Slats, materials and performance · Rolling Shutter Guide
Can I paint my rolling shutters?
You should not. Paint on the slat curtain can glue the slats together so the shutter cannot roll, and the guide rails cannot be stripped and recoated, because their rubber seal is ruined once removed. To change color, replace the curtain in a standard factory color, and cover the shutters when the house is painted.
Key facts
- Paint on the rolled-up slat curtain can glue it shut; Roll-A-Shield's service team names painting the slat roll as a common mistake during house painting. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield guide rails are not repainted: the rubber seal is pinched into a hairline groove and is ruined if it is pulled out and refitted. Roll-A-Shield data
- When a shutter is fully up, its bottom bar still hangs in the guide rails; pushing it up into the box to paint behind it, and then running the shutter, can unroll the curtain inside the box and wreck it. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield shutters come in 7 insulated-slat colors and 5 single-wall colors, all factory finished. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Aluminum rolling shutters with powder-coated or factory-finished slats, guide rails and boxes, including Roll-A-Shield 38 mm and 55 mm insulated and 63 mm single-wall shutters with any operator.
Most owners ask this for one of two reasons: they want a different color, or the house is about to be painted. The answer is different for each. Painting the shutter itself is a bad idea; painting around it is fine if the shutter is protected first.
Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
Before any paint goes near a shutter, check the Roll-A-Shield warranty or call (480) 921-0200; the practical rule is simple: keep paint off the shutter.
Why don't rolling shutters take paint?
Because a rolling shutter is a moving part, not a wall: the slat curtain rolls up into the box every time the shutter opens. Paint on that curtain can glue the slats together so the shutter will not roll; Roll-A-Shield's service team names painting the slat roll as one of two common mistakes it sees after a house is painted. Paint on the hinged joints between the slats is the other reason the service team gives for not painting.
The original finish is applied at the factory before the shutter is built. Extruded parts are powder-coated, which holds up better than wet paint in shipping and handling, and the insulated slats arrive with their finish already on. Other coatings may not bond well to that factory finish, and an image or color painted on the curtain wears as it rolls.
Can the guide rails or box be repainted?
Not the guide rails. The rubber seal in a Roll-A-Shield guide rail is pinched into a hairline groove, and once it is pulled out it cannot be refitted, so a rail cannot be stripped and recoated without ruining it. For that reason Roll-A-Shield wrote off its own rail stock in a discontinued color rather than repaint it. If you want a different color, order new parts in a standard color rather than repainting the old ones.
I want a different color. What are my options?
Replace rather than repaint. Roll-A-Shield builds in 7 insulated-slat colors and 5 single-wall colors, all factory finished; it does not match custom colors.
- New curtain: keep the box, rails and motor and order a replacement slat roll in a new color.
- A few damaged slats: replace them individually in the matching color.
- Two-tone: the curtain can be a different color from the box and rails, so a new curtain alone can change the look. See colors and finish.
Whether a new curtain is enough depends on the condition of the box and rails; a technician can tell you on site.
How do I protect my shutters when the house is painted?
Tape and cover them, and leave the bottom bar alone. This is the advice Roll-A-Shield's service team gives owners and painters on the phone; it is practical field advice, not a factory installation instruction, so if your shutter looks different from what is described, call before you start.
- Raise every shutter fully.
- Tape off both guide rails and any U-channel along their whole length, with a clean tape line on the inside and outside edges.
- Cover the box with plastic and tape it down, so nothing on the shutter is exposed.
- Leave the bottom bar where it hangs in the rails. Do not push it up into the box, and do not paint behind it.
- When the paint is dry, remove the tape and plastic, and check that no tape is left in the rails, where it can be drawn into the box.
- Before you run each shutter, confirm its bottom bar is down in both rails.
Stop: If a bottom bar has been pushed up into the box, pull it back down into the rails before you press the down button. If you run it with the bar inside the box, the curtain can unroll inside the box and tear itself apart. If the curtain will not come down cleanly, stop and follow what to do when a shutter bunches up.
If tape holds the curtain back on the way down, the motor keeps turning and the slack curtain can drop or bunch, and tape can jam inside the box. Only some motors stop or reverse when they meet resistance (Gaposa Sense motors, 10-50 Nm (model codes XQ5E wired and XQ5EZ radio), and the Gaposa Autonomo solar motors); go by the model code on the motor label, and see which motors have obstacle detection.
Should the shutters come down for painting?
Only if the painter needs to paint the wall behind the box or rails. Taking a shutter down leaves the old paint color under the box and rails when it goes back up, unless that wall is painted while the shutter is off. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield's service team removes and refits shutters for painting, stucco and window work; you store the shutters, fully rolled up, in the meantime. See removing and reinstalling shutters, or call (480) 921-0200.
Is damage from a paint job covered?
The warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use; it does not apply to damage from accident, misuse or neglect. If the technician finds the damage came from the paint job rather than a defect, the repair is billed for parts and labor. Whether the painter then pays for it is between the owner and the painter, and it goes both ways, so brief your painter before the job starts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I paint a logo or sign on a closed commercial shutter?
Roll-A-Shield does not recommend it. Paint on the curtain is still paint on the slats, the image wears as the slats roll up and down, and other coatings may not bond well to the factory finish.
When can I run my shutters after the house is painted?
Once the paint around them is dry. Before you press down, check every shutter: the bottom bar must be sitting in both guide rails. If a painter pushed it up into the box, pull it back down into the rails first.
Do you sell touch-up paint for shutters?
Touch-up paint is not a product Roll-A-Shield sells to owners. For scratched or faded slats, the fix is replacement slats or a new curtain in a standard color.
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.