DIY shutters for self installation

The first question when thinking about installing your own shutters is are you up for the job! It is not a huge task to install your own shutters, however DIY skills for this kind of home improvement are definitely required. We would suggest that if you can install a kitchen unit you will probably be able to manage DIY interior shutters yourself!

The main elements to consider when choosing your shutters for DIY installation are:

1. quality of shutters
2. material of shutters
3. shutter company customer service
4. ease of installation
5. price of the shutters

The main benefits of self installation of shutters is that you will save quite some money! If you think about the cost of double glazing, which has had far deeper penetration in the UK home improvement market for a lot longer than shutters for windows, you will notice that a nice quality UPVC window frame with glass is actually quite cost effective if bought independently, however when fitted by either the window glazing company or your friendly builder, the cost goes up considerably. The reasons for this are the need to employ a sales person who (should!) visit your property and measure up for your shutters for windows. There will then be follow up calls from the shutter company and possibly another measuring meeting. The installation then has to be another site visit followed by (depending on the quality of the company) a successful installation and then clean up operation, where they will dispose of all packaging, waste and clean up after themselves! All ideal if you have the money and the right shutter company recommendation of course.

Meanwhile, back to DIY shutters, like all purchasing choices for any DIY project there will be different reasons for buying the shutters you want to install. There are a lot of shutter companies around in the UK today, some of which have great reputations as you can see from sites like checkatrade, and some which have little feedback. The first thing to do is definitely research the shutter company you are considering buying your shutters from. Ask around, look online, and definitely do your research. Do they supply high quality wooden shutters for windows, or are you after low cost MDF shutters which may deteriorate more quickly? MDF is improving today with some companies adopting modern quality MDF, however beware of water from open windows etc as this rapidly destroys this fibre.

Like with a DIY tool you can buy high quality or ‘disposable' tools. Either way cost may be the driving factor, although with shutters for windows you might tend to find that the price is not dramatically different from company to company. For example (as July 2009) - the cost for high quality wooden shutters from The California Company in the UK is from £185 p/m square - before any sales or discounts. Another company to compare would be shutter design who charge from £220 per metre square without any discounts etc.

You may also want to consider the environmental impact of your DIY shutters. Some companies use hardwoods (like for decking etc) and you should strongly consider using FSC certified shutters if using hardwoods as the impact on our planet will be greatly reduced! Check out Google for FSC DIY shutters. If you choose MDF you will have some impact on the environment as the process in making MDF is fairly intense although modern methods of MDF production are imprvoving. If you decide to use softwood shutters, you will have the maintenance issues of moisture retention, with wood expansion and contraction in summer and winter, as with all softwoods moisture affects them differently to hardwood.

So, check with the company, check with their testimonials, if necessary speak to their customer services and gain an idea of the company. The site quality and ease of use will probably reflect the company policy with their shutters. Can you see previous customer stories or feedback?

So having decided on your DIY shutters and which company to buy them from, you should next be thinking about the following:

• What design of your shutters to have (see another post on this site)
• What colours your shutters should be to match your room decor
• What tools you will need for DIY shutters
• How to measure your windows where you will be hanging your shutters
• Preparing the window for shutters

We'll go onto these in our next articles, so please browse around!!