Timber Window Shutters & Fixed Louvres

What does a louvre panel do that a solid screen cannot?

It works in two directions at once. Because the blades are set on an angle, water running down the face is thrown outwards and shed clear instead of passing through, and sun coming from high overhead strikes the blade rather than the opening behind it. But the gaps between the blades stay open, so daylight still reaches the space and air still moves through it. A solid screen gives you shade and shelter but stops the air; glass gives you light but no ventilation. A louvre gives you shade, shelter, light and airflow in one panel.

Are the blades fixed or adjustable?

Fixed. This is our fixed louvre and fixed shutter range: the blades are set into the frame permanently and do not tilt or close. That is the right answer for the jobs these panels usually do — a gable end that has to breathe year round, a west-facing window that always needs shade, an equipment enclosure that is never adjusted. If you specifically want operable blades, ask us before you order rather than assuming, because operable blades are not part of this range as it stands.

What are they made from, and are they guaranteed?

Our louvres and fixed shutters are made from LOSP treated pine, a preservative treatment — LOSP stands for Light Organic Solvent Preservative. H3 is the hazard class for timber used outside, above ground, exposed to weather but not in contact with soil, which is exactly where a louvre panel lives. As external LOSP H3 treated pine used above ground, our louvres and fixed shutters carry our 25 year guarantee.

Where do timber louvres go?

Over windows, where they shade the glass without darkening the room — a window canopy does the same job as a projecting hood rather than as a fixed panel. In gable ends, where they provide an opening for roof-space ventilation while screening the roofline; confirm the ventilation and weatherproofing requirements for the installation with your builder. Under a deck, closing off the space beneath without trapping moisture in it. And around plant and equipment — air-conditioning units, pool pumps, hot water services — where the thing being hidden still has to breathe. A fretwork privacy screen is the other way to screen the same thing and still let air through. Leave the clearances the equipment manufacturer specifies.

How do I specify a louvre panel?

Two measurements and one decision. Measure the width and the height of the opening, taking each at the top, middle and bottom if the frame is old and may have moved, and give us the smallest of the three. Keep the full set of measurements and a square-on photograph with your enquiry so the workshop can assess an irregular opening; confirm the finished panel size before manufacture. Our louvres, shutters and screen doors guide explains the differences between these products. Include the intended position, panel quantity and delivery postcode in your quote enquiry. Then decide whether the panel sits in the reveal, fitting inside the opening for a flush, built-in look that needs the tighter tolerance, or on the face, lapping over the opening onto the surrounding frame or wall, which is more forgiving of an out-of-square opening and throws a stronger shadow line.

How should they be finished?

Apply two thin coats of oil-based primer to all six faces before the panel goes up — including the blade edges, which are the hardest surface to reach once it is fixed. LOSP treatment is solvent-borne, so an oil-based primer is what bonds to it. Let the timber acclimatise for at least 72 hours after delivery and keep it dry until it is painted, then put on two to three thin topcoats in acrylic, water-based or oil. Inspect annually and touch up any breakdown.

Australian made, delivered to your home or site. Call 03 9720 1996.

Related pages

• Fretwork privacy screens, SA1PS to SA23PS
• Screen doors made to your door frame size
• Gable infills GI1 to GI7, and flywire-backed vents
• Window and door canopies, WC1 to WC5
• Fretwork and frieze panels, internal and external

Related workshop guides

• Timber Louvres, Shutters and Screen Doors: Which Do You Need?