Rolling Shutter Guide
Measuring, ordering and installing
- How do I buy a rolling shutter if I live outside Phoenix?Roll-A-Shield sells nationwide from its Tempe factory. Outside metro Phoenix you choose a route: self-install, with the shutter shipped to you with a guide; a local dealer, where one covers your area; or the Install Support Program, where Roll-A-Shield manages a local installer. Shutters take about 10 business days to build, and freight is quoted separately.Read the guide →
- Can I buy a rolling shutter without a motor?Yes, as a manual shutter: pull strap, crank or spring, within their size and weight limits. What Roll-A-Shield does not sell is a motorized shutter without its motor, for fitting your own, or a manual shutter built ready to take a motor later. Converting a manual shutter afterwards is a service job, so choose the operation when you order.Read the guide →
- Can I install a rolling shutter myself?Usually yes. You fasten two guide rails, lower the assembled box into them and screw it to the wall, which a handy owner with a helper can do. Strap, crank, spring, battery and solar shutters need no electrician. Wired and remote motors need a licensed electrician for the mains connection, and large or high shutters need more hands.Read the guide →
- How do I find a rolling shutter installer, or can my own contractor install it?In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield's own crews install. Elsewhere there are three routes: a Roll-A-Shield dealer near you, the Install Support Program, where Roll-A-Shield manages a local third-party installer, or your own contractor working from the printed install guide. Any of them works, but a wired motor's mains connection still needs a licensed electrician.Read the guide →
- How do I install a battery-powered (OZRoll) rolling shutter?Mount the rails and box as for any shutter, running the motor's red and black lead through a 3/8 in hole into the house. Connect it to the M1 and M2 terminals on the E-Port wall plate, plug the charger into a normal outlet and dock the controller. No house wiring is involved; check the factory limits with two people.Read the guide →
- How do I install a remote-controlled rolling shutter?Mount the rails and box, let the curtain down and screw the box to the wall, exactly as for a manual shutter. The remote motor's 3-wire cable is then connected to power by a licensed electrician in a listed junction box. The remote comes pre-programmed and the limits factory-set, so test it with Down, then Up.Read the guide →
- How do I install a solar-powered rolling shutter?Screw both guide rails on, drill a 1/2 in hole in the top or side of the box for the motor lead, seat the box and let the curtain down. Mount the solar panel where it gets the most sun and plug the motor lead into it. There is no house wiring, and the limits are set at the factory.Read the guide →
- How do I install a spring-loaded (push-pull) rolling shutter?Screw both guide rails on snug, lower the box ears into the rails, let the curtain down and screw the box to the wall; nothing goes through the wall. The spring then has to be set so the shutter balances. Call a Roll-A-Shield technician on (480) 921-0200 for that step.Read the guide →
- How do I install a strap or crank rolling shutter?Fit the first guide rail, drill a 3/4 in hole through the wall on the strap side, fit the second rail, thread the strap through and drop the box into the rails. Unroll the curtain, fit the anti-lift brackets and screw the box down. Inside, mount the diamond roller over the hole and the strap or crank box beneath.Read the guide →
- How do I install a switch-operated rolling shutter?Mount it like any rolling shutter: rails on snug, box ears lowered into the rails, curtain unrolled, box screwed to the wall. The difference is the motor cable: a licensed electrician terminates it in a listed junction box and wires the wall switch. Then check the factory-set limits, one person at the switch and one watching the shutter.Read the guide →
- How do I measure for a rolling shutter?Measure the opening's width and height at several points and record the smallest and largest readings. For a surface mount, give the inside (clear-opening) size and Roll-A-Shield adds the rails and box; for a recessed mount, give the overall space the whole shutter must fit. Also note obstructions, sill support, control side and power location.Read the guide →
- How do I measure a storefront for a rolling security shutter?Pick a flat mounting surface, usually the storefront mullions, and plan where wide runs split. Take several widths and heights, use the tightest reading and deduct 1/8 to 1/4 in at tight spots. Note furring for door hardware, sill support for long spans, a reveal beside the frame, the control side and power, and a manual override on entry doors.Read the guide →
- What mistakes should I avoid when ordering a custom rolling shutter?Most ordering problems are details left unsaid, not bad tape readings. Say whether each size is the clear opening or the overall size, check there is room for the box, list every remote and switch, mark the mount type and control side, label every opening, settle colors once, and specify furring, U-channel, locks and delivery before the shutter is built.Read the guide →
- How do I order a replacement slat roll for my rolling shutter?Identify the shutter first: for a Roll-A-Shield shutter, give the original order name or address so the factory can pull its record; otherwise send the slat type, color, photos and one slat's measurements. The new roll is cut to that shutter's slat length, which is neither the clear opening nor the overall width, so never order by opening size.Read the guide →
- What comes with a rolling shutter, and what should I check when it arrives?A shipped rolling shutter arrives as an assembled box with the curtain already rolled on the axle, two guide rails, a U-channel if ordered, the operator parts and a parts kit. Count the boxes against the packing list with the driver present, note any damage on the delivery receipt, and report problems within 2 business days.Read the guide →
- Which side should the motor, strap or crank be on?Pick the control side, left or right as you look at the front of the shutter box, by what happens on that side. For a motor, choose the side nearest the power, where the electrical connection will be made. For a strap or crank, choose the side with clear inside wall for the strap box. Specify every opening.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.