Measuring, ordering and installing · Rolling Shutter 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.
Key facts
- Roll-A-Shield does not offer motor-less shutters or a buy-manual-now, motorize-later version; converting a shutter later is a service job. Roll-A-Shield data
- Strap, crank-strap and crank-wand shutters are limited to a curtain of about 50 lb; a heavier curtain needs a spring or a motor. Roll-A-Shield data
- The 55 mm insulated slat is built motorized only, and the 63 mm single-wall slat as spring or motorized only; the 38 mm insulated slat can be strap, crank, spring or motor. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield builds manual shutters on a 40 mm axle (60 mm for spring and single-wall shutters) and motorized shutters on a 60 mm or 70 mm axle. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield's 15 mm strap manual shutters carry a 1-year warranty; motors carry 5 years. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Rolling shutters with pull-strap, crank-strap, crank-wand or spring operation, and the choice between manual and motorized; Roll-A-Shield 38 mm and 55 mm insulated and 63 mm single-wall shutters.
Plenty of rolling shutters have no motor: they are raised with a pull strap, a crank or a spring. The question behind this page is usually one of two others, though: "can I buy the shutter and supply my own motor?" or "can I buy manual now and add a motor later?" At Roll-A-Shield the answer to both is no, and the reasons decide what you should order.
Which shutters can be manual?
It depends on the slat, then on the size.
| Slat | Operations available |
|---|---|
| 38 mm insulated | Pull strap, crank, spring or motor |
| 55 mm insulated | Motor only, including OZRoll battery |
| 63 mm single-wall | Spring or motor; never strap or crank |
Within those, each manual operator has limits. The real limit on strap and crank shutters is the weight of the curtain, about 50 lb; above that the parts are not built for the load.
| Operator | Smallest | Largest |
|---|---|---|
| Pull strap | about 10 in wide overall | 120 in wide and 24 sq ft |
| Crank strap | about 10 in wide overall | 64 sq ft |
| Spring (push-pull) | 31 in wide overall | 192 in wide, 120 in tall, 144 sq ft |
Very tall shutters trend motorized even inside these limits, because cranking one up takes a long time. Near the coast, spring units are not recommended. For where the line falls on your opening, see how big a manual shutter can be before it needs a motor.
Can I buy a motorized shutter and fit my own motor?
No. Roll-A-Shield does not sell motorized shutters without their motor.
The motor is part of the engineering, not an accessory. Each one is chosen as the smallest motor that can lift that curtain's weight on that shutter's axle, so it is sized to the shutter, not to the opening's square footage. Overhead-door motors and other third-party drives are not a drop-in fit for a rolling shutter. If you are replacing a failed motor in an existing shutter, that is a different job: see replacing a rolling shutter motor.
Can I buy manual now and add a motor later?
Not as a product. Roll-A-Shield does not build a manual shutter ready to take a motor; converting one later is a service job.
One difference is the axle: Roll-A-Shield builds manual shutters on a 40 mm axle (60 mm for spring and single-wall shutters), while motorized shutters run on a 60 mm or 70 mm axle, chosen with the motor. What a conversion involves is covered on converting a manual shutter to motorized.
So if you think you will want a motor, order it now. If the reason for holding back is something else, there is usually a motorized answer:
- No power at the opening. Solar and battery motors need no house wiring.
- Worried about power cuts. A wired or remote motor can have a manual override, opened with a wand; solar and battery motors cannot.
The motor types are compared on wired, radio, override, solar or battery.
What does going manual mean for the warranty?
Roll-A-Shield's 15 mm strap manual shutters carry a 1-year warranty, while motors carry 5 years and shutter parts 5 years. A broken strap can be replaced without replacing the shutter; see replacing a broken strap.
What next
Tell Roll-A-Shield the size of each opening and how you want to operate it; if a manual operator will not suit the size or slat, the quote will say so. Typical prices for manual and motorized shutters are on how much rolling shutters cost, and the motors themselves on rolling shutter motors.
Watch it done
Manual ways to operate a rolling shutter: pull strap and crank box
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy the shutter from you and a motor somewhere else?
No. Roll-A-Shield does not sell a motorized shutter without its motor. The motor is chosen to lift that curtain's weight on that axle, and an overhead-door or other third-party motor is not a drop-in fit.
My opening has no power nearby. Do I have to go manual?
No. Solar and battery motors are motorized but need no house wiring, so they suit openings far from an outlet.
Can a motorized shutter still be opened by hand?
Yes, if you order a manual override. It lets you open the shutter with a wand in a power cut and is available on wired and remote motors, not on solar or battery motors.
How much more does a motor cost?
It depends on the size and the motor type; typical prices for manual and motorized shutters are on the Roll-A-Shield cost page, and a quote gives the exact difference for your opening.
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Not sure whether your opening can be manual? Send the size and a photo and we will tell you which operations it allows. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.