Plantation shutters - is this right?

Russinating · 20 Feb 2020 at 16:12

We had some platation shutters fitted yesterday from John Lewis. They were about the same as a local carpenter (cheaper on two occassions) and although I often prefer to buy local, I feel with things like this it's just easier, both to order but also to escalate when things don't go well.

Cut to now. We were going to complain anyway because we ordered on 23rd October with a 10-12 week lead time and they were only fitted yesterday, so there's that. But that's an aside/easy to complain about!

We've had them fitted both downstairs and upstairs and in both the bay windows they look fantastic. Well fitted, good quality and the guy has done his very best working around non-right angles etc as you'd expect from a period house.

But we also have a side window upstairs and it just looks weird. It's basically sized to match the window, not the alcove, and so you've got a gap top and sides of ~8-15cm. Apart from being a dust and dirt magnetic it just looks weird. I get that if they fitted the alcove then you'd see part of the plastic window fitting behind the shutters when open but I feel like that'd look a lot better - especially when closed, obviously.

Those that have had similar windows done, what are your thoughts? Should they fit the alcove or the window?

Orionaut · 20 Feb 2020 at 16:33

Who measured up?

Did you tell them that you wanted them to fill the alcove rather than just screen the window?

Would you feel the same if the alcove was 6" wider than the window all round rather than just an inch or two? (And the gap to the right of the window looks much bigger. Would you have wanted that side filled in too?)

Do the illustrations in the sales literature show alcoves like yours or ones where the frame fills the alcove?

Not really sure that "Not liking the appearance" is really a fault unless the installation was actually faulty or not carried out according to common practice?

If it was me, I think I would accept it as it is, or make up a surround to fill in the gaps and make it flush all round.

Russinating · 20 Feb 2020 at 16:39

The same person who fitted them measured up, he must be the local area person. They didn't ask if we wanted them fitted to the alcove or the window but I would have just assumed the alcove. That's the case for the two bays. And yeah I would have wanted the right filled, what are we supposed to do with that 'space' anyway?

Every image I can see they're fitted to the alcove, but most images are of bays not flat windows.

Whether it's common practice or not is exactly what I'm asking.

Orionaut · 20 Feb 2020 at 17:17

When you say "Fitted to the alcove" do you mean the slats go all the way across, or that the space around the shutters are filled in?

(Large Slats all the way across would look weird too, especially if the space was a couple of inches more all round.)

It isn't faulty, just clumsy.

And it is clumsy because the window doesn't fit the alcove properly either (Is there a reason for that??)

And whether that clumsiness is a reason for complaint I do not know (EG, how big a gap all round would it have to be before you would prefer it simply to be fitted only to the window)

If I was fitting a roller blind or a venetian one, I would certainly have made it full width, even if the alcove was somewhat wider than the window. but a large slatted plantation shutter, the wall visible through the slats would be very obvious and might also look clumsy, so its hard to tell which you might have preferred until seeing examples of both.

As I said earlier. If I really didn't like it, I would just fill in the gap to make it flush all round.

Whether or not the suppliers should feel under any obligation to do so FOC for you is a diferent matter. I suspect not.

Russinating · 21 Feb 2020 at 09:30

Anyone else that's actually had them fitted to a non-bay window or fits them?

Orionaut · 21 Feb 2020 at 14:42

Russinating said:
Anyone else that's actually had them fitted to a non-bay window or fits them?

My next door neighbours have them on non-bay windows, I will have a look next time I pop round..(Over the weekend probably) They are big John-Lewis fans too so might well have ended up having them supplied and fitted the same as you.

Though, as I said, part of your problem is that the window doesn't fit the alcove properly either, and I am curious as to why that should be the case??

Funky-Melon · 21 Feb 2020 at 14:46

I'm amazed your cat hasn't killed your light shade.

koolpc · 21 Feb 2020 at 14:49

They should fit the alcove. I wouldnt want them just fitting the 'window'.

Russinating · 21 Feb 2020 at 14:50

Funky-Melon said:
I'm amazed your cat hasn't killed your light shade.

She's about as much of a 'cat' as a pack of frozen fish fingers. She meowed at it from afar once...

Mcnumpty2323 · 21 Feb 2020 at 15:06

Surprised you didn't discuss it
When they measured up
Surely you realised your window
Didn't fit the alcove very well
Personally I think the way
They are fitted
But with a surround to fit
The gap would look better than
Them going right across

Russinating · 21 Feb 2020 at 15:26

I think you're assuming the measure up is very different to what it actually is. It involves my OH letting someone in for 15 minutes midday whilst they measure up and then they leave. Even if I was there I would have assumed the shutters fit the alcove by default, anything else would be on request/discussion.

Mcnumpty2323 · 21 Feb 2020 at 15:35

Russinating said:
I think you're assuming the measure up is very different to what it actually is. It involves my OH letting someone in for 15 minutes midday whilst they measure up and then they leave. Even if I was there I would have assumed the shutters fit the alcove by default, anything else would be on request/discussion.

Guess every one is
Of course different as i
Would have realised it may be
An issue and made sure
My other half specifically asked
Whether they were going to
Fit the window or the alcove
Not sure either way would be
Classed as incorrectly fitted to be
Honest
Just depends on your personal
Preference

jpaul · 21 Feb 2020 at 15:40

Orionaut said:
Though, as I said, part of your problem is that the window doesn't fit the alcove properly either

yes ... the window frame is assymetric, not flush, so he has just filled the gap as best as he could, within recessed section;
is there upvc present too,what materials ? - you wouldn't want them drilling into upvc.

Did you accomodate how depth will impact the curtain hang

Semple · 21 Feb 2020 at 15:50

Russinating said:

They don't look like they fit very well either, there's a lot of light bleeding through where presumably the blind frame fits up against the window?

touch · 21 Feb 2020 at 15:58

Orionaut said:
Though, as I said, part of your problem is that the window doesn't fit the alcove properly either, and I am curious as to why that should be the case??

It's not that unusual. Judging by the style of the house, I'd guess that the room was originally much bigger and has been partitioned off. The other half of the window will be in the next room along.
I think it would look a bit odd if the blinds were fitted to the alcove rather than the window but, as others have said, I would want something (probably some plain white board) to fill the gaps around the shutters.

Semple said:
They don't look like they fit very well either, there's a lot of light bleeding through where presumably the blind frame fits up against the window?

It needs the gap there so that they can open without hitting the frame.