Frequently Asked Questions

Shutters come in a variety of different materials and each shutter company will supply you with something different. If you’re gathering quotes, then make sure you are comparing the same material like-for-like.

At Chichester Shutters, we are all about quality and finish so it’s wood all the way! Most windows will benefit from strong wooden shutters. They look great, feel nice and the louvres won’t sag. They can be used on bays, doors and shapes, be cut around tiles or skirting board and have a much wider choice of frames, colours and options. It’s a no-brainer really!

Our Elite Wood range is made entirely of Basswood. As it’s a very hard wood and has reinforced motris & tenon joints so is incredibly strong. This is why it comes with a whopping 15 year warranty! The shutters in this range have a luxury spray painted finish and is compatible with our unique screwless fitting system. Also, the Elite range has a very smooth louvre movement and they effortlessly close flush which helps with reducing light when the louvres are closed.

Our Standard Wood range is made from Paulownia. This is a softer wood so, rather than being spray-painted, the shutters are encapsulated in a hard coating to give them added protection. The louvres can be a little stiff in this range but you do benefit from our unique screwless fitting system and a 10 year warranty. This range is a good middle ground option if you've always wanted shutters but budget doesn't quite stretch to the Elite range.

Finally, our Basic Wood range is for those where price is the focus. It's a wooden shutter with a hard coating but all the "bells & whistles" have been stripped out to give you the lowest cost possible. Unlike the Elite & Standard Wood ranges, this range can't be used with the screwless fitting system, it has the lowest warranty of 3 years, the longest lead time of 18 weeks and doesn't come with some of the extra checks & service options as the other ranges. But if price is the focus, then this would be a good range to explore!

The best way to explore the ranges is to come into our brilliant showroom. We really are proud of it! Here you can explore all the different materials, design options and upgrades, all in installed in all different size & shape windows so you can walk away feeling confident on how the shutters would look and feel in your home. Click here if you're interested in visiting us!

We could but we choose not to. While MDF is a popular material to make shutters from as it is low cost, we find that it is not a very suitable material for shutters in the long run. MDF is sawdust & glue compacted together. This results in a very heavy material which we find can sag under it's own weight over time. MDF is also very porous so is very susceptible to moisture which can create problems when installed in your home.

Alternatively, Wood is a much better material for shutters as it is lightweight but has a natural grain strength. If price is an issue, we can provide our Basic Wood range to suit smaller budgets so you get the best of both worlds. 

If you are gathering quotes, make sure to check the material so you are comparing prices like-for-like. Some companies call MDF "Craft Wood" so make sure to double check the materials before placing your order.

If you would like to compare MDF and wooden shutters, we have samples of both in our showroom for you to see and feel. You can literally bend an MDF and wooden louvre to feel the difference in strength. You will be amazed at the difference!

This is probably the most common question that we get asked. The general consensus seems to be that putting shutters in front of your window will make the room darker. Well, it is actually the complete opposite of that!

With the right design, colour and louvre size, shutters will actually make your room feel bigger and brighter. 

Our top 3 tips for making your rooms feel brighter with shutters are:

1. Make sure that the shutter panels match up with your window sections. The aim is to have just louvres over the glass, not solid sections of wood.

2. A bright white shutter will then reflect the natural light from outside off of the louvres and up to the ceiling. This will really open up the room!

3. Choose a big louvre to allow the maximum amount of light in and view out to the outside world.

If you get all these things right, shutters will really brighten up your rooms and make them an inviting place to relax.

As most customers keep their shutters closed and only tilt the louvres for light and privacy, large louvres look best. To maximise the light and space in your room, choose either the medium 76 mm or large 89 mm louvre blades.

Each shutter is hinged either left or right and can be opened to access the window. However, most customers keep the shutters closed and only tilt the louvres for light and privacy. It’s more important to get the design right than to worry about how or where the shutters will fold back.

The short answer is no. We know most customers keep their shutters closed and only tilt the louvres for light and privacy. With this in mind, it will make designing your shutters much easier. With the right design, colour and louvre size you will get a lot more space and light in your room than you imagined.

While it can make the measuring and fitting process more challenging, we have a few tricks up our sleeve to allow shutters to be fitted, although there can be some limitations.

No problem! Out unique fitting method and shadow gap allows for out of level windows. The shadow gap gives the illusion of a square window and neatly blends the wall and shutter frame together.

Traditionally, shutters had a central control rod running down the front of the louvre blades which you would use to open/close the louvres. Now it is more popular to have this mechanism built into the shutter frame so you don’t see it. We offer this as standard on our Elite Wood and Standard Wood ranges as it provides a neat clean look and more privacy options. On our Faux Wood range, control rods are required either on the front or back of the louvres.

Yes we do. On their own, our shutters will match an average pair of curtains in the amount of light they will stop coming into your bedroom. But upgrade to the ‘blackout’ option in our Elite Wood or Standard Wood range and you can achieve almost total darkness.

Absolutely! We offer an ABS shutter which is 100% waterproof and comes with stainless steel hinges. There is a small cost increase for this which is £10 per square metre in the Elite range or £30 per square metre in the Standard range. The Faux Wood is naturally waterproof, so it is also suitable for bathrooms/wet rooms.

Yes, all our ranges come with a warranty:

• Elite Wood range is guaranteed for 15 years
• Standard Wood range is guaranteed for 10 years
• Basic Wood range is guaranteed for 5 years
• Faux wood range is guaranteed for 10 years

And that’s not all! Like over 8000 happy customers, we will ensure that you are 100% satisfied with your new shutters. That’s the Chichester Shutters guarantee!

Actually, not as much as you might think and no more than made-to-measure curtains!

We are open and honest about how we price, and calculate the cost based on the square meter size of your window. Typically, we just need the width and height of the opening. The design, number of shutters or louvre size does not affect the cost.

As a guide, the price before any discount would be £500 sqm for our Elite Wood range or £430 sqm for our Standard Wood range. These prices include our detailed measuring and fitting service, our unique screwless fitting system, standard design choices (such as hidden control rods, louvre sizes, folding, split tilt & colours) and VAT. 

We also offer a Basic Wood range at £390 sqm (before discount) but all of the bells & whistles have been stripped away to give you the lowest price. No screwless fitting system, shortest warranty, longest lead time, no rail checking & no spares or aftercare visits included. 

• Low profile handles might be needed on bay windows
• Spacing battens could be required on doors with large handles
• Cutouts around any skirting boards or tiles
• Design options such as blackout, waterproof, shapes or tracks
• Custom colours

There isn’t a minimum order. However, for smaller orders (below £1000), we will need to slot you in when we’re nearby with a space or perhaps when we’ve had a cancellation. This is to make our diary and travel as efficient as possible.

Yes, the estimate will include measuring and fitting, but will exclude any extras like low profile handles, battens or cutouts.

Yes, it is more economical to order several windows at once rather than separately. If you’re close to a discount bracket below, you may be able to add another window for only a small increase in cost as you’ll be getting more discount.

For all our ranges, the more you spend, the more you save!

• Spend £2200, Get £100 off
• Spend £2500, Get £300 off
• Spend £3000, Get £400 off
• Spend £3500, Get £500 off
• Spend £4000, Get £600 off
• Spend £4500, Get £700 off
• Spend £5000, Get £800 off
• Spend £5500, Get £900 off
• Spend £6000, Get £1000 off
• Spend £6500, Get £1100 off
• Spend £7000, Get £1200 off
• Spend £7500, Get £1300 off
• Spend £8000, Get £1400 off
• Spend £8500, Get £1500 off
• Spend £9000, Get £1600 off
• Spend £9500, Get £1700 off
• Spend £10,000, Get £1800 off

As our shutters are 100% made to measure and most of the work is done at the survey stage, either payment in full or an 80% deposit is required when you place your order.

Before we come out to see you we like to give you an estimate so you can check your budget. This just means that we don’t waste your time with a long appointment as a full survey can take a few hours.

Our normal surveying hours are 8am – 5pm, Monday – Friday. However, we know that not everyone can make a weekday appointment work with their schedule, so we can arrange surveys outside these hours by special request. Please give us a call to discuss any out of hours requirements.

Our showroom in West Stoke is open on Saturdays between 10am – 3:30pm. This is great first step to exploring shutters. We do get very busy on Saturdays, so recommend you click here to book an appointment.

Like the majority of other shutter companies, our wooden shutters are manufactured in China and arrive by sea freight, hence the longer lead time.

• Our Elite Wood range has a lead time of around 14-16 weeks
• Our Standard Wood range has a lead time of around 14-16 weeks
• Our Basic Wood range has a lead time of around 18 weeks

We can also provide a UK-made Faux Wood range which can be fitted in 3-6 weeks. However, we do urge you to come into our showroom to see the full size sample of this range as it is often different to what people expect and are looking for.

When you place your order, we give you an estimated fitting date. We don’t like to over promise and under deliver so we will make sure this is realistic and often it can be brought forward a little once we have received your shutters.

Yes, all of our shutter packaging is taken away and professionally recycled.

Absolutely! In fact, we’ve often been told that we leave the rooms looking tidier than when we arrived. Just check out some of our testimonials from real, happy customers – they often mention how clean and tidy we are.

When measuring and fitting, we’ll wear show covers where required, use clean dust sheets, replace furniture that is moved, hoover all round and do our best to respect your home.

Shutters will transform your home and we want to make sure we provide you with the ‘Wow’ factor!

We have been supplying shutters since 1999 – that’s over 25 years of expertise in all things shutters!

Yes, we really are! Back in 1999, before Chichester Shutters, our owner Sam started a business called ‘Opennshut’ with his Dad John. They manufactured traditional solid shutters in their garage.

Opennshut is still running today, supplying DIY shutters and training to the trade. John is now retired but it’s still very much a family affair with Sam’s partner Claire, son Harry, daughter Danni and cousin Gary all part of the team, running both Opennshut and Chichester Shutters.

Absolutely! We are based at the Kingley Centre in West Stoke (full address below). We have the biggest Shutter showroom in West Sussex and Hampshire with over 50 different samples to show you!

The showroom is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-3:30pm. However, it is best to book an appointment or call ahead so we can make sure that someone is available and to check there isn’t already an appointment or training session taking place.

Our address is Barn 3, Kingley Centre, Downs Road, West Stoke PO18 9HJ

Click here to book an appointment,

We’ve been on TV many times fitting shutters, including:

• 60 Minute Makeover
• DIY SOS
• Help! My Home Is Falling Down
• Don’t Get Done, Get Dom
• Kirstie’s Homemade Home