Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Shutters

15 replies

Mins · 03/08/2009 18:20

Hi

Has anyone experience of dealing with any shutter companies? Had them installed or done it yourself? How expensive are they - in comparison to lets say wood venetian blinds? Pros and cons? Any info would be great - feeling overwhelmed with all mkts info on net need real advice from mumsnetter! Want to use them on box bay window in 30s semi and possibly on other windows in house.

Mins

OP posts:
pcworld · 04/08/2009 08:26

Bumping for you as I would also like to find out about shutters!

fishie · 04/08/2009 08:43

and another bump. i'd like to know whether they are good for minimising traffic noise.

Sunshinemummy · 04/08/2009 08:50

I have shutters in both upstairs and downstairs front rooms and I used the New England Shutter Company to fit them.

Fitting was excellent - we ordered, waited about 4 weeks and then they came and fitted them in a couple of hours.

Cost wise they are more expensive than Venetian Blinds yes. Upstairs cost about £1400 and downstairs less as half of it was already done. We had upstairs done in two lots so may be cheaper if you got them done all in one go.

We have the whole window covered but you can have 'cafe style' which is half the window. They keep the room dark and quiet. I really like them and the way they look from outside. As we're close to the street they also keep the house private.

CantSleepWontSleep · 04/08/2009 09:01

We have them in 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and on the landing, and got them all fitted in one go by Shutterly Fabulous. We love them. Can't really advise re traffic noise as there isn't any traffic noise where we live.

We also have a different type of shutter in another bedroom, from PigStyle (they advertised on MN last year). This is very pretty, and requires less cleaning than the others due to the style, but doesn't shut quite as well.

castille · 04/08/2009 09:01

Can't help with cost/installation, but I can tell you that they don't make much of a difference to noise, at least not the various kinds we have had here in France.

But they make a big difference to children's sleep (we find!) if you get the kind that block out every chink of light.

We live in France and have the wind-down kind in this house which are excellent for light reduction.

On a box bay window you would need 3 wouldn't you? What sort are you looking at?

Original poster
Mins · 04/08/2009 15:29

Thanks to all for your advice.

Castille - I'm not really sure what type would be best - I feel quite overwhelmed with the choice available. Yes I think we would need 3 for a box bay - we aren't really overlooked so it's more for the look really and a bit of privacy I suppose. Have someone coming from Hillary's Blinds to give an estimate - they supposedly have a half price offer on one particular style at the moment. Not used them before so not sure what they are like. Think if they are going to be much more expensive than wood venetians we may not be able to afford them - at least not on the big bay - will see.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mins · 04/08/2009 15:31

Sunshine mummy - just read your post properly. £1400 for upstairs doesn't seem that bad. How many windows was that for and how big are the windows? if you don't mind me asking.Did that cost include fitting?

OP posts:
CantSleepWontSleep · 04/08/2009 19:39

Hillary's stuff is NOT good quality.
It's not bad, but it isn't good. We had the only bedroom that isn't shutters done by them, and I remember there being some problem with the fitting initially, and now the bar sticks out of the fabric at the bottom of the roman blind that they did.

HerHonesty · 04/08/2009 21:03

if you are going to spend that much money, go with a company that only does shutters. hilarys blinds etc etc arent great. friend has some and they are wonky.

Pannacotta · 04/08/2009 22:58

There is a sale on here at the mo, prices not too bad compared to some sites but they dont offer a fitting service.
www.thecaliforniacompany.co.uk/

Pannacotta · 04/08/2009 23:04

Just a thought fishie, you could add secondary glazing to help reduce noise.
This is much more subtle than most
www.365plastics.com/?cat=19

Original poster
Mins · 04/08/2009 23:15

Thanks for tips on Hillary's - guy is coming now but will be useful to get some idea. Yes I think you're right HerHonesty to go with a company that just does shutters - will investigate further.

OP posts:
Sunshinemummy · 05/08/2009 08:57

Cost included fittings. It was two windows and they are quite big - something like a 180cm depth.

AllotmentMum · 05/08/2009 23:18

Shutterly Fabulous and California Shutter co. are two halves of the same company. California are cheaper as they supply but don't measure or fit, and Shutterly will do the whole job for you.

Doozle · 05/08/2009 23:26

We had ours done by Shutterly Fabulous and they were great, can definitely recommend them. Also had a large bay window done.

Don't go with Hillarys!! We had previously ordered some shutters with them and were told they would take 2 months to arrive. We waited and waited and chased and chased and they kept assuring us they were being made/on their way. Eventually after 4 months, Hillarys realised that they had never actually placed the order with the manufacturers in China and so we waited all that time for nothing. Was furious with them.

That was when we ordered with Shutterly and we were happy with their service.

They don't cut out noise though, that's for sure. We live on a busy street and I'd say there's practically no noise reduction.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread