Window Shutters

[RJH]

Thinking of getting some window shutters for a large bay window (2m high; 3m end to end). Quite like the look and apparently they help a great deal with heat loss.

Anyone any experience of sourcing/fitting? I've been looking at:

[Tim Lamb]

In message <uoou09$1cjob$ [e-mail], RJH [e-mail] writes

Hmm. We have them:-(

Managerial decision by the boss. I think she saw them in a neighbours house and didn't ask about problems in use. Probably an interior Swiss chalet vision!

I don't have them in any rooms I use so I will have to remind myself of the issues.

1. For triple windows they hinge the middle set off one of the other two. The assembly is not hugely rigid so they sag and swing into the room if not secured to the wall. (I had thought of using magnets but never got round to it).
2. Inclining the slats works well so they don't hugely impede vision when set horizontal.
3. Anytime you want to adjust the window opening, you first have to open and then re-close the shutters. My particular bugbear is having to open them all to check the window locks when leaving the house ( gun licence requirement)
4. They have to be fixed to the roomside of the window opening otherwise they only open to 90deg.
5. To fully open you have to leave space so no bookcase/wardrobe etc. near the window.
6. Perhaps not a huge issue but makes window ledge ornaments superfluous.
7. Cleaning has not been mentioned (4 years) but I guess they have the same dust gathering feature as Venetian blinds

>

[Theo]

Fine if you want the look, but I'd have said some close fitting cellular/honeycomb blinds or curtains would do a lot more for your thermal performance, as they can get closer to airtight. Also if you want them for solar shading they want to be outside, which is a PITA for UK outward opening windows.

Theo

[RJH]

That's something I'd need to check - the centre pane is quite wide (160cm) and tall (200cm), so there'd be a lot of weight to support.

Good, I'm also after a degree of privacy when they're open.

Can't see why that'd be a thing with the ones linked to, but one to watch. I'd go for the concealed opening system and wood.

That's be a slight hassle to be overcome - a sofa's in the way right now.

It's quite a deep ledge so a few inches would remain. I've not measured properly yet but I'd hope for them to fit within an existing recess, about

15cm deep.

[RJH]

I've lost the source, but when I looked into this shutters managed far higher thermal performance because, I think, they're framed, so trap air more effectively. I can't see how a neat frame for cellular blinds can be managed in a bay.

The bay is pretty much north facing, so shading isn't an issue.

[Theo]

I have some Ikea Hoppvals blinds, which I cut to match the window sizes. They fit tightly up against the windows and make a big difference to thermal performance.

It's possible to run them in a track of 38mm electrical trunking to make a frame if you want that, but I found they fit tightly enough not to need the frame.

I did have to replace the window handles with low profile ones so the blinds could go tight into the opening: Theo

[RJH]

Alas not wide enough (145cm is the absolute minimum) - but I could get some made/measure.

Yes, that might do against a wall, but I can't see the join being too effective at the bay angles. I've asked at a place that does honeycomb in a frame:

I can't see how the frame ('click fit') would be rigid over a 2m and 1.60m width drop - I'll see what they say. Agreed they'd be likely better than shutters for thermal performance . . .

Clever! That is a possibility, although whether I'm up to a neat job is far from certain . . .

Yale chrome handles - measure 50mm - could save 20mm there, thanks.

[Theo]

That's annoying. I have 9 windows adding up to 10 metres of width - the largest window is 1.8m wide so that one has two blinds. It's not unusual to have one down and one up, depending on the position of the sun. On the Hoppvals if you remove the plastic end stop in the aluminium tube bottom bar (hot glued in, use a bit of heat to release the glue) the two blinds have no gap between them - could even join the bars together if you wanted that.

I looked at that kind, they seem to have tabs which dig into the window gaskets. My windows don't have fat enough gasketry to be suitable and I was worried they would fall out. Maybe it would be ok if screwing into the window.

Theo

[alan_m]

or thinner @ 16mm