home-made shutters

[EN]

Could all you creative minds out there help me make some internal window shutters? The drafty windows are set in 2ft thick stone walls and are all sorts of shapes and sizes. I would like them to be solid not louvred, in keeping with the old look of the house. I really can't spend much on them though, and while my joinery skills/ tools might be fairly basic, I've done wonders making cupboard doors and boxing in open plan stairs with left over laminate floor boards so don't mind trying to make cheap rubbish look ok. I was wondering about using those mdf vertical panelling sheets as I quite like that look. Or just plain panels of mdf/ cheap wood would maybe be cheapest - or.........???

Any thoughts, ideas and experiences would be great. Thanks. Liz

[Brian Reay]

I'd be tempted to make a "frame" that is fixed to the window reveals, so that you have a nice regular area to cover with doors. Then try an use some of the cheapish pre-made doors from one of the diy sheds (eg B&Q or Wickes). Not the cheapest solution but, if your skills aren't that good, maybe the best.

Have you considered shutters outside- something a little "rustic" doesn't look so bad on the outside of an old house. Plus you don't loose window sills etc.

[Rob Morley]

If you can cut a straight line in MDF you can make quite effective panels simply by gluing strips of 6mm MDF onto both sides of a sheet of

6mm MDF. Smooth the edges, slap on a few coats of paint and nobody need know that they aren't "real". If you have a router you can tart them up a bit by chamfering or moulding appropriate edges.

[Andy]

You can get louvred shutters with no gaps in the louvres, i.e. they are solid. They make them in pretty well all permutations of sizes in 3" multiples, e.g. 12x15" or 24x36" or 27x30" etc etc. I don't know the make but my local builders' merchants has them ( Devon ).

Andy

[Paul Andrews]

An alternative might be to fit secondary glazing inside the windows. It'll kill off your draughts the house would be warmer and you'll still be able to see through the windows. The house we have was fitted with them when we moved in and they have been great. they're only very basic units - single glass working like sliding doors and of very simple construction.

Just a thought.

Paul