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Frequently Asked Questions
What are Interior Plantation Shutters?
Interior Plantation shutters are louvred panels fixed inside of windows and doors. Plantation Shutters originated in America and the West Indies and date back to before the American Civil War. The term Ante Bellum means pre-war and is used to describe a style of plantation shutters. The louvred shutters offered by Premier Shutters are Ante Bellum.
Return to Top »Can the shutters be fitted externally?
In short ‘No’. We only supply interior shutters. Even though our shutters are very durable it is the component parts that would weather badly, not the wood.
Return to Top »Are they custom-made shutters or do you sell the shutters off the shelf?
We only supply and fit custom-made interior plantation shutters. All window and door recesses are different so require extremely accurate measuring. This why there is a delivery time of 6-8 weeks.
Return to Top »What are solid shutters?
These are panels that have no louvers. They were originally installed in reveal boxes in pre-Edwardian houses and were used a couple of times a year only, when the owners decamped for the season. They were not designed to be opened and shut daily like our present designs and that is why so few remain today.
Return to Top »How much light do shutters block out when closed?
Both our louvre shutters and solid panel shutters are manufactured with rebated edges to minimise light lines around the perimeter of the shutters making the shutters ideal for bedrooms. However, a 100% light block out is not possible with the louvre shutters as the nature of the louvres is to allow light through. Even so, when closed, less light is visible than a blind due to the styles and framework surrounding the shutters. In addition we use specialist frame options to block out the light further.
Return to Top »Can I fit the shutters myself?
Of course you can. Some of our customers have fitted very complex tracked installations beautifully. If you know how to scribe, use a planer and possess a level plus a degree of practical common sense, then fitting our shutters should not be a problem. We are available on the phone should you get stuck to help you out. BUT if you are like me, a person who has to cut three times to get the right length, then definitely don’t.
The shutters are delivered pre-hinged all frame work is pre mitred, so making mistakes on hinging up have been removed. We do not supply screws and rawlplugs etc for the wall fixing as we do not know what you are fitting into. We supply magnets to hold the shutters in position, but no catches or knobs.
When ordering shutters please make us aware of where the shutters will be fitted and if any handles or other obstructions are protruding in/from around the windows or doors. The opening should always be measured for shutters after plastering/tiling/flooring has been completed.
All products are guaranteed against warping and defects of workmanship for a minimum of 12 months.
How easy is it to fit DIY Shutters?
The simple answer to this is ‘very easy’. 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 with drop-in hinge-pins, with ready-fitted magnet catches and frame reveal edges ensuring a secure fit with little fuss. Fitting shutters certainly no longer involving complicated carpentry work.
Return to Top »How do I measure for DIY Shutters?
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.
Do you offer onsite measuring and installation service for your shutters?
Premier Shutters currently operate in and around London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Surrey, Middlesex, Berkshire, Kent and Sussex but have associations with experienced dealers in all areas (nearly) who use our interior wooden shutters too. Call us for your nearest dealer if you are not self fitting.
If you opted for the full measure and fitting service then rest assured, as all our dealers have been selected because of their experience with designing and installing shutters. Our products are only as good as the installation!
If you are think of fitting the shutters yourself then please contact us on 0845 200 2743
Return to Top »Shutter Jargon
Stiles are the structural right and left vertical parts of a shutter panel. They house the nylon bushing the louver rotates on. Rails are the top and bottom horizontal bits. Its these bits we cut to get the height exactly right. Divider (Mid) Rails provide additional strength to the shutter panel & allow separate operation of the louvers above & below the divider rail. These are placed approximately every 1800mm. You cannot use these beyond 1800mm or you will waive the warranty.
Louvers: Shutters offer choices of 47mm, 64mm, 89mm and 114mm Louver sizes. The louvers rotate on a nylon pin in a nylon bush and are connected to a control rod by staples.
Control Rod co-ordinates the rotation of louvers for light, privacy and ventilation. The control rod is mounted on the centre of the louver on the face of the panel. For 3 panels across or more from one hinge point we offset these by 5mm so they don’t hit each other when open.
Café: The shutters cover only the bottom section of the window, creating privacy at the lower level whilst permitting full daylight to enter through the top of the window.
Full Height:The shutter covers the window from top to bottom within the opening. Where the shutter exceeds 1800mm in height a dividing rail will be added at the mid point. This allows moveable louvre sections above and below the dividing rail, which can operate independent of each other.
Tier on Tier:This option allows the top tier to swing open independent of the bottom tier offering the most versatile shutter solution.
Return to Top »How long from order will it take to get my shutters?
Shutters are custom manufactured to fit individual openings and are ready for installation in 6 to 8 weeks from the date of the order and receipt of the deposit. For special shaped shutters, please allow 8 - 10 weeks from date of order.
We now offer a Premium Service which means we can fit your shutters in approximately 2-3 weeks. This service costs an extra £100 per square metre and there is a minimum charge of £500 for this service.
Return to Top »What about maintenance?
Shutters are easily cleaned using a feather duster, damp sponge/soft cloth or run a vacuum cleaner over them. The finish shouldn’t need repainting for many years, indeed the Chelsea shutters are totally maintenance free and cannot be repainted anyway.
Return to Top »Do the shutters warp, shrink, change colour or age in any way?
Yes it does, all of those and so it should. If it doesn’t, it ain’t natural.
Cedar can warp in very rare occurrences, like any wood, but is less prone to do so than virtually any other timber we know of. We do give you a guarantee though against significant warping. (See our terms and conditions) To date though, we have had less than one in 5000 panels do this. Similarly, Cedar can shrink and does, but very little and we always advise fitting tight in the first instance. Shutters can quite easily be adjusted should this occur as it is never that much but it is probably better to leave them as they can just as easily swell again should the humidity increase.
Wood is a natural material and with its inconsistencies delivers pleasure. We do make perfect shutters because the market today expects perfect manufacture. Rustic looks as it does, because the products are made in rustic environments with basic tools and little technology, or badly/cheaply made or specifically finished to look that way. We think buying old Levis is OK if you don’t want to wear them for long. If you want an aged look then you can add it later, order it specially or just wait until it happens naturally. In fact within a week or two they develop a more lived in look and your decor adds character by proxy too.
And finally on this subject: Valuable antique furniture looked new 100 years ago and our shutters will be valuable antiques too, in a 100 years. Your curtains won’t be. The Chelsea Shutter Range is a different animal altogether. Although from 3 feet away you almost cannot tell the difference from white painted wood shutters. If you have young children still in their destructive period you should definitely consider this range. If you do break louvers or damage a panel seriously we can usually remake one exactly from our records or replace louvers in situ. We use ISO 9002 recorded process manufacture.
Return to Top »What wood do you use and is it Eco friendly?
“The Kensington Shutter Range” is made from Western Red Cedar. The timber is very durable and has a most interesting grain. It is very expensive timber but does not need to be laminated to retain stability. We buy our Cedar from The Western Red Cedar Association in Canada. It is either replanted Cedar or taken from designated forest areas where it is a managed forest. Cedar is one of the most used timbers in the world, in the USA a lot of houses are built entirely of Cedar and it is used extensively for roofing shingles and decking because although a softwood, it is amazingly long lasting a resistant to wet and rot. As a result it is farmed in very well managed forests. (It is also the national tree of Lebanon and on their flag, however I don’t think they use it for shutters).
“The Richmond Shutter Range” is made from a laminated constructed Phoenix wood, sometimes called Parasol. It grows in sub-tropical areas of the southern states of the USA, China and Japan. It is a very fast growing tree reaching full height in about 15 years. Ideal for farming. It is a hardwood but very light. We treat it with a special secret process to make it that light but it still has a very hard skin. It weighs in at almost the same as Cedar, making it ideal for shutters where the lighter the better generally applies.
“The Chelsea Shutter Range” is our most eco-friendly product because no trees at all have been cut down to make this product. Made from a laminated veneered lumber core (Basswood or other strong frame materials strips that are off cuts not usable elsewhere, laminated together with epoxy making a light, strong core), LDF laid bulk and polymer sealed outer coating.
What louver size should I choose?
When making your louvre choice, consider the size of the window and the desired effect. Generally larger windows command a larger louvre size. The larger the louvre the more light but the less privacy.
In the USA most shutters are made with 3.5 (89mm) louvres or (114.3) but here in Europe we tend to generally choose smaller louvres such as 47mm or 64mm.
If you have Georgian style windows with small window panes then we would definitely advise using the largest louver possible or the windows can look very busy. See louvre styles.
Return to Top »How many shutter panels do I need in my window opening?
Our smallest panel width is 200mm and widest is 750mm, although with larger louver panels we do sometimes go wider, but void warp warranty with your permission. Generally a window looks best with 4 panels, two opening as pairs either way. A 3 window bay, however, will usually have 2 panels on the smaller side windows and 4 in the centre. All shutters panels will open away from the middle.
There are as many exceptions as there are norms. For instance, a long window with 3 panes of glass, i.e.; 1800mm wide and 1000mm high, would have 6 panels; three folding either way or if you are only going to open them to clean the windows you could easily have just 3 panels. The Americans never open the shutters, only the louvers so design with large panels.
A lot of the time you will have to consider where the shutter panels are going to fold back to and if there is enough room for this to happen. This is also true where you are fitting inside the reveal next to the window and you will not want the shutters, when open, to protrude into the room too much.
We would not recommend hanging more than 3 panels from a single batten hinged together, unless they were not going to be opened apart from window cleaning and were resting on the sill or door step. As the maximum recommended width of our panels is 750mm, you may say that this equates to 4500mm maximum width, but it would be asking a lot of the batten to hold panels of this width and weight without sagging at a later date. So quite a lot of common sense is needed to achieve a good installation. Openings over 2400mm generally need a top track. Even if not using a top track at this width try to use a light panel such as the Richmond Shutter Range or Kensington Shutter Range.
For partitioning or for large windows where tracking is needed at the top to suspend the shutter panels, you will really need an even number of panels or they will look odd and not hang from the track properly. Ideally 8 panels or 12 panels for very large openings is best, although quite often it is wise to hang even 6 panels from tracking if they are quite large. With the heavier Chelsea shutter this is clearly an option to be considered. We do not charge for tracking, it comes in the square metre price for the opening.
In summary, the window will normally dictate the number of shutter panels. If the window is split into two halves you would either have 2 or 4 panels and it follows that if it is three panes, then three or six panels will suffice. The vertical dividers of the windows are where the vertical stiles of the shutters should be ideally.
Return to Top »What if my windows are not square?
There is virtually no such thing as a window that is perfectly square. If using a regular L-Frames you can scribe or fill small gaps. For larger gaps you can use cover strips much the same way as UPVC companies do.
Return to Top »What should I check for before I have a shutter survey?
Before we can conduct a survey for shutters you will need to ensure that you have checked the following:
- Your walls surrounding your windows do not require plastering after the survey has been completed and before the shutters will be installed (as this may render the measurements incorrect).
- There is no BT or aerial points obstructing where the shutters would be fitted (as they may need to be reallocated prior to the survey)
- Your windows will not be changed after the survey has been completed (as this may render the measurements incorrect).
If in doubt please contact us.
Return to Top »Can shutters be installed on any window?
Shutters can be installed on virtually any window, French door or patio sliding doors. Shutters can also be used effectively as room dividers fitted on tracks. If the window/door opens inwards then the shutters can always be mounted outside of the reveal. Bi-pass tracking allows for shutter to slide past each other and is used where there are overhangs preventing the panels from swinging out.
Thanks to a number of different framing options we are also able to fit the shutters on most UPVC windows and in 5 and 7 panelled bay windows.
The slats/louvres on my shutters do not hold their position, do they need replacing?
No. If the louvres on your shutters are not holding their postion it is very simply to rectify. On the side of each shutter is a small hole. At the end of the hole is a screw. This screw is called and tension screw. Simply use a screwdriver to tighten the screw and this will adjust the tension on the louvres.
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