Are DIY Shutters Difficult?
Getting home design projects done on your own in San Diego has never been easier. With resources easily available to savvy homeowners, many projects that used to be hard are now very doable by yourself.
There are exceptions, though – jobs that may be unwieldy, time-consuming, or just too difficult to do on your own. One job that might fall into that category is installing DIY plantation shutters.
Below are just a handful of the issues that can pop up when trying to put in shutters as a DIY job.
DIY Window Measuring for Shutters
Although it might seem easy on the surface, getting the exact window measurements for plantation shutters can get a little tricky. As one of our shutter experts says, “There’s about a thousand wrong ways to measure windows, but only one way to do it right.” There’s a lot of differences between individual windows that can affect how you should measure for shutters.
Do you know if your shutters need to be on an outside or inside mount? How thick is the shutter frame you’re looking at and how far into the window opening will it go? Which kind of frame do you need for casement-in windows, swinging windows or sliders?
Each of these can have an impact which style of shutters and frame are appropriate. That also changes how you need to measure your windows.
DIY Shutter Buying
The next problem area for DIY shutters can arise in the buying process. Just like the variation in windows, there’s a lot of variation in shutters, and if you’re doing it alone, it can be easy to buy the wrong product. Here are a few easy to make mistakes if you’re a DIYer:
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Getting the wrong material for shutters. For instance, purchasing real wood shutters to put in a room that needs to have a moisture-proof window treatment.
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Picking a shutter configuration that blocks window movement, meaning you can’t fully open the window.
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Choosing the wrong type of shutter frame, specifically for unique windows like in sliding glass doors.
We’ve also seen some added confusion with shutter terminology. Working with shutter experts can help clear up any confusion, so you get exactly what you need.
DIY Shutter Installation
Where DIY shutters can become most difficult is trying to install them, as you likely guessed.
There are a few reasons it’s hard – first, shutter installation is a precise procedure, and a small error in measuring at the start or in hanging a bracket can throw everything else off. Shutters can also be physically difficult to install; depending on the material and your window’s location, lifting a shutter can be strenuous and in certain scenarios dangerous.
Something some DIYers don’t know is that it’s pretty common for shutters to not fit the window frame precisely. This is mainly because few window frames are perfectly square. Attaching the shutter flush to one side of the window opening could force the entire shutter to be crooked and make gaps. Needing to caulk a ¼ or ½inch gap is typical with shutter installations, and if you’re an inexperienced DIYer a caulking job could be more than you bargained for.
Finally, when you do a shutter installation yourself, you don’t have a safety net. If a professional does your shutters for you, they’ll almost always guarantee the job with a warranty. But if something goes wrong when you DIY, you’re on your own if there’s any damage to the shutters or any other part of your house.
