As with all industries there are range of technical names which are used for each of the shutter parts, these may not initially be obvious to those not ‘in the know’. Here you can find what components make up a shutter.
Shutter Stiles
The sides of the shutters are called ‘Stiles’. The inner sides of these stiles are rebated (cut out) so they interlock with the next shutter when bi-folded together. This helps reduce the light coming into the room. The side-edge of the shutters that fits into and against the side-frame is flat. The light here is reduced due to the use of the frame in which the shutters are fitted.
Shutter stiles can also be made wider, which adds strength. If you are ordering remote control shutters they come with a slighter wider side stile, so you may want to order any other shutters you have in your home with the same size stile to match.
If you are concerned by the amount of light entering through your shutter side stiles why not consider blackout shutters.
Tension Screws
Fitted in the sides of the stiles are ‘Tension Screws’ these allow you to adjust the tension of the louvre blades, making them tighter or looser depending on your preference.
Shutter Rails
The top and bottom sections of the shutter are called ‘Rails’ these are jointed into the stiles to create a frame. These rails are adjusted in width depending on the overall height of your shutter. Where measuring over 1800mm, extra rails are fixed within the height of the shutter, to provide extra strength to the shutter. These are know as ‘Horizontal Middle Rails’ and are best lined-up with a feature on your window, if required.
Louvre Blade
‘Louvres blades’ (known in USA as ‘louver blades’) are fitted from top to bottom inside the frame created by the stiles and rails. These allow you to adjust the amount of light coming into the room by tilting them up or down by using a ‘Control Rod’. The control rod connects all the louvre blades together using stainless steel staples. You can get 3 different sizes of louvre blades, small (47mm), medium (64mm) and large (89mm). These each provide a different look and let different amounts of light into the room.
Remote control shutters control the louvre movement with a small hand-held remote control. The remote control has 8 pre-set positions for the louvre, and these are ideal if you have a window where it may be difficult to reach the control rod to move the louvres, or if you just want to be able to control light at the press of a button.
Control Rod
The control rod is the wooden rod that runs down the centre of the louvres within the shutter and allows you to adjust the position of the louvre blades, and therefore the amount of light entering your room. When all the louvre blades are closed the control rod sits in a small hole in the top rail of the shutter, known as a ‘Mouse hole’. This allows all the louvre blades to fold flat when fully closed.
Shutter Frame
The outer shutter frame is shaped like an ‘L’ and has a ‘removable insert’ around the outer edge that can be removed to reveal pre-drilled holes for fixing. Such frames come mitred at the corners, like a picture frame ready to be connected together by ‘interlocking plastic keys’. The frame has the outer part of the ‘hinge’ fitted on the side to make assembly very easy. The back edge of the frame houses strong magnets which keep the shutters closed within their frame.
Panel Feet
Fitted underneath the shutter panels, up into the ends of the stiles, are small ‘panel feet’ which create an even gap between the shutters and the frame when fitted. These help support the shutter when closed, as the weight of the shutter will rest on the bottom of the frame.