Since 1994, we’ve been in the roller products business and have become leaders in manufacturing aluminium roller shutters, grilles and folding enclosures. With our extensive experience in the industry, we understand that if you have a roller shutter and grille installed, it’s possible to encounter occasional faults. This is something that happens for a variety of reasons. Today, we’re taking a look at what causes roller shutters and grilles to fail and the few at-home fixes you can do before calling us to give you a hand. 

What are roller shutters? 

To first understand what we’re fixing, we have to understand what roller shutters are. Roller shutters are a series of interlocking colour coated, foam-filled, double-sided aluminium stilts that roll up with the flick of a switch. They sit over your windows, providing a wide range of benefits. The first and most obvious of which is the security aspect. Having your home or business fitted with roller shutters helps to keep it safe. It can deter thieves and make break-ins less likely. Another advantage is the temperature control that it gives your home. When you keep your roller shutters closed, you push out all of the heat and only keep the cool temperature inside. Roller shutters are a fantastic eco-friendly choice that help to keep your power bill down through a hot Sydney summer.

What are grilles? 

Similar to roller shutters, grilles are essentially roller shutters but with a grid-like pattern. The open spaces allow for air to flow freely through and, more importantly, for people to be able to see in and ou of the premises. Grilles are more common in the commercial space as a wide range of businesses, including cafes and restaurants, have them to ensure security. 

Reasons for roller shutter and grille faults 

Although grilles and roller shutters are two different products, each has similar reasons for faulting. As much as we invest in high quality Australian-made technology, there are elements that are out of our control that cause roller shutters to get jammed and grilles to stop working.

Loss of Power 

Roller shutters and grilles rely on power to operate, and without it, they cease. Loss of power to your home, especially after power outages, can cause your roller shutters to get jammed or grilles to stop working. If this happens, simply check the power in your fuse box, and they should start functioning again as normal. If you have trouble getting your roller shutters up and running, get in touch with us, and we can organise a site visit. 

A build-up of Dirt and Debris

For properties that are surrounded by trees, you will likely have soil and organic matter building up around your roller door, which, over time, causes it to malfunction. Having dirty roller shutters or grilles is one of the more common problems that we see. Use a stiff brush to gently remove dirt to keep your shutters clean. 

Structural Damage to Shutter Door

The panels of your roller doors or grilles might not function properly if some sort of structural damage has taken place. This may be obvious. For example, after-effects of a storm can cause damage and dents to roller shutters or grilles. Depending on where you are located within Sydney, storm season is something that ruins home exteriors, cars and windows. After the storm or damaging winds have passed, be sure to check in on the state of your roller shutters to avoid them becoming jammed. While some dents can certainly be fixed, those roller shutters and grilles with larger damages may need to be replaced. 

Motor Failure

Although we do what we can to ensure that our technology is working efficiently, there are times when the motor can fail. This is something that only happens on occasion, with the large majority of our clients not experiencing this. When installing your roller shutters, we recommend our clients have them serviced every six months to a year. Throughout this process, we ensure everything is working correctly. For those within the commercial space who use their grilles more often, we recommend servicing them twice to three times per year to counteract the higher usage. 

Should you fix your roller shutter or grille faults yourself? 

Roller shutters getting jammed and grilles not working can be a real frustration whether it’s at your home or your business. While we do all we can to avoid any damages or faults, technical defects do and can happen.

If you’re considering fixing your jammed roller shutters or grilles yourself or calling us to help, there are a few things that you can do. If you can visually see the problem, such as a build-up of dirt or debris, then do what you can to clean the area. A good rule of thumb to maintain your roller shutters’ cleanliness is to clean them at the same time as cleaning your windows. However, for grilles, we recommend giving them a thorough clean every eight to twelve months. 

For those roller shutters and grilles that have faulted or failed, get in touch with us for expert help and advice. 

Final Thoughts 

If you are interested in roller shutters and/or grilles for your home or business, then get in touch with us. Our team is here to provide you with quality service all over the country. Although we manufacture our products in Sydney, we have a nationwide network of installers and service technicians to get our products out to you no matter where you are. We invite you to chat with us about all of our available options and let us help you find a solution for your home or your business. In the meantime, follow us on social media and read through our blogs for all of the latest information.