What is a shutter blind?
Is it a shutter or a blind, I think when customers are searching or referring to a window treatment like ‘shutter blinds‘ that they are really looking for a wood venetian blind with adjustable slats (like shutters).
They say ‘shutters’ thinking about about the adjustable louvre blades found on a plantation shutter and include the word blind as they are not fully committed to buying shutters just yet and are looking for something in between.
A venetian style blind will offer similar privacy options and allow you to adjust the light like you can with a window shutter. Â A venetian blind has wooden slats that are hung on cords from a top headrail. Â These slats generally cover the whole width of the window, while shutters panels can be matched to the different sections of your window allowing a much more flexible design and look.
Shutters come fitted within a frame, you can then choose how many shutters you have within that frame.  By adding Tposts you can bespoke the widths of the paneles  ensuring when you look through the shutters all the uprights line up with the uprights of your window.
Cleaning shutter blinds…
Shutters are much easier to clean than blinds, they are solid and don’t move around when dusting. Â A blind however can be smaller and move around when cleaning because it’s only hanging down from a headrail. Â Plus the cords from the blinds can get in the way. Â Shutters do not have these cords making easy to run a duster along the blade on one go.
For further advice on ordering shutter blinds please contact Sam direct on 0844 858 4025, you can choose between the DIY or fitted option.
posted by Sam at 11:15 am
This year at the Ideal Home Show in Earls Court London during March you can see opennshut shutters in one of the room sets that Sophie Robinson designed for the Ideal Home Magazine.
I am heading to the show Thursday to take a closer look. Â I supplied two sets of shutters for some patio doors with large 89mm louvres blades and silk white finish to provide a clean modern look. Â I’ve seen some photos of the set and the shutters are a great feature.
The room sets and shutters are also being featured in the Ideal Home magazine during August, so grab yourself a copy of the magazine later in the summer.
If you would like to transform your home with some shutters, get in touch and email me some photos so I can provide some advice.
posted by Sam at 11:50 am
Window blinds can offer privacy, keep the heat in or out and cut down on noise and light. Â They can come in the form or woodslat blinds or wooden plantation shutters.
The woodslat option is the cheapest, they are easy to measure and easy to fit. They are available in 3 main slat sizes, 35, 50 and 64mm.  The Shuttermatch blinds I supply have the same colour range and similar slat sizes as the shutters.
White is still the most popular colour and blends well with white windows. Â Woodslat blinds can be supplied with decorative tapes or the standard string.
The shutter option will provide a stunning look, depending on your window they too can be easy to measure and install.
The 3 main louvre sizes are 47mm, 64mm and 89mm. Â The louvre blades on the shutters are shaped/profiled like an aeroplane wing, but slats on the blinds are flat so they stack neatly when they are pulled up.
Fitting window blinds yourself (DIY) has become a very easy option with the use of video.  You can find several videos on fitting blinds and shutters on my youtube channel.
If you have any questions or you would like some advice on the right window covering, then register on my website and upload some photos of your windows.
Most shutter companies only supply shutters in a frame. However it is possible just to order ‘shutters panels’ only, they can be ordered as single panels with no hinges or hinged up and ready to fit.
If you don’t want your interior shutters in a frame you will need to think about how they will be fitted. Normally they are hung on side battens, this makes it easy to ensure the shutters line up and that they operate properly.
You need to be aware of the louvres protruding out from the back of the shutters when ordering them on their own. When the shutters are fitted directly to a window frame or door, the louvres can often operate within the glass recess. If there is no recess, battens might be required to space the louvres away from any obstacles.
You could hinge the shutters straight onto the window or door, screw through the stile of the shutter or use magnets to hold them in place.
Some examples of using just shutters only might be next to a front door, where you normally find narrow tall side lights and a deep shutter frame would not look right. Perhaps you have a shallow window sill or your trying match an existing shutter installation. Battens can be customised to size and made to match existing surrounds if needed.
Here is an example of custom bay corner battens I fitted to allow shutters in a bay to fold right back to each side.
Remember, you can also request wider side stiles or custom stile designs if required.
For further help on customising your shutters contact me (Sam) through my website www.opennshut.co.uk or on my Facebook page.
Remote control shutters are perfect if you have a window up high on a landing that you can’t reach. The remote shutters are battery operated and come with a infra red remote control unit. Â They can be used in bedrooms or cinema rooms and linked in with any all in one remote units used.
They are just as easy to fit, you just have to install the batteries. Â Remote control plantation shutters are only available in the Elite Plus and Cedar range of shutters. Â They are priced per remote louvred section, so if you decide to have a middle rail in the shutter it would cost twice as much.
With general use, the batteries in the shutters will last you about a year. Â It’s best change them yearly anyway to keep the blades operating smoothly.
I’ve made a short video showing how the the shutters are operated.  If you would like a quote or any more information about the remote control shutters please contact me through my website.
posted by Sam at 11:53 am
DIY shutters are proving a popular option at the moment.
It’s are easier than you think to measure and fit shutters yourself. Â There is lots of online help, advice and videos to guide you through the do it yourself process.
Shutters can be fitted to most windows, they are designed to be screwed directly to the window frame. Â The shutters I supply come pre-fitted in their own frames. Â The frames have removable inserts around the edge that allow the frame to be screwed to the window. Â Inserts are then fitted back in the frame to cover up the screw holes.
If you have handles or plastic trim that sticks out from the window stopping the shutters fitting directly to it, you can fit spacer battens to space the shutter frame away from these protruding objects.
These battens can be cut and shaped to fit around most things. Â Tiles are not a problem either, both the battens and shutter frames can have cut outs in them so the frame fits around the tiles, very neat!
If you are thinking of the DIY plantation shutter option, I suggest registering on my website and uploading some photos of your windows so I can offer some advice.
posted by Sam at 10:42 am
Choosing the right louvre shutter blade size for your windows is important. There are 3 main sizes to choose from.
- 47mm (Small)
- 64mm (Medium)
- 89mm (Large)
The small 47mm louvres are not widely used now, the small blades reduce the light and view through the shutters. Â As most customers leave their shutters closed and only adjust the louvres to the let the light in, it’s better to go for a larger size. Â One advantage if you do not have a deep recess is the clearance between the back of the louvre and the frame, this is bigger than the larger louvre sizes.
The most popular size is the medium 64mm louvre. This suits most windows, it’s not too small and not too large. Â It lets enough light in and gives you a nice view through the shutters. Â The 64mm blade is available with the hidden tilt rod and remote control option. Â 64mm blades do not protrude past the back edge of the standard L frames the shutters are fitted within.
For more light, and clearer view I would suggest the large 89mm louvres. These look great with the hidden control rod and provide a good view through the louvre blades when set in the horizontal position. These large blades can also come with the remote control option.  The large louvre means the back edge of the louvres would protrude past the back edge of a standard L frame.  You would need the medium sized shutter frame to ensure the louvre blades do not hit the window or handles.
Large louvres suit large windows or doors, if you have the large blades then wide single shutters look good rather than smaller bi-folded shutters.
Below are some photos showing the 3 louvre shutter sizes fitted to the same window.
47mm (Small Louvre)
Medium (64mm Louvre)
Large (89mm Louvre)
For more information on my louvre shutters or choosing the right size for your windows, please create an account on my website and upload some photos of your windows for some advice .
The 2-3 week fast track option is proving very popular at the moment. Â Having raced the shutters here for the Channel Four show I fitted last week I thought I’d remind everyone about the option.
The usual lead times for DIY shutters are about 7 weeks, if you have them fitted you can expect to wait about 8-10 weeks. For customers that are in a hurry or want to try a window first then the option is there to fast track the shutters.
The fast track shutter delivery takes between 2 and 3 weeks and can be a real bonus if you have just moved in or you are letting the place out and need a window covering quickly.
The Shuttermatch blinds can also be delivered in 2-3 weeks as an alternative option.
You don’t want to rush the ordering process, I still recommend creating an account and uploading photos of your windows to me so I can help and advice you through the ordering process.
Last week I fitted shutters for Channel Four’s ‘Help my house is falling down’.
This is my third show for Channel four, having previously supplied and fitted shutters on the ‘The Home Show’ and ‘Kirstie’s Homemade Home’
I can’t share any photos or details about the show yet until it’s been shown on TV.  This all happened pretty quickly as usual, and I really didn’t have much time to measure and ensure the shutters arrived on time.  There was no time to drive to London myself so I had to get the Assistant Producer Dan to measure up for me.  As I specialise in supply DIY shutters it was easy advising Dan over the phone once he had emailed some photos of the windows to me.
The shutters arrived the day before I needed to fit them, Â I had arranged to fit them early before the final filming of the show started. Â I had unpacked everything the day before to speed up the fitting, this also helped as it was tight for room and with lots of people in and out it would have been tight.
The shutters were a success so Dan’s measuring was spot on and everyone was happy with the finished results and design. Â I got to meet Sarah Beeny and have my photo taken with her and the owner.
Look out for opennshut.co.uk on Channel 4 ‘Help my house is falling down’
posted by Sam at 11:28 am
The hidden control rod option is becoming more popular, this is mainly down to the new design.
Adjusting the louvre blades on your shutters is normally done using a centre control or tilt rod. Â This is a small rounded wooden rod connected to all the louvre blades by small staples so when you move it, all the louvres blades are moved too.
With the hidden control rod option, there is a hidden mechanism within the side stile of the shutter that connects all the louvre blades together.  You can adjust any of the louvre blades and they will all move.
This feature provides a modern look to your window shutters and you get a cleaner view through your shutters. Â It generally looks good on larger wider shutters with large 89mm louvres.
There is an extra cost for the hidden tilt rod which is based on a sqm basis. Â I have attached some photos below showing some different windows with this feature.
These doors shows some full height shutters with large 89mm blades:
This UPVC window has 3 full height shutters fitted at the front of the recess with a 3 sided bullnose Z frame. Â The Z frame allows the shutter panels to wrap back around the wall.
Below is a photo showing the side of the shutter containing the hidden mechanism.
If you would like to order some window shutters with the hidden control rod option please register on my website and upload some photos of your windows for some advice.
