Roller Shutter Doors

Roller shutter doors are there to provide a positive barrier to provide security.  They can be used to cover any kind of opening such as windows, doors, shop fronts and warehouse doors.  They are known as roller shutters and roller doors due to the fact they roll up onto a spindle, but the more correct name for them is a sectional overhead door.

Shutters are formed from horizontal sections (and sometimes constructed as bars or web systems), which are fixed together with hinges so that together they form a single door or barrier.  The shutter is opened by turning the spindle which winds door sections into a compact cylinder.  Reversing the turn allows the sections to lower, closing the shutter over the opening to be protected.  The shutters can either be operated by hand using a drive chain, or be powered by a motor for larger and heavier doors.

Usually shutters are used for security to prevent theft or vandalism, but they also also act as a really effective weather barrier, protecting the premises from the worst wind and rain has to offer.

What Roller Shutter Doors Are For

Roller shutters can be installed in just about any opening, but usually they're used by shops, warehouses, offices, garages and restaurants.  Smaller gaps such as house windows can often be more cost effectively protected with some other kind of shutter or barrier, but one of the main advantages of roller shutter doors is is the small apace they fold away into, and they don't swing out or in, which can be a problem if the space around the opening is confined.  

Parts of a Roller Shutter Doors

All shutters are made to a similar design, and are made up of the following parts:

·       Lath – the name given to the separate sections that make up the shutter itself.  Laths are usually made from steel, aluminium or a PVC extrusion, although for smaller more decorative shutters wood is sometimes used.  They can be designed to be single or multi-walled, depending on the location of the shutters and the strength required.

·       Roller  – Also known as the "roller tube", this is the axle around which the lath’s are wound when the shutters are being opened.  It is supported at each end by an "end plate".

·       Shutter Box – This is a protective cover that fits around the roller to prevent damage from the weather and being knocked, and also has the aesthetic advantage of hiding away the working parts.

·       Shutter Spring – Helps control the motion of roller as it winds up and feeds out the laths.  Usually one of two types:

o   Spring wire, also called a torsion spring, and is made from a heavy steel wire.

o   Flat spring. Made from hardened and tempered steel strips.

·       Guide Rail - Also known as the track, this is the section that ensure the laths run correctly.  The rails also for the side frame of the overall shutter structure. The rails may also include rubbing strips to reduce rattle and draft strips to help keep the weather out.

·       Bottom Lath – This is end piece of the shutter that sits on the ground.  Made from the same material as the rest of shutter, this is the element that will be secured to the floor or window sill.  Draft excluding rubber tubes are sometimes fitted to the underside of the bottom lath to help produce a more effective weather seal.

Lock

While a lock is not always included as part of a roller shutter, it is usually there to prevent the shutter being raised.  The locks can be simple bolts fitted to the frame or bottom laths so that access from the outside is prevented, or hasps that can have padlocks fitted for additional security.

Different Types of Roller Shutter Doors
The various kinds of shutters include:

Built-on – Fitted the outside of a building.

Built-in – Inserted into lintel that runs above and around the opening.

Integrated – The shutter is included as part of window and door construction at the manufacturing stage. 

With Tilting Laths – The laths are modified so they tilt in the way Venetian blinds do.

Manual – The shutter is operated by a chain or a cranked winding handle.

Electric – A motor is attached to the roller and the shutter operated by a push button or switch.

Fire Shutter – Here the roller shutter door is connected to the fire alarm system so that it closes automatically when the alarm goes off.  

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