Frequently Asked Questions

In uncertain times such as these, many are weighing up companies’ longevity ahead of spending money or proceeding with large purchases. We endorse this as not only sensible but necessary to ensure your money is secure and your order will be fulfilled by a dependable company that will still be there for any of your queries and needs for years to come. Although current nation-wide circumstances are unprecedented, in 1982 Plantation Shutters Ltd became the first established shutter company in the UK and in times since then we have successfully weathered many a storm in the UK economy. A company cannot thrive for over 41 years without an absolute solid grounding in both its values and finances. Plantation Shutters Ltd has been able to continuously grow and thrive in an ever-busying industry as we don’t believe in trading in a ‘hand to mouth’ manner, allowing continual financial stability. We are lucky to have minimal expenses that cause financial concern for some in these times; the buildings we work from, our fleet of vans, and our warehouse are all owned with no rental or lease expenses attached. This means that whilst the industry is not as busy as usual, which is to be anticipated, whilst we still have a clear and steady stream of income we can avoid or minimise losses. In difficult times, invest in an independent company with an all-in-house team whose 5-year warranty grounds the confidence we have in not only our product but in our longevity. Invest in reliability.

If you are curious about whether we cover your area, the best and quickest way to find out is to speak to one of the team directly on 020 8871 9222. Or even better, ask alongside window sizes and we can give you an idea of cost on the phone. If you are a little further afield we may sometimes ask for a measure deposit if you were looking to proceed with a site survey with one of our surveyors at your property. Contact us now  

As the friendly company we are, Plantation Shutters Ltd. would love the opportunity to come out to every property in the UK to share the Plantation experience. If we could, we would! We work in London and the surrounding areas for a measuring and fitting service. Based in Battersea, South West London, we carry out a lot of work locally and within the neighbouring boroughs, often travelling further afield and organising the delivery of shutters to the entire UK. Contact us now to find out more 

Plantation Shutters is based in Battersea, South West London - Unit 10 River Reach Business Park, 1 Gartons Way, SW11 3SX. With a growing team and a brand-new, state-of-the-art Showroom, we couldn’t be happier with our current home! All our deliveries come through the doors here and both our surveying and fitting teams report back to the Plantation headquarters daily, it’s the hub and the heart of what we do. Visit our Showroom 

On the day of installation, it is required that your windows/doors are clear of wires, cables, dressings, or anything else that may obstruct the shutters from being fitted.

Yes! We provide the full service! We pride ourselves in our knowledgeable and experienced in-house measuring and fitting team who come out to your property to carry out all the works. We will do everything for you from start to finish - all you have to do is choose the style and colour of your shutters from the selection of samples that the measurer brings to your house. To find out more about what we do, click on the link below: Our Services  

The current lead time is approximately 8 to 12 weeks from the date of order confirmation/receipt of deposit as standard. Special shapes and custom colour matches will naturally add to the lead time. Lead times can be confirmed by the office once your order is placed. Please be aware that the lead time can fluctuate throughout the year. Contact us now to find out more

YES! It takes approximately 8 to 12 weeks as standard, but we do have a speedy option that takes the lead time down to approximately 4 to 6 weeks with an additional surcharge. Contact us now to find out more

Pros • It is 25% cheaper while almost identical in appearance. • It is offers exactly the same levels of quality Cons • It is heavier than the other materials so therefore, it is less suited to wide windows and doors • It is only available in a limited range of colours, frame options and designs (it cannot be used for shaped windows or for customised specifications) Click on the link below to explore our MDF range: Craftwood MDF Shutters  

MDF shutters are made of Medium Density Fibre, and coated using a first-class, innovative manufacturing process and the world’s most advanced (patented) coating technology developed in the US. This unique combination of materials make MDF shutters durable and sturdy, resistant to chipping, cracking, fading and warping. Explore our Craftwood MDF range 

a. Other companies do supply the same fantastic quality product as Plantation Shutters but many things set us apart from the competition. We have 41 years of experience in shutters giving us an unparalleled wealth of experience and knowledge that ensures a perfect experience; bringing out the best of the design and product. Our measure and fitting teams are all in-house allowing for a perfectly streamlined service and a consistent level of expertise and customer experience which is hugely important to our company values. We offer a 5-year warranty on our most popular materials and our passion and expertise for shutters will assure you that when it comes to shutters, you're in the best hands. b. Other companies may have different products. The questions you should ask to establish the quality of the shutters on offer are as follows:

• Are all the joints mortice and tenon, not pencil dowels? We use mortice and tenon joints as they are far more secure. Is fitting in-house or sub-contracted out? How long have they been established? We use our outstanding in-house team with experience that stretches beyond 15 years.
• Are all fixing screws hidden? Our shutters have a very clean look with the fixing screws hidden.
• Are the panels rebated? We offer rebated, D mould, and Butt stiles.
• Do they have an array of frame options? We have an extensive range of frames available for both inside and outside mounted shutters, in addition to those shown in the Mounting Options section. You must bear in mind that no matter how good the product is, if it is fitted badly you will not achieve the desired look.

We can send sample colour chips of our in-house colours to you directly. All you have to do is call us on 020 8871 9222 to order.

Plantation Shutters Ltd. does not offer this service and we are not able to recommend a company that does, however, it is not outside the realm of possibility if your shutters are in the wooden materials (as opposed to composite MDF). Please be aware that, depending on the company you source, you will need to take down, de-hinge, re-hinge, and reinstall the shutters. Our shutters are sprayed pre-assembly and finished with a UV-resistant coating therefore it will be hard to recreate the original finish and potentially will have shadowing around the louvres. Please note that re-spraying of shutters voids the warranty.

Yes! All of our shutter materials except Craftwood MDF can be Custom colour matched. All have up to 48 standard finishes available, but we can organise a Custom Colour Match to other manufacturers such as Dulux Trade, Ral, Farrow & Ball, Paint & Paper Library, Little Greene and Fired Earth if there is a certain colour you are after. This is an additional cost of £300.00 per colour matching. Click here to find out more  

We strongly recommend that you use our in-house team of experts to measure your shutters because shutters can be remarkably unforgiving if measured wrongly and once an order is placed, it cannot be changed. However, we have created a quick guide to help you with it. Click here to find out more  

Yes. We offer a SUPPLY ONLY whereby the shutters are made based on your measurements and design specifications. They are then sent directly to you for self-fitting. Contact us now to find out more 

Once again, we strongly recommend that you use our in-house team of experts to measure and fit your shutters because they can be remarkably unforgiving if measured or installed incorrectly. However, we have created a quick guide to help you with your installation. Click on the link below: How to fit your shutters  

We pride ourselves on having an extremely knowledgeable team. Please contact us on 020 8871 9222 and we will be able to help with your technical questions or any other enquiries you may have.

A track system can be installed along which the shutters run, which supports the weight of the shutters. Visit our track systems page to find out more about it. Track Systems  

We tend to avoid drilling directly into UPVC windows, however, you may still be able to have shutters fitted. Our team is very knowledgeable and experienced on all types of windows - so you are in good hands! On flat windows, this is very feasible as we side-fix into the plaster of the recess. On bay windows, there might be a couple of things to have a look at when fitting shutters: 1. The handles on UPVC windows usually protrude too far to achieve a neat fixing. It would be ideal to have a chat with one of our experienced members of staff to learn more about your options. 2. If it is possible to fix them, there might be some drilling into the PVC involved so once again, it's recommended to talk to our friendly team to learn more about your options. You can call us on 020 8871 9222 or email us your enquiries.

A huge amount of our work involves shutters in bedrooms and nurseries, without any concerns regarding light. We would never suggest that our shutters are 100% blackout (due to tolerances required for slat movement and the opening and closing of panels) but they aren't far off! Due to the level of skill of our surveyors and the advanced technology of our shutters (i.e. rebated side style and clever frame options), our designs and panels keep more light out when closed than other companies. We can also provide shutters with an integrated room darkening blind between your window and the shutter (encased within the shutter frame) for a sleek finish to maximise light reduction further. Room Darkening 

The full warranty can be accessed by clicking on the link below: Plantation Shutters Ltd warranty 

There is no definitive answer to this. We have been established for over 41 years and are fortunate enough to receive positive feedback from previous customers who have had our shutters installed over 20 years still in perfect working order. The shutters we install today, are an evolved product from that of 20 years ago. They have undergone extensive improvement and subjected to many quality control tests to meet the highest standards. In our opinion, our shutters are the best quality product on the market today. Our shutters have a manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years.

Here are few tips to look after your shutters:

• Do not leave the windows open when it is raining - the product is not waterproof.
• Dust regularly. We recommend our ostrich feather dusters, available from our showroom. Alternatively, wipe with a damp cloth.
• When closing the slats, use the tilt rod whenever possible with an up and down motion, not an outward pulling motion.
• To close the slats completely, close them in the up position. Be sure to close the slats before opening panels. Failing to do this will cause the slats to "pinch" and could cause damage.
• When physically closing the panels, line up the leading edges. Panels that aren’t closed properly and lined up will eventually settle in the slightly skew shape.
• If over time you feel the slat movement has become slack, look down the side of each panel and you will see a tension screw. Simply use a Phillips head screwdriver to adjust the tension as needed, being careful not to overtighten.
• Do not try and take the shutters down yourself. This will negate the warranty. If you require them to be taken down, please contact us to discuss the next steps.
• Do not repaint - shutters are sprayed pre-assembly and repainting will clog up moving parts.

Download PDF version 

We like to do things properly here at Plantation Shutters Ltd so during every single site survey we measure your windows, show you samples of the different options, discuss the design and look that you are after and lastly leave you with a full quote. Because of the level of detail that we go into, we may require a small consulatation deposit to carry out this full survey - this deposit is redeemable on placement of order. Want an idea of costings beforehand? We would love to put together some costings for you prior to organising a site survey, all we need are some basic sizes of the windows/ the area you would like to fit shutters to. We also offer virtual measure appointments free of charge whereby you can video chat with one of the team here in the office. We will guide you through taking sizes, give you an idea of costs, answer any questions you may have and we can even show you around our showroom if you like. To schedule any of the above, simply contact our friendly team on 020 8871 9222 or send us an email, we are on hand to help.

It is very easy to place your order. Once all measurements, specifications and costs have been agreed you can call us on 020 8871 9222 and we will be more than happy to get it placed and finalised for you.

a. Terms for MEASURE and FIT service - 50% of the monies are due on the day of order, with the balance due pre-installation. Monies may be paid by cash, cheque, debit and credit cards. We do not accept American Express. b. Terms for SUPPLY ONLY (mail order service) - 100% up front, on placement of the order. Contact us now to find out more 

There are two ways of knowing how much your shutters will cost, as follows: Quote based on our measurements We have experts with many years experience who will come to your house and take accurate measurements. Normally, we leave you with a written quote. You can call us now on 020 8871 9222 or email us and we will book an appointment to come to you house. Alternatively, you can use our request a call back service and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Quote based on your measurements Call us now on 020 8871 9222 or email us with some approximate sizes and we can provide an immediate ball park quote. We strongly recommend that you use our in house team of experts to measure and fit your shutters due to the fact that shutters can be remarkably unforgiving if measured wrongly or installed incorrectly. Call us now on 020 8871 9222 or email us your enquiries.