Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately I may not have a simple answer! It all depends on your budget, and your personal preferences. Below are some pro's & con's for each product. Thermalite: If Australian made is important to you, Thermalite is the answer. It has some great features not found on other shutters. It insulates better than any other window covering on the market. Manufacturing is much faster than overseas shutters. It is a little more expensive than other internal plantation shutters. HP Poly PVC: This is an entry level product that is still great quality. You get the look and feel of plantation shutters but at the lowest price. As a PVC product, some people prefer not to have PVC in their homes due to health reasons. HP Painted Timber: This is a premium product with a lot of options. As such, it costs a little more. Timber is a great option for most areas of your home. The only areas we don't recommend timber is wet areas like bathrooms. This is because once the paint starts to break down it opens the possibility for moisture to entry the timber and the timber can swell and be damaged. HP Stained Timber: Stained timber shutters look amazing in the right home. Nothing can beat that timber look! But it's the same issues as HP Painted Timber, plus the stain isn't as long lasting as paint. HP Avenir Aluminium: These shutters a super strong, and they actually look fantastic once installed. The have a massive single panel span that can reduce the number of panels required in an opening. They are worth serious consideration. They won't give the same insultation as other plantation shutters, but are better then most blinds. Weatherwell External Shutters: Simply, in my opinion these are the best on the market. Everybody loves them once installed. Super strong and will handle any weather the Illawarra, South Coast, and Southern Highlands can throw at them. No con's on this product! Roller Blinds: These are an economical solution that look great. With heaps of options available, these might be what you are looking for. Not always the look people want. Vertical Blinds: Verticals work great on sliding doors. As the operate side to side matching the direction of the sliding door. Some people feel these are a dated option but everything old is new again, right!

Once the deposit is paid and the paperwork completed, the time starts. Thermalite Shutter installation is usually within 4 weeks. Unfortunately since Covid 19 started, this has been unreliable and has ranged from 4 week to 6 1/2 weeks due to lockdowns and staff shortages. The manufacturing factory is working hard to get this back to 4 weeks consistently. HP Poly PVC, Painted and Stained Timber, and Avenir are all imported from China. Installation is usually 7 to 8 weeks. Unfortunately since Covid 19 started, this has been unreliable and has ranged from 8 week to 11 weeks due to shipping delays. The manufacturing factory for the most part is running on time, shipping is the issue. Hopefully this will improved as Covid ends! Roller Blinds is usually installed within 3 weeks. Manufacturing is a maximum 10 days and the manufacturer normally delivers to me every Tuesday. Vertical Blinds is usually installed within 4 weeks.

The main area I do is the Illawarra. I also do Nowra and a little further south like Vincentia and Calalla Bay for the right job. Again, for the right job I go to the southern areas of greater Sydney, and the Southern Highlands. What's the right job? Unfortunately it's not financially viable to quote and installed small jobs that are a long distance from my base. The time I loose to do a check measure quote means I don't have time to install or do multiple quotes locally. With saying that, for 3+ larger windows, or the equivalent in smaller windows, I'm happy to quote you. Quite often, I can supply you a quote based on rough measurements you supply and if you are happy with the price I can come and do the check measure.

I'm a one-man-band. The vast majority of installations I do myself. Sometimes I bring a helper if a job is too large, or by doing so it may mean I can finish the job in a single day. Other times the job requires a second person for reasons like working at high levels or heavy products. In general, I do the installation alone.

The main reasons my clients purchase Thermalite Plantation Shutters are below: 1/ They are Australian Made. 2/ They have the best insulation properties of any window covering on the market. 3/ Being Aussie made, they have a quick manufacturing / installation timeframe. 4/ They are water resistant meaning they can be installed in wet areas like bathroom. 5/ They are non-toxic. You do pay a little more compared to PVC, but you also get a lot more for your money. If your budget can stretch, I would recommend Thermalite.

Yes, they are made in a new and innovative Queensland manufacturing factory. Not only are they made there, but every order and every panel is designed right here in Australia.

No, not at all. The frequency of cleaning is dependent on each location. Most of the cleaning is quick and simple. An old fashion feather duster is the best. Just dust between each blade and in under a minute you have dusted a panel. If the shutter gets some grime on it, simply wipe over with warm soapy water and generally the gloss finish cleans very easily.

Visit my Pricing page for detailed information on prices.

My price includes the products being fully fitted with no more to pay. That means all hardware like screws, brackets etc are included. I also take with me all the packaging the product is supplied in so you don't need to worry about disposing of it. A friendly smile and chat is also free of charge! What's not included is the removal and disposal of your existing window coverings unless this has been charged and written on the quote.

If you change your mind before the manufacturers order is placed, a full refund will be given. Unfortunately, once the manufacturers order is place, the production begins extremely quickly and material will generally be cut almost straight away so cancellation isn't possible without incurring a very large fee. Changing your order is again costly after manufacturing has commenced. It will depend on what you would like changed and I will do everything possible but in general this will again incur a large fee. As my shutters and blinds are 100% custom made, it's really important that everything is correct at the time of ordering. If you are not 100% sure about something, ask me before placing the order.

Simple answer, no!

As a one-man-band I have chosen to specialize in Plantation Shutters, Roller Blinds, Vertical Blinds and External Aluminium Shutters. I'm not a one stop shop for every type of window covering as I prefer to specialize in these.

Yes, just email the plan to me and I'm happy to supply you with a quote. Tell me what type of shutter or blind you want on each opening and when you expect your home to be finished. The quote will be subject to a check measure being performed.

Best practice is to start the process at least 12 weeks before handover. Products and fabrics can be selected and an estimate can be supplied using the house plans. Once the windows and reveals are installed, it's important to organise access with your builder so I can do the onsite check measure. Blinds and shutters cannot be ordered until an onsite check measure has been performed. Depending on what you select, blinds and shutters can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 12 weeks to be manufactured and installed.

Double Warranty for piece of mind! When you think about it, it's the same situation no mater who you purchase from... either a big or small company. The only difference is that I've tried to ensure you're covered no mater what... can you say that for the big guys? When you purchase from me I supply you with a warranty card. Inside this warranty card will list the warranty information plus my details as the 'first contact' for any warranty claims. Also listed is the 'second contact' being the manufacturers phone number plus their reference number for your job. My suppliers are Australian businesses and are based right here in Australia, so you won't be left high and dry. Essentially you get a double warranty by purchasing through me. You may think it's a 'safer' option to buy from a big guy because they are much larger! Think about it, if they close down who will you call for warranty? They don't use local manufacturers as they source the majority from overseas manufacturers. In addition, they WON'T supply you with the manufacturers details that would allow you to go directly to them for warranty!