From shops, restaurants, and showrooms to houses and residential blocks, any business owner or property owner with a garage should know the value of roller shutters in keeping their property secure yet accessible for everyday routines.
When you leave the shutters closed, you expect them to provide a strong barrier to protect your property against the elements, vandalism, and potential trespassing and theft. However, this peace of mind is only guaranteed if you take good care of them.
It’s easy to overlook roller shutter maintenance because they’re so reliable day in and day out – but you shouldn’t take this essential piece of equipment for granted. If you forget to maintain them, or ignore minor issues, things could quickly go wrong.
To help you understand how vital it is to look after them properly, here we explain what could happen if you don’t maintain your roller shutters – and what you should be doing to make sure they stay in good condition.
Cosmetic and physical damage
Appearance is key in making a positive first impression, so nobody wants a roller shutter door that’s covered in marks, scratches, or dents from accidental impacts or weather exposure.
However, it’s when the damage affects the structure and functionality of the door that things get more serious. A shutter that has fallen into disrepair won’t just look unappealing – it will no longer operate efficiently, either.
Whether constant minor damage adds up, like letting the bottom of the door slam against the ground or accidentally knocking into it, or there’s a significant impact such as a vehicle, this kind of carelessness can weaken your shutters and render them ineffective.
Reduced performance
Operating a shutter door carefully according to the manual instructions and keeping it clean and well-lubricated are important parts of maintenance. Without these steps, shutters can soon become dirty and corroded and struggle to function.
From debris building up in the tracks to rust developing from moisture, neglecting your shutter can lead to misalignment or jams, preventing the door from rolling up or down smoothly. It may become slow, bumpy, noisy, or overheated.
If your roller shutter is no longer performing optimally, you’ll see an increase in downtime, and trying to force it open or closed could result in damaging the equipment further.
Loss of energy efficiency
Depending on the type of roller shutters you install, they can help with temperature regulation inside and keeping outdoor pollution on the other side – that is, as long as they’re fully functional and able to open and close quickly.
If elements become damaged through misuse or neglect, this can lead to air leakages, racking up bills for air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. Not to mention increasing your carbon footprint due to energy wastage, and potentially damaging your reputation in the process if it seems like you don’t care about the environment.
From draughts to dust getting inside what should be a clean and controlled area, shutters that aren’t energy efficient are inadequate.
Decreased lifespan
While roller shutters are made using robust materials and designed to last for decades when maintained, failing to stay on top of their upkeep will lead to parts deteriorating faster and possibly result in premature breakdowns.
Increased wear and tear that isn’t addressed will reduce the lifespan of the shutter system – the sooner it wears out, the sooner you’ll be paying for repairs and new parts that shouldn’t have been necessary for several more years.
In the worst cases, neglected wear and damage will progressively weaken the shutter until it completely fails, making repairs an uneconomical choice and giving you no other option than to pay for a brand new roller shutter system.
Safety and security risks
A roller shutter door that has stopped working properly, become weak enough to break through, or gotten stuck in an open or closed position can pose safety and security risks – not just for the people using it, but for everyone around.
Firstly, a faulty shutter leaves your property vulnerable to vandalism and theft by opportunistic criminals, with the prospect of significant financial loss. Secondly, and more importantly, faults can injure people if parts fall off, the shutter itself falls on them, or they get caught on it – or an exit could be blocked in an emergency if it won’t open.
Nobody wants a shutter to fail mid-use and hurt somebody or damage property in the vicinity, be it a vehicle or stock. However, if you don’t maintain the moving parts of the shutter with maintenance checks and annual servicing, this could end up happening.
Legal penalties for non-compliance
Appropriate maintenance of a shutter door isn’t optional – meaning that failing to maintain your shutter door is actually a violation of health and safety laws. Putting people at risk of serious injury due to maintenance failures could therefore result in financial penalties for the responsible party – or even a prison sentence or closure of a business.
The building owner is legally obligated to keep their roller shutters in good working condition and have them inspected by a professional at least once a year (or once every six months if they’re fire shutters), with a record of testing and servicing to prove this.
Additionally, not looking after your shutters properly can also invalidate the manufacturer’s warranty and various related insurance policies, as you’ll be leaving your building vulnerable to damage and theft of contents.
Roller shutter breakdown
Whether your roller shutter is misaligned and becomes completely jammed or it suddenly ceases to function at all one day, a shutter that won’t open or close – or is stuck half-open – is bad news for everyday business.
Not only is this type of breakdown frustrating, but if staff, customers, deliveries, or visitors cannot gain access, then this will significantly disrupt your operations. Until you get the door working again, this downtime will result in lost productivity and money.
Failing to maintain your shutters and catch problems before they worsen to the point of a complete breakdown is not a cost-effective strategy, as you are shortening the shutter’s lifespan and risking costly repairs or replacements.
Emergency roller shutter repairs
If your roller shutters suddenly break down and you need them fixed ASAP, you’ll have to find an engineer to come out and look at them. Don’t be tempted to try DIY repairs, as this could cause further damage and invalidate the product warranty.
You’ll need to either contact the installer or another qualified engineer who can visit your premises with the necessary knowledge, tools, and parts. Of course, there’s never a convenient time for it to happen, but it can be even more difficult if it happens out of hours.
Fortunately, it’s possible to call for emergency roller shutter repairs – at Roller Shutter UK, our team offers 24/7 repairs to provide a rapid response and minimise downtime. Our high-quality repairs are often completed within 1 working day.
However, if you want real peace of mind that your shutters are working as they should – in addition to ensuring legal compliance – then you should invest in roller shutter maintenance and annual servicing to avoid the need for emergency repairs.
We also offer maintenance services at Roller Shutter UK, so if you would benefit from them, too, please call or email our team today!