Wooden Window Shutters

[Lautrec]

Calling all DIYers,

Trying hard to keep expenses to the minimum, I am going to build shutters for two bedroom windows. It does seem a quite straight forward project, but would appreciate it if any one had detailed plans for this DIY. Your help would be appreciate! Thank you!

[Chris Head]

Hi Lautrec,

Simple shutters are of toungue, and groove with a 'v' profile, ledged and braced construction. Hanging is fairly straightforward. Email me at [email protected] if I can help.

Cheers, Chris

[Thedunnes]

I agree.  They are not rocket science, however as Chris said you need to use wood that has either been tongue and grooved or you need to acquiant yourself with a router.

I know you want to keep costs down and of course the quantity that you need will make a difference here, but a router, and "tongue and groove" bit for the router to cut the slots and the tongues, and preferably a router table to mount the router in to do the job well and safely.

I have seen shutters that are not properly built using the tongue and groove approach and they can start to separate and look shoddy, bit like theones I have to replace on our cottage.

What timber were you planning to use?

Stephen

www.forsac.co.uk

[zeb]

Kits for making shutters are available at some bricos. You could try asking at 3MMM or M. Bricolage in Ruffec - they are quite cheap and can be cut to fit.

Much easier than fiddling about with a saw or a router

[Dick Smith]

Absolutely, Zeb - all the bits are there and a Z-braced shutter is fairly simple to make. Much cheaper than a router, bits and table (that must come to a few hundred € on top of the timber, surely). I got ours made in the end, but the only part I was worried about was setting the hinges into the wall, which needs accuracy with a large drill.

As I recall they weren't too expensive to buy from Leroy Merlin (I think).

As for a plan, ours are simple t&g with a Z-brace on the back and reinforcing pieces above and below the horizontal bars of the Z. These are through-bolted rather than screwed. They are plain drop-on hinged to the wall and have a top-stop and a bottom spring-loaded clip which drops into a hole in the window sill. Normal clips on the wall to hold them back. All of the ironmongery came from a local builders' merchant.

There is a small plan of what I mean at

www.handyhome.com/PDF/Small%20Square%20Window.pdf

but you will need Adobe Acrobat reader - if any problems with that mail me.

[Lautrec]

I have been very gratified by the the very helpful response my query has generated. Thanks again to Chris Head with whom I have exchanged e mails. Also Thedunnes for also recommending a Router. I will investigate prices here, as  Dick Smith has pointed out that they might be a little expensive to buy if I do not make regular use of them.

I did not know there was such a thing as shutter kits and I must thank Zeb for this information and I will look into the Bricolage and 3MMM's today and investigate further.

Finally Dick Smith for the address of the web site which have given me some really explicit plans on the construction. Very helpful indeed.

I did toy with the idea of buying custom made plastic shutters at a shop in Angouleme but as I did not have an arm and two legs to spare; this was when I started to think of making them myself. So with both arms and legs intact and tools at the ready, I will start work on the shutters shortly, just as soon as the ice starts to melt in my workshop/garage. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Roll on the printemps!

Cheers, Lautrec.