Home  / Frequently Asked Questions

Below you'll find our designers answers the most frequently asked questions. But first, food for thought.

“There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are this man’s lawful prey.” John Ruskin 1819 – 1900. Seemingly as true today as then.

Beautifully fitted shutters and blinds.

All Lifestyle shutters are manufactured using the finest construction techniques that have been tried and tested to ensure shutter purchases prove to be an investment that lasts for years and years. All shutters are made in outstanding quality, from renewable timbers and backed by a minimum 3 year written guarantee.
No pushy salesmen imploying high pressure techniques to make a sale!
In fact quite the opposite, we are so committed to helping you create a wonderful new look to your property, we go above and beyond the call of duty. We do everything and anything possible to ensure your decision to buy shutters for your windows is a success. So much so, there are countless examples of customer’s, whose homes we have returned to three, even five or six times, in order to further explain and advise on a shutter solution, that would bring the best control of light, ventilation, and privacy to their rooms.
Proud of service and installations 
Very often, once customers experience the full impact that our shutters make to their windows, they immediately order additional windows shutters for their home. Please compare us to some of the big blind companies such as Hillary’s and Thomas Sanderson, who have recently added interior window shutters to their portfolio. You may find our friendly, personable approach to window dressing somewhat refreshing.

Of course. Order Oover 6 windows for shutters and we fit for free. If you'd like a whole house of shutters we don't need to charge the same fitting rates as we do for single window installations. It's only fair to give a better deal on a house of shutters. The exact costings are governed by a number of considerations; the wood chosen, squareness of windows, ease of installation, design adaptions. Book a designer now to advise me.

When making your louvre choice, consider the size of the window and the desired effect. Generally larger windows require larger louvre sizes. Adjustable louver shutters are available in 32, 47, 64, 89, and 114mm louvre sizes. (The larger the louvre the more light but the less privacy from the outside.) In the USA, most wooden plantation shutters are made with 89mm (3.5") louvres or larger but interior window shutters in the UK tend to be manufactured in smaller louvres such as the 32, 47 or 64mm. Lifestyle Shutters have found that in the South East of England, 32mm or 47mm louvres are often used in bathrooms but these also look very good when painted white and used on café style installations in living room windows where a street may be very near.

Really, this is not a problem, as rarely is a window perfectly square. During your free design consultation we will help you consider the squareness of your windows in relation to how the shutters are accomodated.
Because this is where our craftsmen come into their own, as having the necessary skills, and dilegence to ensure your shutters are mounted level and true, regardless of squareness of your windows. Shutter framework will be scribed to alleviate any problems caused by unevenness of the window, so that your shutters achieve a perfect fit.

On flat windows we side fix into the plaster of the recess, thus not puncturing the UPVC frame.
On UPVC bay and box bay windows there other considerations:

1. UPVC window handles sometimes protrude quite a way into the recess.
2. Wide UPVC window framework can impact on aesthetic look.

There's often more design permutations associated with fitting to UPVC windows than any other window type. It is important to highlight the pro's and con's of each design to fully understand the practicalities of opening/closing of the shutters. Only then can the correct installation be achived for the way you use them.

Our designer with experience of over 30,000 measures fully explain all of the above at your free design survey.

You can use a feather duster, damp sponge/soft cloth to clean all interior wooden, plastic or mdf shutters without harming the satin finish. A vacuum cleaner nozzle with a feather duster strapped to it also proves to be a wonderful tool.

Absolutely. Louvered shutters or solid panel shutters will improve the security of your home. When they are across a window they make it difficult or impossible for people to see into your home. This reduces temptations that would arise from sight of your high tech or valuable items, that may be on show. Shutters will also provide a second barrier against entry. However, please note, that as with most wooden products, our shutters would not withstand a concerted effort to smash them.

Yes. Please call us on 01825 760722 to order a sample colour FOC.
Complete sample panels can be sent out at a cost of £25 including postage, which is refundable on order.

We are fully aware of the importance of having products which are responsibly made, with proper regard for the environment. Our shutter collections have been sourced with this important consideration in mind.

Our red cedar wood "Vancouver" is supplied by the Western Red Cedar Association in Canada. It is either taken from designated managed forest areas or is replanted cedar. Cedar is one of the worlds most used timbers and as a consequence is farmed in well managed forests.

The "Phoenix" wood collection is grown in sub-tropical areas of the southern U.S.A, China and Japan. It is a fast growing hardwood with a tree reaching its full height in approximately 15 years, making it an ideal wood to be farmed in managed plantations.

The "Seattle" range is amongst our most eco friendly products as no trees are actually cut down to make them. Construction is from laminated veneered lumber core (Basswood strips are commonly used and are off cuts which are not suitable for use elsewhere). These are then laminated together resulting in a light strong core surrounded by LDF and sealed in a polymer outer coating.

Quite possibly the most important question, although one that seemingly becomes overlooked. The way a shutter panel is manufactured can have a big bearing on the quality, longevity and obviously cost of your purchase. For instance a shutter that is simply glued together or has thinner profiles (less wood used in making it) is obviously going to be cheaper than one that reinforces the vertical styles to protect from warping and shutters that are strengthened with mortice and tenon joints. But will they break easily under the weight of hanging them or last a lifetime?