Whether it’s a garage roller shutter at your home or a rapid roll door or fire shutter at your business premises, shutter failure can compromise access to the building, pose a safety risk, and disrupt your operations until the problem is diagnosed and fixed.
The last thing anyone needs is to be held up for days by broken shutters – which is why our 24-hour emergency shutter repair services include around the clock call-outs. With most repairs completed on the same day, you can keep downtime to a minimum.
We don’t just provide fast shutter repairs, though. With our extensive experience in the industry, Roller Shutter UK can also offer scheduled maintenance, system upgrades, or the supply and installation of replacement shutters as required.
To help you understand how to handle a shutter emergency, we’ve put together this useful guide to emergency shutter repairs.
What should you do if you discover a problem with a shutter?
Whether the issue is caused by wear and tear over time or accidental or malicious damage, knowing what to do in such a situation can make all the difference between fixing the problem quickly and making it much worse.
The first step you should take after noticing that a shutter is broken or isn’t working properly is to assess the damage. Follow safety guidelines while inspecting the shutters to identify the extent of the problem.
If the shutter is compromised or won’t close, this creates a security risk for the premises, so the next step is to secure the site to prevent unauthorised access to the vulnerable area.
Be sure to record the details in the maintenance logbook and document the damage with photos or videos for your insurance provider.
You mustn’t attempt to repair the shutter yourself unless you are trained and have experience doing so. Attempting DIY repairs with non-standard parts can make the problem worse, so it’s best to contact qualified experts as soon as possible.
When you call the Roller Shutter UK team on 0800 328 9356 and report your findings about your damaged shutter, we can try to diagnose the issue over the phone, so we know which equipment and replacement parts to bring to your site.
This helps to speed up the process, so we can carry out your repairs within a few hours. If we need to diagnose the issue on-site and source other parts, we will do so as fast as we can – aiming to complete the majority of repair jobs within 1 working day.
You can contact us at any time of the day or night, any day of the week, and we will dispatch our engineers across the North West.
How can regular servicing help to avoid emergency repairs?
There are plenty of reasons why shutters might stop working – with common problems including motor failure, corrosion and rust, remote control issues, debris build-up causing jams, or bent slats causing misalignment.
While more severe damage caused by accidental collisions or attempted break-ins can’t be foreseen, the type of damage caused by the failure of shutter components is often avoidable.
That’s why you should never overlook regular maintenance. Getting shutters serviced at least once or twice a year can keep them working at their best, prolonging their lifespan by detecting any concerns early and carrying out repairs while they’re minimal.
If you leave shutters unchecked for long periods of time, especially throughout different seasons of varying harsh weather, this can allow problems to develop and worsen until the shutter no longer works and you have no choice but to call for an emergency repair.
For business properties, owners are legally required to ensure that all mechanical doors are serviced at least once a year – or every six months, in the case of fire shutters – to prevent them from failing in emergencies that could put lives at risk.
Not only does scheduling regular shutter maintenance ensure your legal compliance, but it can also save you money and time in the long term – because fewer breakdowns mean fewer disruptions and less costly repairs.
At Roller Shutter UK, we’re happy to provide emergency shutter repair services when needed urgently, but we’re also glad to offer one-off or ongoing shutter servicing to maintain the functionality of your shutters and avoid the need for emergency repairs altogether.
When should you replace shutters instead of calling for repairs?
If you have neglected your shutter maintenance, you might find yourself paying the price with increasingly frequent emergency repair call-outs. It could be time to stop forking out for repairs and invest in new shutters instead if they:
- Break down regularly
- Use outdated technology
- Require costly older parts
- Do not fulfil security needs
- Are not energy-efficient
The older your shutters are, the less effective they are likely to be – and with older parts more difficult to source, this can lead to more expensive repairs that take much longer to complete.
In some cases, it might be possible to upgrade your shutters – from manual to electric, for example. In others, it may be better to replace them with a totally new shutter system that is more reliable and easier to maintain.
Fortunately, at Roller Shutter UK, we also provide shutter upgrades and can manufacture and fit made-to-order replacement shutters. So, if you want to improve your building’s security, energy efficiency, and aesthetics all at once, you can come to us.
For more information about any of our services, or to book an emergency shutter repair, schedule shutter maintenance, or place an order for new shutters, call us on 0800 328 9356 or email info@rollershutterservices.co.uk today.