How to Fix Shutter Slats

With The Shutter Store's shutters made of quality materials, 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 have pins on each side that connect them to the stiles, the solid vertical rails on the edge of each shutter panel.

Replacing a Dislodged or Broken Pin

If a pin becomes dislodged or broken, 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 ensure a snug fit. This may require using a drill bit or the head of a screwdriver to slightly widen the hole in the stile to accommodate the new pin.

Repairing Minor Slat Damage

If there is physical damage to the slat itself, minor issues like a dent or scratch can be sanded or filled with wood putty and painted over with the touchup paint included in your hardware kit.

Replacing a Damaged Slat

For irreparable damage, individual slats can be remade and replaced following the steps below, based on your tilt rod type.

Central tilt rod: One additional step is replacing the staple that connects the slat to the central tilt rod.

Hidden tilt rod: There is a small screw on the back side of the shutter panel that you will remove and replace to swap out the slat.

Fixing Slat Tension

Each panel has a tension screw on each side that controls how much resistance there is when you rotate the slats up and down.

• Too much resistance? Twist both tension screws to the left to loosen

• Slats drooping or too loose? Twist both tension screws to the right to tighten

Always adjust both screws on each side of the panel.

If the damaged slat is the one connected to the tension screw, no pin replacement is needed — simply use a screwdriver to screw in the replacement slat. Just let our shutter expert know when requesting replacement parts that it's the tension screw slat that needs replacing.

Shipping Damage, Warranty, and Accidental Damage

• Shipping damage is covered by us — just inspect your order and report any issues within 7 days of delivery

• Manufacturing defects are covered under your 5-year warranty

• Accidental damage at home - reach out to us and we'll help you find the most cost-effective solution

Need Extra Help With Your Shutters?

When it comes to shutter repairs or maintenance, you're never on your own. Our knowledgeable shutter experts are a call, chat, or email away.