Plantation shutter panels comprise of rails running horizontally on the top and bottom and stiles running vertically on the sides attached (hinged) to a frame, and louvers that rotate open and closed. Divider rails are required on panels that exceed 1500mm in height. The divider rail adds strength and support to your shutter panels and allows you to open the top louvers while keeping the bottom ones closed.
Measuring your windows for your shutters is as easy as A, B, C and at Decor we believe in the KISS principle “keep it simple stupid” so please read through the following instructions before progressing and you will be ready to measure like a pro. By choosing to measure and install your own shutters you will save hundreds if not thousands of dollars and have the satisfaction of improving your home all by yourself.
Tools you’ll need:
- A good steel tape measure
- A level
- Paper and a pen
Some things to Consider
First, decide where your shutters are going to sit inside the recess (Recess Fit) or outside the recess (Face Fit) on the wall or window frame.
Recess Fit is where the shutters will sit on the inside of the window frame. Face Fit is where the shutters will be mounted on the architrave or outside of the opening and will cover the total window area. A face fit shutter sits inside your room by approximately 50mm with the blades closed and 75mm with the blades open. If your window frame has the space to allow for it and is reasonably square we recommend the Recess Fit option. With the recess fit make sure you have full window depth clearance, 65mm is required for an L Frame or 50mm for a Z Frame.
Next you will need to measure the sqaureness of the window, even though you may have the depth the other deciding factor is squareness of the opening. This will ensure that the shuters will fit nicely inside the window without big gaps. All you need to do is measure the recess diagonally from corner to corner on both sides. Then, compare the two measurements. If the difference is 10mm or less, you’re good to go with internal mount (Recess Fit) which we highly recommend. If it varies by any more than 10mm then unfortunately you won’t be able to fit shutters in your recess. If this happens, don’t worry, you can install your shutters on the outside of the window opening (Face Fit).
Measuring for a mid-rail
For taller shutters over 1500mm we put in a stylish midrail to give your shutters support. The great thing about a midrail is you can customise its height so that it matches your windows and looks at its best. Usually, people tend to position their midrails at the same height as any transom bars on their window or so that it doesn’t obstruct the view when sitting down and looking through the shutters.
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