Plantation shutters are a beautiful way to add a sense of luxury to your home. One of the first steps to installing your shutters is to properly measure the windows that they are intended for. As you follow the steps, you need to keep in mind if the shutters are to be mounted on the inside of the window frame or the outside. The measuring techniques differ. It is also important to take into consideration the backspace as this will provide room for the louver clearance and the operation of the shutters. Make sure there is also space for hand cranks, molding, trim, and even the window itself.
Establishing the Window Squareness
Measure your window diagonally each way. If there is a difference in the diagonal measurements, your window is out of square. If the difference is less than a ¼ of an inch, you should be fine but anything between ¼ and ½ is considered out of square and over ½ inches is considered greatly out of square. The established window squareness will affect the type of frame and mount that you should choose for your plantation shutters newcastle.
Inside Mounting Plantation Shutters
On the inside of the drywall or trim at the points where the plantation shutters will be mounted, measure for height and trim. It is important to consider if the drywall or trim narrows further back into the window opening. If it does, you will want to take the narrower of the measurement to determine where you will mount you shutters. It vital that when measuring for inside mounting shutters that you measure the actual window opening and DO NOT make any deductions. The factory will make the shutters slightly smaller than the measurements that you provide so precise measurements are important. You should round down to the nearest 1/16″. For example if the measurement falls between 3/16″ and 1/4″, round down to 3/16″. If you round up the shutters will not fit. Use the shortest height and the narrowest width when ordering. The necessary measurements are both diagonal lines, the height vertically from both the left side of the frame and the right as well as the center, and the width horizontally at the top and the bottom of the frame as well as the center.
Outside Mounting Plantation Shutters
There are a few things that you must first consider when mounting shutters on the outside of the frame. Begin by deciding how much of the area that you would like the shutter to cover, do not go by the window itself. Also, decide if you want the shutter’s frame mounted on the drywall, on top of the trim, or on the outside of the trim. Follow the same diagonal, vertical, and horizontal methods as given above but using the area to cover the outside as the starting and end points. If your shutter will be mounted outside of the trim, make sure that you took into consideration the need for the shutter to clear the trim. Plantation shutter manufacturers will NOT take any deductions from your measurements on outside mounting plantations shutters.
Café Plantation Shutters and Odd-Shaped Shutters
Trying to measure odd-sized and specialty windows can be tricky. You can usually find information on specialty shutters on the factory’s website or you can choose to have professional installers handle the measurement and installation of plantation interior shutters
For some measuring for plantation shutters is a simple process, for others it is best done by someone with experience. Most often, the factory from which you are purchasing your plantation interior shutters has professional installers who can take care of the installation of your beautiful plantation shutters. Whether you properly install the shutters yourself or have a professional take care of the job for you, plantation shutters add elegance and value to your home while accentuating your décor.
