Measuring, ordering and installing · Rolling Shutter 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.
Key facts
- Roll-A-Shield's switch-operated shutters use a 120 V AC Somfy or Gaposa tubular motor drawing 0.7-5.5 A. Roll-A-Shield data
- The kit includes the switch and wall plate; you or your electrician supply the junction box and the cable from the switch to power. Roll-A-Shield data
- The motor cable ends in a listed junction box, as the motor maker requires, and is not run through the wall itself; the mains connection is made by a licensed electrician. Roll-A-Shield data
- The cable leaves the shutter either through a 3/8 in hole drilled in the back of the box or down the screw track of the control-side rail. Roll-A-Shield data
- Limits are set at the factory but can occasionally drift in shipping, so the first full run is watched with the box cover off by one person while another stands at the switch. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Surface-mounted rolling shutters with a wired (switch-operated) Somfy or Gaposa motor, including manual-override (CMO) motors, as shipped by Roll-A-Shield for self-installation.
A switch-operated shutter goes on the wall like a strap shutter; what changes is the motor cable, which has to reach a wall switch and house power. These steps follow Roll-A-Shield's 2024 install guide for switch-operated shutters, with one correction: the guide shows the motor cable run through the wall into the switch box, and Roll-A-Shield now follows the motor maker's rule instead.
Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician. For the wiring itself, see how to wire a shutter motor to a wall switch.
Stop: The motor runs on 120 V AC. Have a licensed electrician make the connection to house power. The motor cable must end in a listed junction box and must not be used to pass through the wall.
What is in the kit, and what do I supply?
The kit has the assembled box with the curtain on the axle, two guide rails, a U-channel if you ordered one, the switch with its wall plate, a bag of standard fasteners and a bag of plastic rail plugs. Exactly how the small parts are bagged can vary; check against the packing list. You supply the self-tapping screws for the rails and U-channel, and you or your electrician supply the junction box and electrical cable. Rail screws for each wall type are listed on what screws to use.
The tools are the same as a manual install, with a 3/8 in bit for the cable hole and a long thin screwdriver for the limit buttons on a Somfy override motor; the wiring tools are the electrician's.
What should I decide before mounting the box?
Decide with your electrician where the motor cable leaves the shutter and where the junction box goes, before the box is on the wall.
The motor in a Roll-A-Shield switch shutter is a tubular, two-direction motor with a built-in brake and built-in limit switches; it runs on 120 V AC and draws 0.7-5.5 A. The cord is 18 ft as standard and can be ordered up to 25 ft, so make sure it reaches the junction box location. Somfy's own instructions also call for a drip loop in the motor cable to prevent water intrusion.
How do I mount the rails and the box?
- With the box on the ground, remove the four square-drive screws holding the cover, set the cover aside and peel the protective film off the front and back.
- If a doorknob, hinge or trim sticks out past the wall, fit furring strips first; if you ordered a U-channel, center it under the opening and fix it perfectly level.
- Find the motor inside the box. The motor side is the control side.
- Set the non-control rail plumb, level and flush with the end of the U-channel, flared edge up, smaller holes to the wall. Without a U-channel, stand it on the sill and use the outside width of the box ears to set the rail spacing.
- Mark, pre-drill and screw the rail on snug, not tight.
Then choose one of the two cable exits the guide shows.
Out of the back of the box. Drill a 3/8 in hole in the back of the box where the cable will exit. Measure from the bottom edge of the box (y) and from its outside edge (x) to the center of that hole so you and your electrician know where the cable will reach the wall behind the box. Set the control rail plumb, check the rails are the same distance apart at the top and bottom, mark, pre-drill and screw it on snug.
Down the control-side rail. The cable runs down the side track on the outer edge of the rail, where the screws are, and leaves through a 3/8 in hole drilled through the back of the rail. Mark the exit point on the rail and the rail's screw holes on the wall, pre-drill, and drill the hole in the back of the rail. Tuck the cable into the slot on the inside of the box ear, feed it into the side track at the top of the rail, pull it out through the hole, and slide the top of the rail onto the ear. Lift the box and rail together.
Either way, finish the same:
- Lower the box ears into the rails slowly, keeping the box level. If the ears stick, slide the 1/4 in lip at the bottom of the box behind the rail with a flathead screwdriver, or rock the box gently and tap the ears with a hammer.
- If the cable runs down the rail, screw that rail on snug now. Untie the strap round the curtain, feed the bottom slat into the rails, and let the roll unwind until the shutter is closed. With end-retention rails, the ball on each slat end goes into the slot in the rail.
- Check that the shutter is level, properly positioned and free of pinch points.
The guide then drills the wall and pulls the motor cable inside; under the motor maker's rule the cable ends at a listed junction box instead, and your electrician runs the building wiring from there.
How are the motor and switch wired?
By your electrician, with the power off, following the motor maker's diagram. The full color map is on how to wire a shutter motor to a wall switch. The guide suggests putting the switch near the shutter at about waist height.
Do not put two or more Somfy wired motors on one single-pole switch; Somfy warns they will malfunction. Ask Roll-A-Shield before running more than one wired shutter from a single switch.
How do I check the limits on the first run?
With two people: one inside at the switch, one outside watching the shutter with the box cover off. If the shutter does not stop on its own, stop it at the switch.
- Raise the shutter. It should stop with the bottom slat still in the rails. If it looks like it will go too far, stop it and reset the upper limit.
- Lower the shutter. It should stop when the whole curtain is off the axle and the hanging straps have pushed the top slat toward the box. If the curtain starts to roll back up the wrong way round the axle, stop it and reset the lower limit.
The limits are set at the factory, but they can drift or reset themselves in shipping; usually nothing needs changing.
How do I reset the limits on a Somfy override motor?
A Somfy Altus CMO (override) motor has two spring-loaded limit buttons, one white and one yellow, on the motor head at one end of the box. If you see two short metal prongs marked Y and W instead, the buttons face the back wall and you pull the prongs toward you to work them.
- Push both buttons in with a long thin screwdriver (or pull both prongs). There are now no limits.
- Run the shutter to where you want it to stop at the top, and release one button.
- Try to lower the shutter. If it moves, you released the upper limit button: run it off the limit and back to check it holds. If it will not move down, that was the lower button; repeat with the other one.
- For the lower limit, push the lower button in, lower the shutter to where you want it to stop, and release the button. It pops out and sets the limit there.
- Run the shutter off and back onto each limit, then run it fully up and down to check it does not catch anywhere.
The guide covers Gaposa override motors only by video; the written steps are on Gaposa override motor: adjust limits at the motor head, and non-override switch motors on adjust the mechanical limit screws.
How do I finish the installation?
Screw the box to the wall with one screw in each corner near the metal safety plates, plus a third in the middle if the shutter is over 8 ft wide. Tighten the rail and U-channel screws without overtightening; most walls are not flat, and tight screws warp the rails. Run the shutter several times, refit the cover, pin a U-channel to the rails through a 9/64 in hole about 1/4 in from each outer edge, fit the rail plugs and caulk the perimeter.
What if something is wrong on the first run?
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| UP lowers the shutter | Red and black swapped at the switch | Power off; electrician swaps them |
| Runs too high, or starts rolling the wrong way at the bottom | Limit drifted in shipping | Stop at the switch and reset that limit |
| Stops after several runs while you test | Thermal cut-out | Wait about 15 minutes |
| Shutter binds partway | Rail screws too tight | Ease them until it runs freely |
What next
If you are still choosing, compare this with installing a remote-controlled shutter, which has no wall switch to wire. Self-installers can call a Roll-A-Shield technician during the job on (480) 921-0200.
Frequently asked questions
Can I install a switch-operated shutter myself?
You can mount it yourself: the rails, box and curtain go on exactly like a manual shutter. The connection to house power is for a licensed electrician, with the motor cable ending in a listed junction box. Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
Do I need a new circuit for the motor?
Usually not. Roll-A-Shield's guide says the motors draw 0.7-5.5 A and can be wired into existing circuits; your electrician confirms the circuit can carry it.
Why did my new shutter run past the top?
The limits are set at the factory but can drift or reset in shipping. Stop it at the switch straight away and reset the upper limit at the motor head.
Is a remote-controlled shutter installed differently?
The mounting is identical. A remote motor has a 3-wire cable that is powered all the time and is controlled by the remote, so there is no wall switch to wire; see the remote-controlled install 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.