WhatsAppinfo@homestyle-shutters.co.uk01706 538274 AboutShutters & Blinds Areas Our WorkGuidesReviewsContact01706 538274Request Estimate Home/Guides/Buying guideBuying guide · 8 min read # Bay window blinds and shutters, done properly A bay is three or five windows pretending to be one, usually out of square, usually with a radiator underneath. Here is how we measure, template and fit them so the angles actually meet. The short version - Bays are rarely square — Victorian and Edwardian terraces especially need each angle measured individually, not assumed from the plan. - Shutters use mitred T-posts and angled headers to close the corners neatly; blinds need either a bay pole or individually boxed units. - A laser survey with a card template at the angled joints catches out-of-square corners before anything is cut. - Radiators and deep sills under bays dictate frame depth and stack position as much as the glass does. - Shutters are priced by area at £250/m² fully fitted; bay blinds typically cost more than a flat window of the same width because of the extra hardware and joins.Free home survey More bay windows go wrong than any other window shape we quote. Not because the products are complicated, but because a bay is really two or three separate openings meeting at angles that are almost never the 90 or 135 degrees the plans say they should be. A blind or shutter that is bang on square for the centre window will sit proud or short at the corner posts if the angle is a couple of degrees out, and on a bay you notice it immediately because the eye reads the whole run as one object. This guide covers the different bay shapes we see across Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and the wider Greater Manchester and Lancashire patch, why they are the hardest thing we measure, and how we template, join and fit both blinds and shutters so the corners actually close and the whole bay reads as a single considered piece rather than three windows dressed separately. ## The bay shapes you actually have "Bay window" covers several genuinely different shapes, and the shape decides what will work. A square bay has three flat windows meeting at right angles, common in 1930s semis across Middleton and Heywood. A splayed or canted bay angles the two side windows back towards the wall, typically at 30 to 45 degrees off the centre window — the standard Victorian and Edwardian terrace bay you see all over Rochdale, Bolton and Bury stone rows. A box bay projects square from the wall with a flat roof, often seen on later extensions. A five-sided Victorian bay adds a narrow angled pane either side of the main splay, and a bow window curves continuously with four or five narrower lights rather than flat panels joined at angles. Each shape changes the joinery decision at the corners. A square bay only needs a straightforward butt or mitre at 90 degrees. A splayed bay needs the corner post mitred to the actual angle measured on site, which is very rarely a clean 45. A bow needs curved tracking for blinds, or narrow individual shutter panels rather than one continuous run, because shutter frames do not bend. ## Why bays are the hardest measure in the job On a flat window we take a width, a drop, and a note on the reveal depth. On a bay we are measuring three or five separate openings, the angle between each pair of them, the projection of the bay from the main wall, and whether the floor and ceiling lines are level — because in a lot of older Pennine terraces they are not. A discrepancy of two or three degrees at a corner post is invisible on the plan and very visible on the finished job, showing up as a gap you can see daylight through or a shutter that will not close flush. The other complication is that the three windows are rarely identical widths. Builders squared up bays visually rather than to a tape measure, and it is common to find the two side windows in a splayed bay differing by 20 or 30mm from each other. Assuming symmetry and ordering both sides the same size is one of the most common mistakes we get called out to correct. ## Finding the angles: templating on site We do not estimate bay angles from a floor plan or a phone app. Jake uses a laser measure for the widths and drops, and for the corner angles we template directly against the wall with an adjustable bevel gauge or a card template cut and offered up on the day. That template goes into the survey file and travels with the job to whoever cuts the frame, so the angle that gets manufactured is the angle that is actually on your wall, not a nominal 135 degrees that looks right on paper. This matters most on shutters, where the corner post is a fixed, rigid piece of joinery. Get the angle wrong by even a couple of degrees and the post will either stand proud of the wall on one side or leave a visible triangular gap on the other. It matters less on soft blinds, which can tolerate a bit more variance, but a bay pole still needs the corner brackets set to the correct angle or the pole will twist under the weight of the fabric. ## Blinds in a bay: pole runs vs individual units For soft furnishings you have two honest options. A bay pole is a single curtain track or pole bent or jointed to follow the three or five angles, carrying one continuous curtain or set of blinds across the whole bay. It gives an unbroken look and is the traditional choice for curtains in a bay, but it needs a decent projection from the wall so the fabric clears the glass at the angled sections, and it is a specialist bend or joint, not something we cut from straight stock on site. The more common approach for blinds, and the one we recommend for rollers, Romans and verticals, is to fit an individual blind to each of the three or five openings separately, each boxed to its own reveal or face-fitted to its own recess. This is more forgiving of the fact that the three windows are rarely equal widths, it lets you operate the centre window independently of the sides, and it avoids the stack of a bay-pole curtain bunching awkwardly at the angled corners. The trade-off is that you see three distinct headrails rather than one sweeping line, which some homeowners like less. - —Bay pole: one continuous run, best for curtains, needs a proper angled bend and generous wall projection. - —Individual blinds per window: more forgiving of unequal widths, independent operation, three headrails visible. - —Roman blinds in a bay almost always go individual — a continuous Roman across an angled joint does not work mechanically. ## Bay window shutters: mitred T-posts and angled headers Shutters are where a well-detailed bay really earns its keep. At each internal corner we fit a mitred T-post — a vertical divider cut to the exact angle measured on site, shared between the two adjoining frames, so the two panels close against a single clean joint rather than two separate frames butting untidily. Above the panels, an angled header ties the tops of the three frames together in one visual line, following the same angles as the T-posts below, so the whole bay reads as one piece of joinery rather than three shutters bolted up next to each other. Because the T-post is mitred to the surveyed angle rather than a standard 45 or 22.5, this is not a stock component — it is made to the job. That is precisely why the on-site templating step matters: the mitre is cut once, to the wall in front of us, and it either closes properly or it does not. Louvres run through in the same style and colour across the whole bay so there is no visible break between the centre window and the angled sides. We never use MDF for this joinery. A bay window catches condensation and draught more than a flat window because it projects into colder air on three sides, and an MDF T-post in that environment swells at the mitred edge within a season and the corner never closes properly again. Every shutter frame we fit is a genuine timber or waterproof composite, chosen at survey to suit the room. ## Out-of-square Victorian and Edwardian bays Stone-built terraces across Rochdale, Bolton, Bury and the surrounding Pennine towns are the single biggest source of out-of-square bays we deal with. These houses were built without modern levels, the stone has moved slightly over 120-plus years, and many bays have settled unevenly at the foundations, so the angle at one corner post can differ from the other by several degrees on the same window. It is also common for the bay to lean slightly outward or for the cill to be several millimetres out of level from one side to the other. None of this is a problem provided it is measured rather than assumed. Where a bay is genuinely irregular we will sometimes recommend individually scribed shutter panels rather than a single symmetrical run, or a blind solution over shutters if the frame distortion is severe enough that a rigid mitred joint would never close cleanly. We would rather tell you that on the survey than fit something that looks wrong from the pavement. ## Cold spots, draughts and radiator clearance Bays lose more heat than flat windows because they present more glass and more perimeter to the outside on three sides, and the corner joints between the panes are a common draught source in older timber-framed bays. Shutters help significantly here — a well-fitted frame with foam-sealed edges cuts the draught at the glass line, and the layered air gap between glass and louvre is a genuine thermal improvement, particularly welcome in the stone terraces where bays are often the coldest room in the house. Most bays sit over a radiator, and that dictates a lot of the specification. Shutter cills or blind headrails need to clear the radiator top and any pipework, and louvres or blind fabric should not sit directly against a heat source, both for comfort and to protect the material. We check radiator height and projection at survey and specify frame depth and stack height accordingly, sometimes recommending café-style shutters that cover only the upper half of a bay window sitting close over a radiator. ## Cost and lead times for bay windows Shutters are priced by area at £250 per square metre fully fitted, and a bay simply has more area — and more joinery in the mitred posts and angled header — than a single flat window of similar overall width, so expect the total for a three-window bay to run higher than a flat window covering the same wall opening. We break the quote down window by window plus the corner posts and header so you can see exactly what you are paying for. Blinds start from £95 fully fitted per window, and a typical bay fitted with three individual roller or Roman blinds is priced as three separate units rather than one job lot, though we do discount modestly for multiple blinds on the same visit. A bay pole for curtains is quoted separately depending on the bend or joint required. Lead times for bay shutters run slightly longer than a standard shutter order because the T-posts and header are made to the surveyed angles rather than pulled from stock — we will give you a realistic date at the point of quoting rather than a generic estimate. Every job starts with a free home survey: Jake laser-measures each window in the bay individually, templates the angles on site, and leaves you an itemised written quote the same day. We take a 50% deposit, the balance is due on completion, and shutters carry our 10-year guarantee. Related services ## What we would fit for this. Shutters ### Plantation Shutters Explore Shutters ### Made-to-Measure Shutters Explore Blinds ### Roller Blinds Explore Blinds ### Roman Blinds Explore Curtains ### Curtains Explore Frequently asked ## Questions we get askedon the doorstep. ### Can you fit shutters to a bay window? +Yes, this is one of our most common jobs. We use mitred T-posts at the internal corners and an angled header across the top, both cut to the actual angles measured on your wall, so the panels close cleanly and the whole bay reads as one piece rather than three separate frames. ### Are bay window blinds more expensive than a normal window? +Generally yes, because a bay is effectively two or three windows rather than one. We fit either individual blinds to each opening, priced per window from £95 fitted, or a bay pole for curtains priced to the specific bend required. Shutters are priced by total area at £250/m². ### My bay window looks out of square — is that a problem for shutters? +It is very common, especially in Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Rochdale and Bolton, and it is exactly why we template angles on site with a bevel gauge rather than assume a standard 45 degrees. In severe cases we recommend individually scribed panels rather than a fully symmetrical run. ### Should I get one continuous blind across my bay or three separate ones? +Three separate blinds, one per window, is usually the more practical choice — it copes better with the fact that bay windows are rarely equal widths and lets you operate the centre section independently. A continuous bay pole works well for curtains but is a specialist bend, not a standard product. ### Will shutters help with draughts in my bay window? +Yes. Bays lose more heat than flat windows because more glass and more frame perimeter faces outside. A well-fitted shutter frame with sealed edges reduces the draught at the glass line and adds a useful layer of insulating air between the glass and the room. ### Do you use MDF for bay window shutter frames? +No, never. Bays sit in a cold, condensation-prone spot in most homes, and an MDF corner post would swell at the mitred joint within a season. We fit genuine timber or waterproof composite frames that hold their shape and their guarantee. No obligation ## Get it measured properly,in your own home. Free survey, laser measuring, full sample books brought to you, and an itemised written quote on the day. Request free estimate 01706 538274 Fully insured · 10-year shutter guarantee · Family-run from Rochdale Keep reading ## More guides. 7 min read ### Blackout blinds: what actually blocks the light Read 8 min read ### Blinds for French doors and patio doors Read 8 min read ### Real wood vs faux wood shutters: which one, and where Read A family-run team crafting bespoke plantation shutters, blinds and window dressings for homes across Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. - 38 Ansdell Road, Rochdale, England, OL16 4TT - 01706 538274 - info@homestyle-shutters.co.uk - Opening hours Mon–Fri: 7:30am – 7:00pmSaturday: 7:00am – 6:00pmSunday: 8:00am – 3:00pm Facebook - InstagramTikTok Services Plantation Shutters - Made-to-Measure Shutters - Roller Blinds - Roman Blinds - Venetian Blinds - Vertical Blinds - Perfect Fit Blinds - Velux Skylight Blinds - Motorised Rollers - Curtains - Commercial Blinds Areas We Cover - Shutters & Blinds in Rochdale - Shutters & Blinds in Oldham - Shutters & Blinds in Manchester - Shutters & Blinds in Bolton - Shutters & Blinds in Bury - Shutters & Blinds in Stockport - Shutters & Blinds in Sale - Shutters & Blinds in Altrincham - Shutters & Blinds in Wilmslow - Shutters & Blinds in Knutsford - Shutters & Blinds in Warrington - Shutters & Blinds in Blackburn - Shutters & Blinds in Burnley - Shutters & Blinds in Preston - Shutters & Blinds in Huddersfield - Shutters & Blinds in Sheffield - Shutters & Blinds in Leeds - Shutters & Blinds in Halifax - Shutters & Blinds in Liverpool Find us Opening hours · Mon–Fri 7:30am–7pm · Sat 7am–6pm · Sun 8am–3pm © 2026 Homestyle Bespoke Shutters & Blinds Ltd · Company No. 14540369 GuidesPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms & ConditionsCrafted in Rochdale · Fitted across Greater Manchester & Yorkshire Call 01706 538274Free Estimate We use only strictly necessary cookies to run this site. 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