Measuring, ordering and installing · Rolling Shutter 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.
Key facts
- Roll-A-Shield's order sheet defines the control side as left or right as it appears when looking at the front of the shutter box. Roll-A-Shield data
- On a strap or crank shutter, the control side is where the strap exits the back of the box, and a 3/4 in hole is drilled through the wall on that side for the strap. Roll-A-Shield data
- On a motorized shutter the motor sits on the control side, and its cable leaves the box on that side. Roll-A-Shield data
- Wired and remote motors need a power source within 3 ft of the shutter. Roll-A-Shield data
- The control side is set per shutter at the factory, so one order can mix sides, and two neighboring shutters can be built with opposite sides so both feed to one spot. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Rolling shutters with a pull strap, crank box, crank wand, spring, wired or remote motor, OZRoll battery or Gaposa solar motor, surface or recessed mount; Roll-A-Shield order sheets and install guides.
Every rolling shutter has a control side: the end of the box where the strap, crank or motor is. It is the one choice on the order that decides where holes go through your wall, so it is worth a minute's thought for each opening. The order sheet asks for it as left or right.
What does "control side" mean?
It is the end of the shutter that holds the operator, named left or right as it appears when you look at the front of the shutter box.
- Strap or crank shutter: the side where the strap exits the back of the box.
- Motorized shutter: the side with the motor, which is also the side where the motor cable leaves the box.
On an outside-mounted shutter, "looking at the front of the box" means standing outside facing it. Indoors the sides reverse: a shutter with right-hand control, seen from outside, has its strap or motor on your left as you face the window from inside. Roll-A-Shield's battery-motor guide labels its wiring chart "when viewed from inside the building", which shows why it pays to say which view you mean.
How do I choose the side for a motor?
Put the motor on the side where its cable can most easily reach power.
- Wired switch and remote motors need a power source within 3 ft of the shutter. Note where your outlet or switch will be. The motor cable leaves the box on the control side, so that is where the connection is made. Follow the motor maker's rule: the cable ends in a listed junction box and is not run through the wall, and the mains connection is made by a licensed electrician.
- Battery (OZRoll) motors connect to a wall plate mounted on the motor side, within reach of an outlet for the charger.
- Solar (Gaposa) motors run their lead out of the top or side of the box to the panel, so think about where the panel will get the most sun.
A wired motor's up and down connections are different for a left-hand and a right-hand motor, and differ again between Somfy and Gaposa, so tell your electrician which side the motor is on. On a motor with mechanical limit keys, the direction you turn the keys also depends on the hand of control.
How do I choose the side for a strap or crank?
Choose the side where the inside wall has room for the strap box or crank box.
The strap leaves the back of the shutter box on the control side and passes through a 3/4 in hole drilled through the wall on that side. Inside, a diamond roller sits over the hole and the pull-strap box or crank box mounts directly below it at about waist height, so the strap hangs straight. A strap that runs at an angle wears out early, so the box cannot be moved sideways to dodge a door, a cabinet or a corner. Check that side of the room before you choose.
A crank-wand operator can be set up at the front or the back of the box: a front operator takes a 2-hole universal wand or a Gosnell-style wand, a back operator takes a 4-hole wand. On the small 6.5 in and 7 in boxes a universal wand only fits at the bottom, the one place on the end cap with enough material.
What about two or more shutters side by side?
Give neighboring shutters opposite control sides when that brings both operators to the same spot.
Roll-A-Shield's commercial measuring guide gives the example of a door and a window either side of one wall: right-hand control on the door and left-hand on the window, so both motors feed to the same place. The side is set per shutter, so an order can mix them freely. Running several motors from one switch or remote is covered on running two or more shutters from one switch or remote.
On a shop door that must open during a power cut, ask for a manual override that exits at the front, so the business can still get in and out. See manual override.
Can the control side be changed later?
Before production starts, yes, with a revised order. The side is set per shutter when it is built, so a change once production has started is handled case by case, with its cost and timing agreed first. When you order a replacement box, crank box or motor for an existing shutter, give its side too, because a replacement built for the wrong hand will not hang the curtain or strap correctly. See replacing a crank box, left or right.
What next
Mark L or R for every opening on the measure sheet, note your power points, and add a photo of each opening and of the inside wall on the side you chose. The rest of the measuring method is on how to measure for a rolling shutter, and the other details to settle before ordering are on mistakes to avoid when ordering a custom shutter.
Watch it done
Roll-A-Shield Measure Guide
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
Is left and right measured from inside or outside?
On the Roll-A-Shield order sheet, left or right is as you look at the front of the shutter box, which on an outside-mounted shutter means standing outside. Inside the room the sides are reversed, and one of Roll-A-Shield's wiring charts is drawn as viewed from inside, so always say which view you mean.
What happens if I leave the control side blank?
Roll-A-Shield's rule is to confirm the control side of every opening before production, so expect to be asked. Do not leave it blank or assume a default: a side nobody set can end up built as left-hand control.
Can the side be changed after the shutter is built?
Not simply. The motor or strap side is set when the shutter is built, so a change once production has started is handled case by case, with its cost and timing agreed first. Before production starts, a change only needs a revised order.
Does the side matter for a solar or battery shutter?
Yes. A battery motor's wall plate mounts on the motor side, within reach of an outlet for its charger. On a solar shutter the motor's lead leaves the top or side of the box toward wherever the panel will go.
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Mark the control side for every opening on the measure sheet, note where your power is, and send a photo of each opening. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.