How to Fix Shutter Slats
With The Shutter Store’s 100% solid material shutters, maintenance and repairs are quite minimal. But as life happens, your shutters may encounter a rowdy delivery transit, or an excited pet, and require some repairs. Luckily, shutter slats are held in place with pins that can easily be replaced to reattach any dislodged or damaged slats.
How to Fix Dislodged or Damaged Slats
We will always make recommendations (like minimum or maximum panel width or adding a mid-rail or t-posts for shutters of a certain size, etc.) to prevent any issues down the road, like drooping or bowed slats. The most common issue you may face would be slats needing repair due to damage caused by physical impact to the shutters.
Slats will have pins on each side that connect them to the stiles (the solid vertical rails on the edge of each shutter panel).
If a pin becomes dislodged or broken, you will simply remove the broken pin and replace it with a spring-loaded slat pin. If the pins on both sides are broken or dislodged, we will send you one stationary pin and one spring-loaded pin to securely re-attach the slat.
Replacement pins are intentionally slightly thicker than the original factory pins to be sure they fit snugly. Sometimes this will require that you use a drill bit or twist the head of a screwdriver to make the hole in the stile a little larger to accommodate the new pin.
If there is physical damage to the slat itself, this can also be easily repaired. If it is minor damage like a dent or scratch, this can be sanded or filled with wood putty and painted over with the touchup paint included in your hardware kit.
For irreparable damage, individual slats can be remade and replaced following the steps from our quick maintenance video. The steps are essentially the same as for a dislodged slat.
For a
central tilt rod, there is one additional step of replacing the staple that connects the slat to the central tilt rod.
If your shutters have a
hidden tilt rod, there will be a small screw on the back side of the shutter panel that you will remove and replace in order to swap out the slats.
Fixing Slat Tension
Your slats have a tension screw on each side of each panel that allows you to loosen or tighten the tension on your slats (essentially, how much resistance or how loose it is when you rotate the slats up and down).
If you find that there is too much resistance, twist the tension screws to the left to loosen the tension. If the slats have too little resistance and/or droop down when you try to push them upwards, twist the tension screws to the right to increase the tension. (Be sure to do the same thing to both screws on each side of the panel).
If the slat that is damaged is the one that is connected to the tension screw, you will not need to replace any pins, but rather you can use a screwdriver to screw in the replacement slat. Just be sure to let the shutter expert assisting with your replacement parts know that it is the slat with the tension screw that needs replacing.
With our helpful videos on our website, YouTube and Instagram, plus the help of our knowledgeable shutter experts, you are never on your own when it comes to shutter repairs or maintenance!
Shipping damages are covered by us – we just ask that you inspect and report any issues within 7 days of receiving your shutters. Any manufacturing defects are covered under your 3-year warranty. For accidental damage incurred at home, just reach out to us and we will help you find the most cost effective and efficient solution!
This post was brought to you by Yasmeen, one of The Shutter Store USA's experienced shutter consultants.
Get in touch today for more advice on finding the perfect plantation shutters for your home this spring. If you're still unsure and have any questions, our friendly team of shutter experts are a call, chat or email away! Upload a picture of your window with your order or send it in to our support team for help designing your perfect shutters. We are here to help!