Installations can vary slightly so be sure to follow the instructions carefully on the sheet provided.
Before you begin to install your new shutters, we recommend clearing a large space on the floor near to where you’ll be working. It’s also a good idea to have another person there to help you, should any heavy lifting be required.
How to assemble your frame
- Use the box knife to carefully open the boxes. Remove the contents.
- Place the panels in the correct order on the floor, making sure they are the right way up, and any rebates match up.
- The framing pieces will be assembled first; they will be labeled Top, Bottom, Left and Right. Position all the frames on the floor, face up.
- The corners are joined using Hoffman keys. Place the Hoffman key onto a hard surface on the floor (a piece of ply or timber kept specifically for this purpose is recommended, to prevent damage to the floor and to make sure the key finishes flush with the back of the frame) with the rounded end of the key facing up. Push each half of the mitre onto the key, until the mitre joins neatly and flush. Repeat for each corner. g pieces will be assembled first; they will be labeled Top, Bottom, Left and Right. Position all the frames on the floor, face up.
- If the opening requires a T-post, identify the top of the post and position loosely within the frame. Place all panels within the frame in their correct order, and insert the hinge pins.
- Square up the frame so that all hinge and clearance gaps are even, and adjust the position of the T-post so that the panel gaps are even. Attach the top and bottom frame to the T-post using the screws provided.
Your frame should now be fully assembled.
Installing face fit shutters
- Place the frame into the window opening. Pre-drill a hole in the frame rebate behind the top left hinge and the bottom right hinge. Line up the face of the frame with the front of the reveal1, drive screws into the holes, but leave the screw heads out at this stage. This will temporarily hold your frame in the correct place in the window.
- Place the left-hand panel into the opening, lining up the hinge sections in the left L-frame, and then insert the hinge pins. Repeat for all other panels, working from left to right across the opening.
- Assess the panels for squareness to the frame and each other. If gaps are not even or the panels do not line up to each other at the top & bottom, adjustments need to be made.
- The frame can be adjusted in four directions to square the panels to each other and the frame – left side up/ down, right side up/down, top left/right, and bottom left/right. It may be necessary to adjust in more than one direction to square the panels up in an out-of-square opening.
- If up/down adjustments need to be made, undo the temporary screw until it no longer is attached to the reveal (but do not remove), and place a packer/spacer between the frame and the bottom reveal, on the side you require movement. Insert another screw in the frame (in line with a different hinge on that side) to keep the frame at that new height.
- If left/right adjustments need to be made, undo the temporary screw until it no longer is attached to the reveal (but do not remove), and place a packer/spacer between the frame and the left or right reveal. Insert a screw into the frame, at the exact position of the packer.
- Further minor adjustments may need to be made to ensure the squareness of the panels to the frame. Use methods in steps 12 & 13 to achieve this, until the panels are square to the frame, and the tops/bottoms of adjacent panels line up. The hinge spacers provided can also be used to adjust gaps where necessary.
- The remainder of the screws can now be inserted. As a general rule, a screw should be used wherever there is a hinge on the frame, and for the top and bottom frame a screw should be used wherever there is a striker plate (or the closing side of any panel). Additional screws should be placed where necessary, but consideration should be given to the spacing between the screws for appearance reasons.
- When inserting the screws, if there is a gap between the frame and the reveal at that point, a packer will need to be inserted to ensure the screw does not pull the frame out of square.
- Re-check squareness of frames and panels, and make sure panels operate freely.
- Apply caulking around outside of frame. Where possible, caulking should be the same or similar colour as the reveal, as it will make the window opening appear to be square. Where this is not possible, the caulking should be the same or similar colour to the frame.