So what are plantation shutters and interior wooden shutters?

Hello readers, time we addressed this one of our most asked questions, which is about installing interior plantation shutters for DIY fans. If you want to get a company in to install your interior shutters, you will find that they essentially follow a similar procedure. The main difference will be that they do the work, not you, and you could pay up to $50 per square meter extra for the privilege. It is not one of the most demanding DIY tasks and if you are familiar with a wood plane you will get even more out of your installation and a really tight fit.

Preparation for shutter installation
The main thing you want to do before ordering your shutters is to make sure you measure your windows correctly. We’ll assume for this article that you have. What this means is that the measurements you take from the window are averages, where the frame of the shutter will fit inside the gap of the window correctly, with only minor planing required if any at all. Most companies recommend taking at least three measurements for your window to establish the average height and width of the frame, as with the majority of windows particularly in older properties, the window frames are despite appearances not fully square. Where there is a gap you’ll be filling with decorators caulk, and where the frame is too big, you’ll be planing off the extra wood.

Don’t fear though, it’s rally not a tough process. There are some excellent videos on Youtube which demonstrate what we’re covering here. Why not watch some how to install shutters movies like this one. There is plenty of help around!

Tools required for installing interior window shutters
Depending on which company you have ordered your plantation shutters from, you’ll need varying tools for DIY installation. However on the whole you’ll require a hammer - for some gentle persuasion, a screwdriver (manual or electric), a drill, maybe a plane for dropping the height and width where it meets the wall and decorators caulk for filling in round the gaps. That’s it, no fuss it is much simpler than you might imagine! If you can, it is helpful to get a DIY partner for your installation of shutters. It just helps to have someone to hold the parts if they are long, but it’s not essential.

Steps to successful installation

As with any DIY job follow overall protocol like clearing the area, make sure everything is dust free and clean, and make sure you have enough room to put the shutter frame together before you start. You’ll need some space for assembling the various parts of the shutter before it gets screwed to the window frame or wall. You can read about the actual shutter parts here from this great site which explains what all the elements which make up the hardware are. And once again, there are not many parts so no worries.

1. So, screw the frame together - this is done before anything is offered up to the window or wall interior where the shutter will be installed. The various types like cafe, or tiered don’t make any real difference here, they will all have a  frame. Lots of companies supply these with pre-drilled holes so it’s even easier to locate the fixings. Basically, as long as you get the top of the frame at the right end, together with the left and right frames, you’ll be holding onto a rectangular wooden frame, like the stretcher of a canvas. Lets not worry at this stage about any unevenness as the frame gets screwed into the window anyways. Some nicer companies will supply a bow tap (kind of wooden plug) to simply make the joints, so no screwing is required at all. These make this first stage super easy to get the frame together
2. Next step is to lift up the frame to the window. You might only have three sides, so here’s where a spare pair of hands comes in really useful, especially if you have super large windows. Screw in one screw left and right of frame, This just secures the panel to the resting place, and allows you to get it all square.
3. Now you got the frame up to the window loosely, you can drop any of the shutter panels into the hinges supplied on the frame. The only thing here is to make sure you get the right frame on the left and the right of the window, otherwise you’ll be upside down! Dropping pins into the hinges is really easy, and again the spare pair of hands makes for an even easier life.
4. Next stage when both the shutter panels are installed into the hinges, is to securely screw the remaining holes left in the frame. This should be done BEFORE you start to yank your panels around and whoop with joy, as your wooden panels weigh a few pounds and swinging them round before the frame has all the screws in can lead to damaging the components.
5. Next plug in the frame holes which you just screwed. The companies that set themselves apart will have provided wooden plugs or caps which sit nicely on the frame and make for a nice smooth exterior finnish
6. All that remains is to adjust the height of the panels with the adjustment panel screws, making sure they close. 
7. Run any caulk around gaps to get that smart finish which looks professional. Caulk is sticky and can be messy, so be patient, run the tube smoothly and use a damp cloth to remove any excess.

That’s it! We believe if a pair work together you can have this whole process done in around 45 minutes. So a regular house can be shuttered in under a day! Sure is simpler than making your own curtains we think...

Read more articles about your plantation shutters here, and don’t forget to contact us at shuttersblinds if you have any comments or questions.
Thanks for reading, let us know how you get on!