Plauderecke » choosing the best size for your window

Reasons to Love French Doors
Light: They are like having big windows looking into your home and they allow a lot of light to shine through.
Makes your home seem larger: French doors offer a sense of openness, rather than a typical door that feels more like a barrier. This creates the illusion of a larger space.
Aesthetics: French doors can be downright beautiful, and they offer a very unique aesthetic to your home.
Customisation: There are a lot of things that you can do to customise your French doors to make them a perfect fit for your style, and we'll be talking about our absolute favourite way to style them in just a minute!
Downsides of French Doors
Privacy: The downside of having two big windows looking into your yard is that they also allow those who are outside of your home to see inside. It's a two way street, so to speak.
Durability: PVC French doors are prone to showing wear and tear since you're always passing by them everytime you go inside and outside of your home, with plenty of opportunities to bang into them with whatever you're carrying, etc.
Ways to Cover French Doors
There are a number of ways to cover french doors that are less than ideal. Here's a quick overview of some of the common methods that people will turn to, before we reveal our favourite option.
Curtains Over French Doors
You can mount curtains above the doorframe or directly onto the top of each door, but then it becomes a bit finicky as they can get tangled and just aren't ideal if this is a door that you're actively using on a regular basis.
Panels For French Doors
You can also cover a french door with solid panels, but then you lose view and you lose the natural light shining into your home. It kind of defeats the purpose of having large, glass doors in the first place, so this isn't a favourite of ours at all.
The Ultimate French Door Styling Hack: French door Shutters
Installing plantation shutters on your French doors addresses the cons of French doors and the issues you'll find with other types of treatments for these doors, while highlighting the benefits of French doors at the same time. It's miraculous! French door shutters are very underrated.
e make custom designing DIY shutters easy with our 4-step ordering page. One of the options you will be presented with when designing your wooden shutter blinds is slat size. You may notice the terms “slats” and “louvres” used interchangeably, and both refer to the moving blades that rotate open and closed to control the light entry.
So, which size will look best in your home, and what other factors should you consider when choosing plantation shutters?
What size louvres/ slats will fit my window?
This depends on how deep your windows are recessed. Each shutter slat size has a minimum clearance required to fully open and close without hitting the glass or/and handles, locks or obstructions.
You can find a chart outlining the depth required for each shutter slat size in our measuring guides. If your window doesn't meet the minimum depth for the slat size you like best, you can always opt for a deeper frame or an outside mount to push the shutters further away from the glass.
You can also email a picture of your window to us or give our friendly experts a call for advice!
How do I know if I want larger or smaller shutter slats?
Keeping your shutter slats closed gives you maximum privacy. Our slats close flat in the upwards direction, and closed slats minimise the light entering your room and prying eyes seeing in! (regardless of which slat size you choose).
With the slats open, the larger the slat you choose, the more visibility you will have into and out of the window and more light will shine through.
Which slat size will look best?
For a modern style home with clean lines and open spaces, wide shutter slats with a hidden tilt rod will best complement this style of décor. Classic period homes, rich with traditional older style architecture will look best with smaller slats with a central tilt rod.
Something to consider is, how tall the windows are (or how tall your chosen height is for café style shutters). Tall windows will support a larger shutter slat and might look too busy with a smaller size. On the contrary, smaller slats will look better in proportion to a short window, as the larger size might look too chunky or overpowering.
Rest assured our shutter experts will call you to review the specs of every order prior to production, and they will always let you know if your window size or depth raises any red flags with the slat size you have chosen.
Regardless of colour or shutter style (full height, café style, or tier on tier) the same slat sizes are offered, and the same factors above will be relevant in choosing the best size for your window.
If you are looking for the absolute easiest to clean window treatments, larger slats will save you a little time in cleaning, as there will be fewer slats in each panel. But not to worry, even the smallest slats are very low maintenance, as wooden shutter blinds are a breeze to clean!
Once you've installed them, plantation shutters become a real source of pride and joy within the home. However, sometimes household accidents and wear and tear can impact upon them. In the rare event that you're required to repair a damaged slat (or louvre), here's what you need to do. There's no need to worry, it's a simple process that even the greenest of DIYers can accomplish!
When you've received your replacement slat, you'll have a slat with holes drilled in the end to attach to the panel, as well as in the center for attaching the slat to the push rod. You'll also receive staples to attach the slat to the rod, and pins to attach the slat to the panel.
Firstly, you'll need to remove the damaged slat.
Using a pair of small pliers, you'll need to carefully snip the staple on the slat (see below). Then, ease the slat from the push rod or loosen the slat from the push rod by tilting the slat up and down. Now you'll be ready to remove the damaged louvre. To do this, take a wallpaper scraper and gently tap between the slats and the solid upright section of the shutter panel. The slat will be easily dislodged from the panel. Remove this old pin from the panel (below left). Now you'll be ready to fit your new slat. First take your replacement pins. Insert the longer, fixed pin (below).