Rolling Shutter Guide
Sizing and engineering
- What is the difference between clear opening, overall size and curtain width on a rolling shutter?The clear opening is the window or door itself. The overall size is the whole shutter: the clear width plus a guide rail on each side, and the clear height plus the box plus about 2 in. The curtain width is the slat length, a little less than the overall width because the slat ends run inside the rails.Read the guide →
- Are rolling shutters custom-made, or do they come in standard sizes?Roll-A-Shield builds each rolling shutter to order for one opening, because the rails, box, curtain, axle and motor are all sized from that opening's width and height. Sizes are carried to the nearest 1/8 in. For a standard 48 x 48 in window there are also six ready-specified units, sold exactly as configured.Read the guide →
- How many slats are in a rolling shutter?It depends on the opening height, slat and box. Roll-A-Shield's formula: clear height + 2 in + the box's actual height, divided by the slat height, rounded up, minus 2. A 48 in tall opening takes 36 slats with the 38 mm slat and a 6.5 in box, or 25 with the 55 mm slat and an 8 in box.Read the guide →
- How big can a manual rolling shutter be before it needs a motor?Strap and crank shutters stop at a curtain weight of about 50 lb, roughly 56 sq ft of 38 mm insulated slat; a pull strap reaches 24 sq ft and 120 in wide. Spring-loaded shutters go further, to 192 in wide, 120 in of curtain height and 144 sq ft. Anything larger, and every 55 mm insulated shutter, is motorized.Read the guide →
- How wide and tall can a rolling shutter be?A single Roll-A-Shield rolling shutter can be up to 224 in (18 ft 8 in) wide or 216 in (18 ft) tall, but not both. Each slat also has an area limit: 112 sq ft for 38 mm insulated, 156.5 sq ft for 55 mm insulated, 200 sq ft for 63 mm single-wall. Wider openings take two or more shutters.Read the guide →
- How much does a rolling shutter weigh?A rolling shutter curtain weighs roughly 0.9 to 1.15 lb per square foot. Roll-A-Shield sizes 38 mm insulated slat at 0.92 lb, 55 mm insulated at 1.11, 63 mm single-wall at 1.14 and 63 mm perforated at 0.98, so a 6 x 7 ft door curtain is about 40-49 lb before the box and rails.Read the guide →
- What size box does a rolling shutter need, how far does it stick out, and how much headroom?Roll-A-Shield boxes run from 6.5 to 12 in and are chosen by slat type and curtain height (the clear opening height plus 2 in). Each box is roughly square, so it sticks out from the wall about as far as it is tall. On a surface mount, allow the box height plus about 2 in of wall above the opening.Read the guide →
- Why do my slat options shrink as the rolling shutter gets bigger?Each slat has its own maximum width, height and area, and the area usually runs out first. On Roll-A-Shield shutters the 38 mm insulated slat stops at 112 sq ft, the 55 mm insulated at 156.5 sq ft and the 63 mm single-wall at 200 sq ft, so a larger opening leaves fewer slats. Manual operators drop out sooner still.Read the guide →
- What is the smallest rolling shutter you can build?It depends on how the shutter is operated. A strap or crank shutter can be as narrow as about 10 in overall. A motorized shutter needs at least 22 in of clear opening, and below 24 in only the smallest 10 Nm motor fits. A spring-loaded shutter needs at least 31 in overall.Read the guide →
- How do spring-loaded (push-up) rolling shutters work, and how big can they be?A spring-loaded shutter has no motor or strap: a spring in the axle balances the curtain so you lift it open and pull it closed by hand, and a correctly set spring holds it at any height. Roll-A-Shield builds them up to 192 in wide, 120 in tall and 144 sq ft, locked at the bottom bar.Read the guide →
- Why do taller rolling shutters need bigger boxes?The curtain rolls onto the axle in layers, and every extra wrap makes the roll fatter. A 38 mm insulated curtain 48 in tall rolls to about 5.45 in across; at 144 in it is about 8.67 in. The box has to hold the full roll, so a taller curtain steps up through the 6.5 to 12 in box sizes.Read the guide →
- Can one rolling shutter span a very wide opening, or do I split it with a post?One motorized shutter can span up to 224 in (18 ft 8 in) of clear opening on the 55 mm insulated slat, or 222 in on 63 mm single-wall, if the height stays inside the slat's area limit. Beyond that, two shutters, each with its own rails, box and motor, meet on a solid post or mullion.Read the guide →
- Why do wide rolling shutters sag, and does a steel or aluminum axle help?The curtain hangs from an axle held only at its two ends, so the axle bends under the curtain's weight. A wider curtain is both heavier and a longer span, so sag grows with roughly the fourth power of the width. Roll-A-Shield estimates the sag on every shutter and moves up one box size when it reaches 1/2 in.Read the guide →
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Replacement motors, remotes, straps, slats and hardware ship from our Tempe, Arizona factory. Phoenix-area owners can book a service visit; everywhere else, our technicians help by phone. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.