Accordian Shutters - Measuring Instructions

The basis for all measurements are the width and height measurements of the opening you plan to protect.

Before measuring, decide if you will surface mount the shutter on the face of the building around the opening or will you install the shutter recessed inside of the opening.

A recessed installation means the shutter will be between two surfaces horizontally and or between a floor and a ceiling. If you have a deeply recessed opening (5" or more) and you want or need to mount recessed into the opening, that is the dimension in inches we need. We will manufacture the shutter to fit inside the recessed area.

If your shutter is a floor-to-ceiling installation, (We call that "trapped") the actual dimension from the floor to the ceiling in inches is what we need. With the dimensions and type of installatio,n we will send the correct headers and sills and manufacture the Accordion shutter to fit inside your opening. Keep in mind, the shutter when in the stored position will provide a clear opening less than the actual width of the shutter. The clear opening in width will be reduced by 3.5" plus one inch per foot of actual shutter width. For example a 12' wide shutter when in the stored position will provide a clear opening width of 10' 8.5". The shutter can be designed to open one way or center open or some combination in between.

A surface-mount installation requires the measuring of the width and height in inches for the opening you want to protect. We also need to know if the opening is a window or door. We will ship a shutter in a width that will provide a clear opening at least as wide as the width dimension you give us. The height of the finished shutter will be proper to fit a window or a door as requested. The shutter width will be approximately 3.5" plus 1" per foot of shutter width wider than the opening width dimension you provided. The shutter can be a one-way open or a center open or a combination between. When measuring, take this into consideration... be sure nothing is in the way such as a light. The height of the shutter for a window will be 6" greater than the height dimension you provide. You will install the shutter header and sill 3" above and below the opening. We will provide the correct sill and headers for your type of installation. One more point. If you have a drip sill, we need to know the measurement from the top of sill to the bottom of the drip sill and how far it protrudes from the wall around it.

The door width is calculated the same as a window. The height may require a different type sill based on whether you have a step down from the door sill. If there is a step down, let us know that dimension in inches separately. We will make the allowances for adding that dimension.