Plantation shutters in Tyldesley
Solid panels with louvres that tilt, made to fit your window and screwed into it. Closer to joinery than to a blind, and there is not a cord on them anywhere.
What a shutter is like to live with
A shutter is a panel of louvres in a frame, fitted into the window opening or onto the frame around it. It does not roll up and it does not pull out of the way. It stays where we put it, the way a door or a skirting board stays, and it is part of the window from then on.
The louvres are the whole point. Tilt them one way and the daylight comes in off the ceiling and fills the room, while nobody walking past on the pavement can see in. That is the thing a roller cannot do for you: a roller is up or down, and if you want the light you have to give up the privacy. With a shutter you get to have both at once, and you set it wherever you want it with your hand.
Because every panel is made to its own opening, they suit the windows that give other blinds trouble. Bays, tall windows, anything that is not a plain rectangle. We measure each opening on its own and the panels are built to those figures rather than to a rounded-off average.
There are no cords and no chains on a shutter at all. Nothing hangs down, so there is nothing for a child or a dog to get hold of. It is not a feature you pay extra for; it is just how they work.
Two honest things before you go further. They cost more than a blind, and they take longer to make than a blind. We would rather say that on the page than surprise you with it at the window. What you get for it is something that is still there and still square long after a blind would have been replaced.
We measure and fit them ourselves, the same as everything else we sell. The person who comes out and quotes you is the person who measures the openings and comes back to hang the panels, and we take the packaging away with us.
How shutters work
The parts of the job that are the same whichever way you have them made.
| What they are | Solid panels of louvres in a frame, fitted into the window opening or onto the frame around it. A fixture, not something that rolls up. |
|---|---|
| Light and privacy | The louvres tilt, so you can keep daylight coming in off the ceiling and still not be seen from the pavement. |
| Fitting | Inside the opening where there is the depth for it, or on a frame fixed over the top of it. We work out which at your window. |
| Bays and odd shapes | Each panel is made to its own opening, so bays, tall windows and shapes that are not rectangles are ordinary work. |
| Cords and chains | None at all. Nothing hangs down and there is nothing to reach. |
| Material and louvre size | Both are choices, and both change how the window looks and how much light you get. We go through them with you at the window rather than on the phone. |
| Cost and wait | More than a blind, and longer to make than a blind. We write the actual price down while we are with you, and tell you the wait once we know what you have chosen. |
| Cleaning | A dust along the louvres now and again does most of it. Ask us how to wipe the material you have chosen before you take a wet cloth to it. |
| Warranty | Shutters come with the manufacturer's warranty. It varies by product and by manufacturer, so ask us and we will tell you what covers yours before you order. We fitted them, so if something is wrong we come back out. That is in addition to your legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and does not affect them. |
Where they suit, and where they don't
Shutters are our biggest seller, but they are not right for every window in the house. Here is where we would put them, and where we would talk you out of them.
Good for
- Front rooms facing a road or a pavement, where you want the daylight but not the audience.
- Bays and tall windows, because every panel is made to its own opening rather than forced to fit.
- Awkward shapes that a standard blind has to be fudged around.
- Houses with small children, because there is no cord and no chain anywhere on them.
- A window you look at from the street as well as from the sofa. They sit neat from both sides.
- Somewhere you intend to stay. You buy them once and they stay with the window.
Probably not for
- Windows where you want the whole frame and the whole view back in the daytime. Panels open on their hinges, but they do not disappear the way a roller does.
- Jobs where the budget is the deciding thing. A blind will cover the window for less, and we will tell you so.
- Anything you need in a hurry. They are made to your openings and that takes time.
- A rented place, or a house you are selling soon. They are a fixture and they stay behind.
- Conservatory roofs. That is a pleated blind, and there is more on our conservatory blinds page.
Not sure which side of that your window falls on? Ring us and describe it. Half the job is knowing what belongs where, and that part is free.
Questions we get asked
If yours isn't here, ring the showroom and ask. We don't mind talking you out of something.
What material and what size louvre should I have?
That is the part we talk through at the window, not over the phone. It depends on the room, how big the opening is, how much light you want off the ceiling and what you want it to look like from the street. We will bring what we have out to you, stand it against your window and go through the choices in your own light. We would rather do that than have you pick blind off a screen.
Why do shutters cost more than a blind?
Because they are closer to joinery than to a blind. Panels, frames, hinges, every one made to its own opening, then hung and adjusted so they sit square and shut properly. A blind is fabric on a tube. Shutters take longer to make and longer to fit, and the price reflects that. Whether they are worth it for your window is a fair question and we will give you a straight answer.
Can you do a bay window?
Yes, and that is where they tend to look best. Every panel is made to its own opening, so the awkward angles in a bay get measured on the day and built in rather than worked around. Same for tall windows and shapes that are not a plain rectangle.
Are shutters safe in a house with children?
There are no cords and no chains on a shutter at all. Nothing hangs down and there is nothing to reach. You tilt the louvres with your hand and you open the panels like a little door. If cords are the reason you are looking, that is the first thing worth knowing.
Do shutters stay with the house if I move?
Normally, yes. A shutter is a fixture, screwed into the window opening or onto a frame around it, and buyers expect to find it still there. It is not something you take down and take with you the way you would a blind. Worth thinking about if you are renting or not planning to stay.
How long do shutters take?
Longer than a blind. They are made to your openings rather than pulled off a shelf. We will tell you the actual wait when we quote, once we know what you have chosen. We will not guess at it on the phone and then let you down.
Children or pets in the house?
A shutter has no cords and no chains on it anywhere, so there is nothing hanging down for a child to reach. It is one of the reasons people choose them for a nursery or a landing. If you want cordless on the rest of the windows too, say so when we visit and we will show you what does the same job in a blind. More on child safety.
The blinds we make as well
Every one measured, made to your window and fitted by us.
Want a price for shutters?
Ring the showroom on 01942 882 181, or the mobile on 07929 366 127. We come out with the samples, measure every opening and write the price down while we are there. Evenings and weekends are no bother.