Winter’s coming, and if you run a business with roller shutters, now’s the time to make sure they’re up to the job. We’ve been installing and maintaining shutters for years, and trust me, the number of emergency callouts we get in January could be cut in half if people just did a bit of prep work in November.
Cold weather is brutal on roller shutters. Frost gets into places you wouldn’t believe, things seize up, and before you know it you’re stood outside your shop at 7am with a shutter that won’t budge. Not fun.
Give Everything a Good Clean
First things first, get all the muck out. Seriously, you’d be amazed what accumulates in those tracks over the Summer. Leaves, dirt, all sorts. When that lot gets wet and then freezes, you’ve got problems.
Grab a stiff brush and clear out the guides properly, get right into the corners. Then wipe down the slats with soapy water, nothing fancy needed, just normal washing up liquid and a cloth. The bottom rail especially needs attention because that’s where most of the grot builds up.
While you’re at it, have a good look at everything. Any dents? Bent bits? Loose bolts? Winter will make any existing problems ten times worse, so sort them now. Check the rubber seals too. If they’re perished or cracked, they’re letting water in, and water plus freezing temperatures equals trouble.
Lubrication Saves You Grief
This is probably the most important bit. When it gets cold, everything stiffens up. If your shutters aren’t properly lubricated they’ll struggle to move and you’ll end up forcing them. That’s how you break things.
Use a decent silicone spray on all the moving parts – the tracks, the guides, anywhere metal moves against metal. Don’t use oil because it just attracts dirt and goes thick in the cold. Silicone spray stays slippery whatever the weather.
Got electric shutters? Make sure the motor housing hasn’t got any gaps where water can get in. Most motors are weatherproof, but it’s worth checking. And if your shutter feels stiff when you test it, don’t just keep hitting the button hoping it’ll sort itself out, you’ll burn the motor out. Call someone who knows what they’re doing.
When It Freezes Solid
You’ll probably get at least one morning this Winter where your shutter is completely frozen. Ice on the slats, ice in the guides, the lot. Whatever you do, don’t force it. We’ve seen shutters that look like they’ve been attacked with a crowbar because someone tried to force them open when they were frozen solid.
If it’s frozen, pour some warm water over it. Not boiling, just warm from the tap. That’ll usually shift it. Or just wait half an hour for the sun to do its job if you’re not in a rush. Patience saves you hundreds in repair bills.
If you get a lot of frost where you are, you can get heating elements fitted in the bottom rail. It costs a bit upfront, but they stop ice forming in the first place. It’s worth thinking about if you’re in a cold spot or you need to open early every morning.
Know When to Get Help
There’s things you can do yourself and things you can’t. Cleaning and spraying some lubricant around? Anyone can do that. But if something’s making a weird noise, or it’s harder to operate than it used to be (or you can see actual damage), call us.
Our lads see shutters every day. They can spot a problem before it becomes a breakdown. A service costs less than an emergency repair, especially when you factor in lost trading time because you can’t open your shop.
We usually get slammed with callouts in December and January from people whose shutters have packed in. Half of them could have been avoided with an hour’s maintenance in Autumn. The other half needed a service anyway but people put it off until something actually breaks.
Don’t Leave It Too Late
Your shutters work hard. They’re outside in all weathers, going up and down day after day. They need a bit of TLC, especially before Winter hits fully. Spend an hour on them now and they’ll see you right through to Spring.
And if you’re not sure about anything, or you think something might not be right, give us a shout. We’d rather come out and tell you everything’s fine than get a call at midnight because your shutter’s stuck and you’ve got thousands of pounds worth of stock sitting there unprotected.
Winter’s tough enough without your security shutters letting you down.
