Fitting decorative external shutters

Fixing will depend on the style and size of the external shutters you are fitting.  For standard wooden external shutters fixed into a brick house, drill a 5mm hole in each corner of the panel, lift the panel into position, level it and mark through the holes onto the wall so you know where to drill.

One of the easiest ways of marking is to put the screws into the holes you have just drilled and tap them with a hammer so they leave a mark on the wall.

Drill 6mm holes where you made your marks and place 6mm raw plugs in the holes ready for fixing.

Lift the external panel back into place and fix back to the wall.

Generally most outdoor shutters will have fitting instructions.  As they are for decoration and do not move it is simply a question of fixing them back to the wall.

Fitting folding external shutters

Operational shutter panels will need to be fitted on hinges, and depending on the style of window opening and hinge you are using the fitting technique will vary.  They generally need to be able to open and wrap around the exterior wall of the house.  This is achieved by using a special hinge which is cranked.

The hinge can be mounted onto the panel to help you mark the final fixing position of the hinge to the wall.  At this stage only use 2-3 screws depending on the size, so you have room to make final adjustments.  Mark a centre line and horizontal line on your window and lift the panel up to these marks so that you can mark the wall where the hinges are to be fitted.

If you are screwing into brickwork use a 6mm raw plug and screw, if you are screwing into the wooden window surround you can use a zinc coated standard wood screw.

Adjusting the final position of the wooden panels can be done by re-positioning some of the screw holes you first made when attaching the hinges, so that you have an equal gap between the panels.

Free standing external panels

These type of outdoor shutters may only require some hinges to be fitted to allow the panels to bi-fold.

For more advice on fitting exterior plastic shutters please get in touch with Paul Millar from Simply Shutters on 01842 814260 or visit  www.simplyshutters.co.uk