You’re here because you’ve decided on window shutters for your home, right? Great choice, but take a breath before diving forward. Choosing your window covering is just the first step – shutters are an investment, so it’s essential that you do everything right. That’s why we’ve written this guide – at SSC, we’ve been installing shutters for years, and we know the pitfalls you might face. Let us help you by just giving us a few minutes of your time to read this.
Thanks; it’ll be worth it, we promise
Window Shutters: An Overview
Window shutters date back to Ancient Greece, where marble window coverings helped keep out the blazing Mediterranean sunshine.
The shutters are panels with adjustable louvres, designed to provide excellent light control as well as keep out the weather. In the UK today, there are a number of great benefits from window shutters that include:
- Awesome light control
- Unparalleled privacy
- Efficient thermal insulation
- Decent soundproofing
- Enviable style
- Investment-worthy longevity
- Latest smart-home technology
If you were on the fence about choosing shutters, we can heartily recommend them!
The Types of Window Shutter
Styles of window shutters have come on over the years, and you’re no longer limited to just one version. When choosing, you can select from the following:
- Full height – a shutter covering that fills the entire window
- Tier-on-tier – shutters with a midway separation that allows for different upper and lower window covers
- Café style – low-level window shutters with an open top half
- Solid panel – not technically a window shutter due to the lack of louvres, but worth considering for many
Selecting Your Window Shutter Material
Once upon a time, window shutters meant wood, but just because that’s the traditional material doesn’t mean it’s the only option – indeed, as mentioned earlier, the Ancient Greeks used marble!
At the Scottish Shutter Company, we offer a range of designs that utilise different materials, including:
- Antigua – High-density MDF with an extruded polypropylene coating.
- Bermuda – Low-weight ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic louvres with a painted MDF frame.
- Cuba – Real hardwood shutter panels with MDF framing.
- Fiji – Made from sustainable timber for a classic stained wood finish.
- Java – High-grade ABS plastic for 100% water resistance.
- Portchester – Durable aluminium shutters with a lock for enhanced security.
- Samoa – A top-of-the-range African hardwood shutter, either beautiful painted or stained white teak.
Material Pros and Cons
Measuring Up
“Measure twice, cut once”, as the saying goes, and nowhere is it more important than with a shutter installation. With such precise fitting, it is absolutely essential that you get your measurements perfect when fitting your shutters – even a slight mistake can render your shutters absolutely useless.
Honestly, it’s far better to use a professional company to take care of this, especially if you have unusual window shapes – make it someone else’s problem if it goes wrong!
Always Use a Pro For Installation
Yes, we’re a shutter company with a professional fitting service, so there may be a thought that we’re biased.
But even if that were not the case, the advice would be the same.
Always, always, always use a professional when fitting shutters.
Why would you want to gamble when making such a significant investment in your home? There are so many places where a mistake can be made when fitting shutters (believe us, we’ve seen it all), and it’s really not worth the money that might be saved. Not only that, but the time it takes a DIY enthusiast to install shutters is not insignificant – do you really want to be doing it?
A poorly fitted shutter installation totally undermines the shutter’s purpose – light will leak, insulation is compromised, and they might look wonky. That’s if they work at all!
A professional company will take care of it all, leaving your shutters looking perfect and working without a hitch.
Buy with Confidence
Have you found a bargain online? Yeah, us too…
The problem is, with the rising popularity of shutters in the UK, cheap quality versions are flooding the market. It’s becoming easier and easier to find poor quality shutters with cut prices and harder and harder to know the wheat from the chaff.
Low standard shutters mean:
- Light leaking in through gaps
- Loose louvres that don’t work and look wonky
- Inconsistent colours
- Poor quality materials that break quickly
- Lengthy delivery times
- No warranties
- Wasted money
Unless you are properly confident regarding the quality of the shutters you are purchasing, think twice.
Creating a Look
Want to spread the window shutter look through your entire home? Window shutters can be used in more than just windows; they work for doors too! Consider using shutters to enhance the following:
- Patio doors
- French doors
- Sliding doors
- Bifold doors
- Internal door panels
- Wardrobe doors (with fixed louvres)
- Cupboard doors (consider ABS shutters for bathroom cupboards or lightweight timber shutters for media units, etc.)
Trusting The Scottish Shutter Company for Your Shutter Needs
We love shutters, and we’d love to help you reinvigorate your home with these stylish and effective window coverings; they’re a wonderful investment. Why not download our latest brochure to explore your options – it’s just a couple of clicks away!
