Indoor shutters are a beautiful, hard-wearing, and timeless addition to your home, and while they are less prone to damage than cheaper alternatives, they do occasionally require repair or replacement. Particularly in high-traffic areas of your home, or children’s bedrooms, they can be damaged by daily living.
Many of the damages we see can be repaired with a replacement part and a bit of our time, which we are always happy to help you with. We’ll always advise a repair if possible when a customer calls us about any damage.
Types of damage to indoor shutters
There are two types of damage to plantation shutters; cosmetic and structural. No matter what your damage falls under, it is best to give us a call, as we can often fix what seems like a huge problem to our customers. We are able to repair and replace parts of your shutter for you, and advise when a full replacement may be needed (rarely).
Cosmetic Damage
Cosmetic damage can almost always be repaired, and often don’t affect the use of the shutter.
Cosmetic damage includes:
- Chipped paint
- Scratches
- Slight warping of louvres (slats)
Structural Damage
Structural damage can also be repaired in many cases, and does affect the use of the shutter and may require a replacement part to fix.
Structural damage includes:
- Broken slats
- Severe warping
- Cracked or broken frame
Can my shutters be repaired?
Usually, shutters can be repaired by us. The types of damage we repair can sometimes be to the shutter itself, and sometimes there are just missing bits of hardware (like a screw) that just needs to be replaced.
Sometimes, it is best to replace your shutter rather than try to repair it. We usually suggest a replacement if:
- The shutter is majorly water damaged (eg it has been in a flood) which can cause the shutter to rot or warp.
- The frame is broken.
- Many slats are broken on the same shutter panel.
- Severe warping from heat or water
How to get a shutter repaired
If you have a broken shutter, there’s no need to panic. To get your shutter repaired as quickly and easily as possible, you can follow the below steps.
- Take a photo of the damage.
- Give us a call or send an email to let us know; we will ask you to describe the damage and how it occurred. You can attach a photo via email to make this quicker!
- We will advise over the phone if possible, or discuss when we can come and assess for you if the damage isn’t easily diagnosed this way.
- We’ll order the required replacements.
- We will find a good time to visit and fix the damage for you, or let you know what the process is for replacing your shutter if needed.
How to prevent shutters getting damaged
Although repairs can be simple, the best way to look after your shutters is to avoid damage in the first place. Of course, accidents happen, but other damage such as warping can be avoided with the right care.
- Choose the right shutters for your room. We can advise on which materials are best for high-moisture rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens, to help you avoid warping.
- Check them while cleaning! While wiping down your shutters, check them for loose screws or fittings and tighten them if needed.
- Use the correct cleaning products for your shutter material – we can advise on this during fitting.
- Be careful when opening shutters and windows as a hard knock to the louvres can cause them to crack.
