External decorative shutters

Roller shutters are an excellent product which satisfy various applications. On the whole their main uses are for commercial properties which need security reinforcement as roller shutters tend to be louvered slatted metal which rolls down to protect the exterior of a building. Commonly hospitals, warehouses, shops and offices will employ roller shutters for an added layer of security when the building is left empty and overnight closure.

Roller shutters can be manufactured in a variety of thicknesses to suit application, on the whole metal depths vary from around 0.5mm to 2mm gauges. On the whole galvanised steel roller shutters offer the best security and can be coated in plastic coloured material for finer finishes and powdered coating. Most manufacturers offer a range of colours which will suit the location and surroundings of the shutters, and RAL colours will often be implemented as the default metallic colouring system.

Lets not forget one of the fundamental buying decisions with roller shutters, which is the mechanisation for opening and closing shutters. On the whole electrically operated shutters are by far the easiest to utilise, and a solid system should be invested in. The operation should be smooth and secure with close fitting and quality fixtures.

The standard of the shutter furniture is also essential to consider with bullet or lath locks being implemented on the whole. Having secure locking systems will naturally extend the protection your roller shutters offer and ensure the integrity of security. Having rusted old locks will not help even if your roller shutter system is high specification.

So, in summary the main considerations when installing roller shutters is to find a supplier who will recommend the right thickness of steel for your particular application. Decide whether the size and position warrants using a mechanised opening system. Choose a roller shutter which will allow you to finish the shutters in powder coated or other durable finishes, and ideally pick a colour which enhances the appearance of the shutters. Pick high quality locking mechanisms for long term benefits, and don’t forget to consider the retracted size of the rolled metal when in the closed position, as the size of these can vary and may be too large depending on the available space.

One further consideration is whether your exterior shutters will need to be fire rated as will be the case in some applications. Most firms offer rollers in various hourly fire ratings, buying your store extra time when a fire may break out, up to 2 or 3 hours is common

We’ve seen a lot of companies come and go within the roller shutters market however we can recommend a company based near Preston who are well worth considering for many of the commercial needs for rollers.

Please do contact us if you have any specific questions about these types of shutters and read more about exterior shutters here.