Tracked & Special-Shape Shutters

Not every window is a neat rectangle, and not every opening suits hinged panels. This page covers two kinds of shutter for the windows and doors that need something different: tracked shutters for patio doors, bifolds and wide openings, and special-shape shutters for arches, angled tops and bay windows.

Both rely on being made to measure. A sliding shutter needs its track cut to the exact width of the opening, and a shaped shutter has to follow a curve or angle closely to look right. We take every measurement ourselves at your home visit.

Tracked shutters for patio and bifold doors

Tracked shutters run on a track fitted across the opening, so the panels move sideways instead of swinging out on hinges. There are two main types.

• Sliding shutters sit on parallel tracks and glide past one another. They suit patio doors, where you can slide the panels across to clear whichever side you want to open.
• Folding shutters are hinged together and run along a single track, folding up concertina-style to one or both sides. They suit bifold doors and wide openings where you want to clear as much glass as possible.

With the louvres tilted, you get the same control over light and privacy as any shutter. That makes them a good fit for kitchen extensions and garden rooms, where a wall of glass can leave the space feeling exposed once it gets dark.

The practical bit

When tracked shutters are open, the panels have to sit somewhere. Slid or folded back, they take up some space at the side of the opening and cover a little of the glass. On most doors that’s no problem, but it’s worth knowing before you decide. We’ll show you where the panels will stack and plan the layout around your door handles and the way you use the room.

If you’d like a lighter, simpler option for wide doors, panel blinds and vertical blinds are both worth considering, and we’re happy to compare them with tracked shutters at your visit.

Shaped shutters for arches and angles

Arched windows, windows with a sloping top edge and other unusual shapes are often left bare because nothing standard will fit them. Shaped shutters change that.

• Arched windows. We make a shaped section that follows the curve. Often the arch itself is fixed, with louvres or a sunburst design, and the panels below open as normal.
• Angled tops. Where the top edge of a window slopes, the panels are cut to match the angle, so the shutter fills the window without awkward gaps.
• Bay windows. A bay is really several windows set at angles to each other. Each section gets panels of its own, linked by posts at the corners, and you can choose full-height, tier-on-tier or café style across the whole bay.

In period homes, where arches and bays are common and walls are rarely true, made-to-measure shapes make a real difference to how finished the room looks.

Choosing finishes

You choose louvre size, a painted or stained finish, and the style of tilt rod, just as with our other shutters. If you’re having shutters on a set of doors and on nearby windows too, we can match the finish so the whole room looks consistent. We bring samples with us, so you can see them against your floors and frames.

How it works

1. Tell us what you’re covering. Call or WhatsApp us, or use our quote form, and mention any doors or unusual shapes. We visit 7 days a week.
2. Every angle measured. We measure the opening, curve or slope, explain what’s possible and give you a free quote with no obligation.
3. Tracks and panels made. Everything is made to fit those measurements.
4. Installed and tested. We fit the tracks or frames, hang the panels and make sure everything slides, folds or opens as it should. The price we quote includes fitting.

In 20 years of fitting across Birmingham and the West Midlands, we’ve found that awkward windows nearly always have a good answer. If a shutter isn’t the best one for yours, we’ll say so and suggest what is.