1300 553 594

How To Install Your DIY Shutters

Before you start you will need:

  • Small hammer
  • Phillips Screwdriver (star)
  • Drill
  • Spirit level
  • Appropriate fixings for your window type (rawl plug etc.)

Tip!

If you have ordered shutters for more than one window, separate your items and position them beside the relevant window. All boxes are clearly marked to say which items are inside.

What we‘ve sent you

  • Wide rectangular boxes containing shutter panels
  • Long box / boxes containing the shutter frames
  • Every frame box contains a RED hardware pack for each window. A Red sticker indicates where you will find it inside the frame box

The hardware provided will include

  • Bow tie shape ‘hoffman key‘ fixings to join together each mitered piece of frame to form the shape of your window.
  • Long screws to fix the frame to the wall or window.
  • Small screws to ‘lock‘ the hinge in position at the end of the installation. Each hinge has 3 fixing holes & to fix the hinge in its final position screw through middle hole.
  • Sticky pads to keep the long insert strips in position (inside mount fixing frames only).
  • Wood stain or paint for touching up if necessary.
  • Large drop pins to insert into the hinges which hang the panels on the frame sides small drop pins to insert into the hinges between the bifold panels.
  • Clear plastic hinge packers to use behind hinges should you wish to push panels closer together.
  • You will also have small round magnets recessed in the back of the shutter panels and magnet plates fitted on the frames.
  • Outside mount shutter frames will generally have the fixing hole predrilled.
  • We also include a square drill head attachment for your drill (fits our screw heads).

STEP 1 - Assembling Your Shutter Frame

Remove all the frame pieces from the long box. All frames are routed to accept a Hoffman Key. Position the frame pieces face down according to how they are marked being sure to use an installation mat to avoid damage to the face of the frame. The frames will be marked on the mitres to indicate the side of frame. T=top B=bottom L=left R=right. Insert the Hoffman Keys (leading edge first) into the routed out frames. Gently tap in the keys with a small rubber mallet until the face of the frame is even. The next step would be to attach any T-posts that may be included through the pre-drilled holes in the T-post holes in the frame.

How frames join together

The sketch below shows how the frame sides match up. Unless you request otherwise the holes will be pre-drilled in the SHUTTER FRAMES ready for you to attach to walls or window surround.

STEP 2 - Fixing Your Shutter Frame Into Position

Your frame will be mounted in 1 of 3 ways:

Outside Mount – This applies to sash windows where there is no recess. The frame is surface mounted onto the window or a surround. Fixing holes will be pre-drilled through your frame so that your frame fixes directly to whatever sits in front of it. You can gap filler or fill the small fixing hole after installation. An L frame or a Deco Camber can be fitted in this way. Deco camber frames will be supplied with a front insert piece to cover the fixing holes/screws.

Inside Mount, Tight to Window – This applies to recess windows. If the frame and shutters are fitted tight to the window, the panels will open to 90° within the recess. An L frame can be installed tight to the window. An insert cover strip will be supplied to cover the fixings holes and screws.

Inside Mount, to Front of Recess – This applies to recess windows. If the frame and shutters are fitted at the very front of the recess, flush with the internal wall, the panels should open 180° and can sit back against the interior wall. An L frame or Z frame (semi recessed frame) can be installed at the front of the recess. An insert cover strip will be supplied to cover the fixings holes and screws.

shutters
Decide which of the above applies to you, and then follow these steps:
  • Lift the assembled frame to the window
  • AN OUTSIDE MOUNT, where the frame is to be mounted around the opening, determine where the outside edges of the frame are to be located. With the frames in position, secure the left or right side of the frame just above the top hinge using a nail or screw. Using a spirit level on top of the frame, next secure the other side in the frame.2.1 When happy with the position, insert a bradawl or small screwdriver through the frame holes to mark where you need to drill
  • If fixing into masonry, please remove the frame, drill your hole and use the appropriate fixing for your installation. If fixing directly into wood or UPVC the screw will be able to drive directly into the wood or UPVC
  • Screw the frame firmly in position. If fitting to UPVC, once you feel the screw start to bite, stop drilling
  • AN INSIDE MOUNT, place the frame inside the opening making sure there is enough clearance for the slat size selected. (If required pull frame forward in the recess) With the frame in position, secure the left or right side of the frame just above top hinge using a nail or screw, being sure to center the frame from side to side.

STEP 3 - Hanging Your Shutter Panels

All hinges have been attached to the panels and frame, so the only thing that will be necessary is to gently tap in the hinge pins with a rubber mallet. The hinge pins should go in without much problem if the panels are in the right positions. If one pin seems to be tight, just loosen one part of the hinge with a small Phillips screwdriver allowing the pin to slide into the other, and re-tighten the hinge screws.

It is important that you identify the correct layout of your panels before hanging. Full height panels and café style panels will ALWAYS have the identification number stamped into the bottom of each panel.Tier on tier panels will have the identification number stamped on the top of TOP tier panels and on the bottom of the BOTTOM tier panels.

Panel location numbers are as follows:

  • Full Height LLRR panels = 1234.
  • Tier on Tier LLRR panels = 1234 (top tier)
  • LLRR panels = 5678 (bottom tier).
shutter hinges

To attach the panels to the shutter frame, simply line up the part hinge on the shutter frame with the part hinge on the shutter panel and drop pin in hinge to secure together. Once the panels are inserted, close the panels and move the bottom of the frame left or right to align the panels. Once the panels are aligned, and all the margins are even, open one panel and secure the side of the frame just above the lowest hinge.

Continue attaching the frame with nails or screws just above every hinge. On wider shutters it will be necessary to secure the top and bottom frames as well.

STEP 4 - Finishing Off Tips

Any slight gap between shutter frames and the recess wall can be filled with decorators gap filler. Available from all DIY stores. If at first panels do not line up, unscrew part of frame and play with its position. As little as 2mm movement can affect the hanging of your shutters. If a panel is not closing easily, loosen the screws in the hinges and then close panels in frame and apply light pressure to the stiles (NOT SLATS). This should help free the installation. For white outside mount shutters, white gap filler can be put into frame holes, then smooth over with a clean damp cloth. Ensure that the frame is being been installed in the position where the window has been measured. Not all windows are square so if you measured up tight to the window the same frame may not fit at the front of the recess. Magnet position can be adjusted/pulled forward if required using a Phillips screwdriver. French doors have 3 sides of frame with no piece on bottom, full height generally have 4 sides of frames, and tier on tier panels have 4 sides of frame. Where there are large handles on a window ensure you fit frame in recess to allow sufficient clearance for slat tilting.

That‘s it. Congratulations on a job well done.

We hope you enjoy your shutters for years to come.
Finally if you do encounter any problems during your installation then call us on 1300 553 594 for help.