Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of our Frequently Asked Questions on DIY shutters to help answer any questions you might have on window shutters.
You can find more resources on our blog and by watching our video guides.
From November 23rd 2021, Luxaflex are no longer supplying the Vinyl shutters.
We have a new supplier that suppliers a very similar shutter and the good news is the frames are all pre-assembled!
Please bear with us while we update the website and technical spec.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or you wish to place an order.
You don’t have to glue the mitres, but you get a better, tighter frame if you do.
The mitre corner connecter will hold the mitres together without glue. There is a small protruding lug on the connector that clips into the side of the frame to hold in place.
We recommend gluing the mitres when you are side fixing as this helps keep the mitres together when screwing sideways.
We have a range of videos showing you how to design shutters for your window, measure your window and then install the shutters.
You can get instant access to the videos by signing up on the form on the right hand side.
We have a video about shutters within the ‘How To’ section here.
No, they have a matt finish to them and easily blend in when placed next to wooden shutters.
With a set of shutters fitted up on your window, you would struggle to tell if they were vinyl, wood or MDF.
We have a blog post comparing wood and vinyl here.
As we promote on our website, our shutters are tough and durable and can quite happily withstand being delivered by courier.
However, in the event of any damage occurring, please sign as damaged and email us ([email protected]) photos and details of the damage that has occurred.
As our shutters are made in the UK, replacement parts can be delivered ASAP.
If you missed a delivery, UPS will try again the following day as standard.
If you have a suitable place or neighbour that can take delivery of your shutters, please leave a signed note for the driver to take away with him with your request.
Yes, our shutters are guaranteed for 25 years. Please refer to our full terms and conditions for more information.
Please note: the guarantee is only activated when you complete and return the guarantee slip included with your shutter order.
To provide a free delivery service all our deliveries are normally dispatched on a Tuesday for delivery on a Wednesday with the exception of holidays dates.
We can deliver to a different address and you can select this option when ordering your shutters.
All the folding options available in our range are listed on the order form.
If the folding option is not listed then unfortunately it’s not available.
Unfortunately not, our vinyl shutters can only be supplied in the designs available on our website.
Full height, Tpost and Tier on tier designs.
Yes you can install shutters on bay windows, however currently we do not offer any support, measuring or fitting guides for bay windows.
Our shutters are made near Birmingham in the UK.
Full height is the most popular design.
This suits most windows tall, short, wide or narrow and can be designed with or without a middle rail for extra privacy when opening louvre blades.
Unfortunately not, we only provide a UK delivery service.
Yes, vinyl shutters are hollow with air between them.
Air is great for noise and heat insulation so installing a set of our shutters will help reduce outside noise.
We specialise in ‘supply only’ so we are unable to offer a measuring service.
We have created a series of video guides to explain how and where to measure your windows yourself.
This allows you to order online and benefit from lower prices.
You can sign up to watch these guides on the top right hand side of this page.
Yes, our shutters will blackout most of the light, but not all.
You will still get light filtering through the louvre blades and gaps around the hinges. This is perfectly normally you will not be able to block out all of the light just with a shutter.
Everyone has their own ideas of how dark a room should be. As a guide shutters will block out as much light as an average pair of curtains. They are better than wood slat blinds, but not as good as an actual blackout product.
The shadow gap is the clearance gap left between the shutter frame and your window recess. You need to allow for a shadow gap when measuring and depending on how square or level your window is will depend on how much of a gap you leave.
We run through exactly how much gap you should leave in our video tutorial.
You can also download our technical PDF guide on this page.
There are no printed instructions supplied with our shutters, we have created a detailed set of video guides that will show you exactly how to install your shutters.
You can sign up to watch these guides at the top right hand side of this page.
The shadow gap is left as a gap on purpose. It provides room for you to install your shutter frame and ensure the shutters operate correctly. It also disguises any out of level windows or bumps in the plaster.
If you use filler, there are 3 different colours to worry about: the wall colour, the shutter colour and the filler colour. Even if they are all white, they can be different shades of white. In time the filler can crack and discolour and just because you fill the gap it doesn’t make your shutter frame look square, your window will still be out of level.
The simple professional solution is to leave the gap as a shadow gap: the shutters look far neater and the shadow enhances the shutter frame.
A shadow gap will never discolour, crack or shrink, so your shutters will always look perfect.
Yes, you can open shutters right up, but most customers keep them closed and only adjust the louvre blades.
A bi-folding shutter means a pair of shutters that have a hinge between each panel so they can both be folded back to one side.
A single shutter could be hinged on the left or right and would open just like a cupboard door.
The shutters will protrude into the room when folded open if they are fitted inside a deep recess up against the window.
You can wrap them back around your wall if the shutters are fitted right at the front of the recess.
We provide help and advice on choosing the right folding design for your windows in our video guides.
Access the guides at the top right hand side of this page.