. Treat them as a long-term improvement to how the house lives, not a financial instrument.
Living with them
Cleaning, adjusting, and what to do years later when something needs attention.
- How do I clean shutters?
- Tilt the louvres closed one way and run a dry microfibre cloth or a soft duster along them, then tilt them the other way and repeat. That's genuinely it for most homes, every few weeks. For kitchen grease or marks, a barely damp cloth with a little mild soap is fine, wipe dry afterwards. Never use solvents, bleach, abrasive creams or a soaking wet cloth on a painted or stained finish.
- The louvres have gone floppy or too stiff, can that be fixed?
- Yes, and it's usually a two-minute job. Louvre tension on most panels is adjustable, either at a tension screw in the stile or by the friction of the louvre pins. If a panel has dropped or catches on the frame, the hinges are adjustable too. Get in touch and we'll talk you through it or come out.
- Can shutters be repainted or restained later?
- They can be, but it's specialist work, the factory finish is sprayed, and a brushed repaint at home rarely matches it and can gum up the louvre pins. If you're redecorating and want a different colour, talk to us first about what's realistic before anyone puts a brush near them.
- What if I move house, can shutters be taken with me?
- In principle yes, in practice almost never worth it. Panels and frames are made to the millimetre for a specific opening, so unless your new home has windows of identical dimensions they won't fit without remaking. Shutters are generally treated as a fixture that stays with the property.
Still deciding?
Ask us the awkward question
A consultation is a conversation and a bag of samples, not a sales pitch. No obligation either way.