Why choose shutters?
Shutters bring style & sophistication to any window & are equally at home in both traditional & modern interiors. They last longer than curtains because fabrics begin to break down as soon as they are exposed to sunlight, require periodic washing & harbour dust mites. Shutters offer a level of light control & privacy unparalleled by any blind as the louvres within each panel can be independently adjusted to temper the degree of light entering the room. If the sun is in your eye, simply close the louvres on the affected panel & let the light flood into the room through the others. On darker days, the panels can be folded back to expose the window & maximise the light.
Why choose Made for Shade?
We’re the Midlands’ longest established, most trusted shutter company & have been fitting shutters since 1999, so we know our products inside out. Experience has taught us that clients generally want the best product, the best price, and the best service. (John Ruskin famously said that this combination was not achievable & that one of the three had to give – We believe we prove otherwise!). Additionally, for your added peace of mind, we’re full members of the Guild of Master Craftsmen (membership number A121256) – your guarantee of top-quality products & installation.
How does the quality of your shutters compare to that of your competitors?
Our shutters are manufactured by the world leader in shutter production, utilising a combination of state-of-the-art manufacturing & hand-crafted finishing touches. The wood used for our hardwood shutters is stored for six months before kiln drying to allow the wood to settle before being treated.
UNLIKE the majority of shutter manufacturers, our wood is kiln dried twice in a computer-controlled drying facility. The wood is specifically dried to consider the country’s climate to which the shutters will be exported. This is very important as these shutters are manufactured for installation in climates as varied as Alaska & Australia. By utilising these methods, frame warping is significantly reduced.
UNLIKE many other manufacturers, we engineer our stiles (the vertical sidebars of the shutter panels) rather than producing these as solid profiles. We cut the wood into strips which are then bonded back together in opposing layers for greater strength. This has the effect of breaking the capillaries that run through the wood, through which moisture travels. This, together with the strength of the bonding agent, ensures our panels are unlikely to warp & will give customers years of enjoyment.
UNLIKE many other manufacturers, we use mortise & tenon joints between the cross rails and the side stiles. These are far stronger than dowel joints & minimise movement between profiles. Movement can result in the paint or stain finish cracking, which will spoil the aesthetic appearance of the shutters. Again, just in case of movement, we engineer the panels with an additional grooved overlap that ensures any movement is handled by this expansion joint.
UNLIKE many other manufacturers, we use a high-quality, proprietary paint system developed specifically for our shutters. Cheaper shutters use cheaper paints & stains and have fewer coats. We apply six coats of paint or stain, the final layer of which is a clear lacquer with a UV additive to ensure that the shutters are less susceptible to fading and yellowing.
UNLIKE other manufacturers, we don’t compromise on the thickness of our louvres as we believe thinner louvres, although less costly to produce, are much more susceptible to damage & warping.
UNLIKE other manufacturers, we use the best quality, marine-grade stainless steel staples to attach our tilt rods to our shutters. In addition, the tips of the staples are coated in a bonding agent to ensure they remain secure for years to come.
UNLIKE many other manufacturers, we supply our shutters with a large choice of frames rather than attaching them to battens. Not only does this give you the choice of framing your window by selecting a frame design to coordinate with your decor, but it also offers a practical solution for awkward windows (inward opening, etc.).
UNLIKE many other manufacturers, we assemble our shutters before shipping to ensure that all the components fit together perfectly. Once photographed, the shutters are disassembled & packed into custom-made packaging to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. When shipping by airfreight, we double pack the shutters for additional security. All this means we can provide a three-year warranty on all shutters built within our published specifications. There are inferior quality shutters available on the market, but why would you pay more to get less?
Which areas do you cover?
Generally speaking, we operate within a 50 mile radius from our base in Sutton Coldfield, so we cover the West Midlands, East Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire & Herefordshire regions. That said, having worked in London for many years, installing shutters for various John Lewis clients, we’re happy to travel further for larger jobs.
Do you make the shutters?
Like 99% of UK shutter companies, the answer is ‘no’. Made for Shade shutters are manufactured by Nien-Made, the shutter world’s market leader in terms of quality, choice & product innovation. Our expertise lie in designing, surveying, specifying & installing shutters, not making them. This enables us to offer a far greater selection choice of materials, colours, louvre widths & framing options & guarantees clients a constant time-frame from ordering to installation. That said, we have joinery workshop facilities for customising unique shutters & have been regular visitors to the factory where the shutters are manufactured. This means we can talk in detail about the production process & answer any questions you may have.
How do you fit shutters to a bay window?
At Made For Shade your bay window shutter will be constructed on the floor & then lifted into place as a single unit. The vertical bay posts between each elevation will have been manufactured to the specific angle recorded at pointy of survey to ensure the fit your bay exactly. Some companies will fit a single shutter per elevation then fill the gaps where they butt together. This never looks as good as our method, as the exact height of each single unit can vary by +/- 3mm so alignment cannot be guaranteed. The installation is also weekend as the single units cannot be screwed together without the fixings being seen from the back.
Who will measure & fit my shutters?
Made for Shade is a family business & as such, we don’t employ salespeople or believe in pressure selling. Ellie with visit you initially to offer to advise & an e-mail quotation. When you place your order, I (Mike) will undertake your survey & also your installation, together with Ellie on larger shutters. We aim to make your process of acquiring shutters a pleasure from start to finish & our testimonials certainly bare this out, as you may have already seen.
How long do I have to wait?
The standard delivery time is around 13 to 16 weeks. Unique shapes take an additional two weeks, as CAD drawings need to be created & signed off before manufacture can commence. Custom coloured shutters also take an additional two weeks. However, if you need your shutters fitted sooner, we also offer an express service, which reduces the waiting time to between six & eight weeks, but naturally costs a little more.
How long do they take to fit?
This depends upon the size & quantity of the shutters & what they’re being fitted to (wooden window frames are quicker to fit to than plastered reveals). However, most jobs are completed within half a day. We can give you an accurate time frame before placing your order.
How are they fitted?
All Made for Shade shutters are fitted using a three-sided or four-sided perimeter frame, from which the panels are hinged. Frames can be fitted inside, outside, or around the front edge of the recess, depending on how & where you want your panels to fold when open. There are different frame profiles for every eventuality. (The latter option is perfect for uneven recesses, as the run-out is hidden behind the frame moulding). Whichever framing option you choose, all screw-heads will be either hidden with insert strips (or cap covers on some special smaller profile frames). For wider installations such as patio doors & room dividers, tracking systems are used as they give constant support to the panels as they move across the recess. All panels are fitted within their frames using hinges with removable pins, which are perfect for decorating, as the panels can be simply removed & re-fitted in a matter of minutes.
How & when do I pay?
Payment is made in two parts, 35% when the order is placed & the remaining 65% on completion of installation. Payment can be made by bank transfer, cash, cheque, debit card or credit card.
What are shutters made from?
Made for Shade offer five different shutter materials. The most economical option is Seattle, a Polymer coated MDF product available in the nine best-selling white, cream & grey shades & comes in a choice of 5 louvre widths. It’s perfect for small to average-sized installations & looked just like a wooden, painted shutter when fitted. We then have a variety of natural timbers shutters, each of which has its unique grain patterns & characteristics. Using lighter-weight timbers allows us to hinge more panels together to span greater widths with a single, conventional bi-folding shutter. Natural timbers can have painted or stained finishes. Still, our Western Red Cedarwood can also be oiled to give it a beautiful natural finish, which brings out the individually different grain structure in each profile to give a genuinely rustic charm.
Do you sell plastic shutters?
In short, no. We have accounts with manufacturers who make them but choose not to offer them to or clients because they look exactly what they are, plastic. This is all good & well for your actual windows but shutters are a window dressing which should look & feel special. On taller windows, plastic panels can feel flimsy & wobbly as there is less rigidity in the profiles. The positive aspect is that they are quicker to make as they don’t require any painting, but your shutters will be with you for a long, long time so it’s far better to wait than to compromise.
How much light do they cut out?
There are no technical figures to quote here, but we estimate that a shutter will cut out 85 – 90% of incoming light. Whilst there are no gaps to let in direct light, there will always be a light glow around the edges of the panels, between the louvres & between the louvre edges where they meet the style uprights. If the actual blackout is required for bedrooms, we have the perfect solution whereby a cellular pleated blackout blind is built into the shutter frame & positioned behind the panels. The blind is raised/lowered by a simple cord mechanism & cannot be seen through the panels. The blinds are available in several equally effective colours, the most popular being white.
Can they be fitted to any window?
It’s a rare day when we come across a window to which we can’t fit shutters, but “never say never,” as the saying goes. We need to ensure that the shutter will not inhibit the opening operation of the window & that we have suitably substantial fixing points to bear the weight, but this is all taken care of during the survey.
What if my window is out of the square?
This is usually not a problem as most windows vary in width & height across the window. Supposing you want your shutters fitted inside the recess, the tolerance gap between the outside edge of the shutter frame & the recess itself will usually be filled with decorating caulk as this can be painted to match the walls or window frame when dry. It takes approximately half an hour to caulk an average size shutter to a high standard but makes all the difference in the world to the final result. If the window is drastically out of square, we would fill the gaps by scribing insert strips (finished in the same colour as the shutters) to the desired shape & then caulking around them as described earlier. Alternatively, we have framing options that can be surface mounted outside the recess or fitted to the front edge of the recess with a lip feature that disguises/hides the recess variance. It’s simply a case of using the right frame for the right job, which is where our expertise comes into play.
What’s the biggest shutter you can make?
Very big!!
What about shaped windows?
No problem. We design & fit round shutters, arched shutters & angled shutters in various materials with either painted or stained finishes. The great thing about shaped shutters is that, unlike blinds or curtains, they maintain the actual shape of the window rather than “squaring it off” & the panels will still hinge open to give access to the window.
How do I clean them?
The easiest way is using either a feather duster or a vacuum upholstery brush (the one with bristles on). Marks can be removed using a damp cloth with, if necessary, a suitable soap solution.
What if they get damaged?
We offer a full repair service whereby, for example, damaged louvres can simply be removed & replaced with new ones.
Does fitting make a mess?
This depends on what we’re fitting to, as drilling into plaster/brick creates dust which drilling into wood doesn’t. Whatever the case, we will always dust sheet the fitting area first & clean up thoroughly when we’ve finished. Installers also wear slippers in carpeted rooms. We are always mindful that we are in your home. We, therefore, treat your home as we would our own, with respect.
What’s the most popular colour?
About 90% of our orders are for a white painted finish & there are good reasons for this.
(1) White reflects light in a way no other colour will. This means the light within the room is maximised as it reflects off the louvres (tip ~ using the medium 64mm / 76mm or larger 89mm wide louvres also creates more light as the gaps between each louvre increase with louvre size & larger louvre surfaces reflect more light. Food for thought if you have a North facing room with a big tree outside!)
(2) White never dates & always looks fresh.
(3) White offers endless colour possibilities when it’s time to decorate, as white will work with any colour.
(4) White will always be relevant as there will always be something else white in the room (window frames, doors, radiators, coving, ceilings, etc.).
(5) Shutters are an investment in your home & will appeal to prospective, aspirational home buyers if you decide to move on. Buyers can always visualise working their design schemes around white shutters, as it gives them an open book decoratively speaking, in addition to the wow factor.
Are they guaranteed?
Absolutely! All Made for Shade shutters are guaranteed for a minimum of 3 years, a guarantee underwritten by the manufacturer. This includes all aspects of the shutters (colour fastness & joinery) & the installation itself. All installation work is guaranteed for a period of 5 years.
Are they suitable for bathrooms & swimming pool areas?
This depends on the level of moisture within the air. A conventional painted or stain-finished shutter will be fine in a large, well-ventilated bathroom with no shower. However, in high moisture rooms such as shower rooms, wet rooms & swimming pools, we have a purpose-made waterproof product called Permawood, which is an ABS-coated hardwood. Permawood shutters are fitted with marine-grade stainless steel hinges to resist moisture & prevent rusting.
How do I measure to obtain an e-mail estimate?
For standard, rectangular windows we simply require the approximate width & height of the recess. For bay windows, simply measure the width (at the back if the sill) for each elevation, add them together & then add 200mm to give the overall width. Next, measure the height.
Naturally, we will take accurate dimensions at the point of survey but following this procedure will ensure there are no nasty surprises price-wise!
What are “Solid” shutters?
These are simply shutters, which have solid panels rather than louvred panels. They were initially fitted into period homes, folding back into purpose-made side-recesses when the owners were in residence. When the owners were overseas, the shutters were closed for privacy & security as part of the “closing up” of the house. We only tend to install solid shutters when more darkness is required or when replacing original solid shutters in period properties. Naturally, the amount of light entering the room can’t be adjusted as it can with louvred shutters.
Can I measure & fit my shutters?
Unfortunately not. Installation must be carried out by us in order for the guarantee to be fully underwritten. Fitting shutters yourself can prove costly as we’ve seen over the years replacing them!
Do you operate a ‘price promise’ pledge?
Whilst we aim to provide shutters at the most competitive price & we constantly monitor the market to check price levels, there may be times when a competitor’s price is lower due to a limited or special promotion. In such an eventuality, we guarantee to price match any like-for-like, written quotation.
If you have a question other than those above, please either call us on 0121-352-0747 or e-mail it to us via our contact page & we’ll answer your question in return.
Special Offer
GET 20% DISCOUNT, FREE SURVEY & FREE INSTALLATION ON ALL MADE-TO-MEASURE SHUTTERS RIGHT NOW.
e.g. ‘Seattle’ classic white shutters from only 242 GBP per square metre (120cm x 120cm window = 348 GBP) including survey, installation & vat
CALL MIKE OR ELLIE TODAY FOR ADVICE & TO ARRANGE YOUR NO-OBLIGATION QUOTATION.
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