Applications · Rolling Shutter Guide
Can a rolling shutter be used as a room divider or interior pass-through?
Yes. A rolling shutter can close an opening between two rooms, such as a kitchen and dining room, a serving window or a wide interior arch, and roll out of sight when open. For sound and visual separation, Roll-A-Shield recommends its insulated foam-filled slat, and a spring-loaded shutter that you simply pull down needs no power.
Key facts
- For a noisy kitchen-to-dining opening or an interior serving window, Roll-A-Shield's recommendation is the insulated foam-filled aluminum slat. Roll-A-Shield data
- Non-vented slats stay dark at any height; vented slats let light through while partly lowered; perforated slats can be seen through even when closed. The 55 mm insulated slat is made vented only. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield's tested sound figure for its insulated slats is +10 dB, measured with a 100 mm air gap between the curtain and a window, not for a shutter standing alone in a room.
- Roll-A-Shield builds interior (reverse) and exterior mounts as different shutters, so which room the box and rails face is decided before the shutter is built. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Rolling shutters used inside a building to close openings between rooms, serving windows and interior pass-throughs, any make; Roll-A-Shield shutters with insulated or single-wall slats, manual or motorized.
Rolling shutters are not only for outside walls. Indoors they close the opening between a kitchen and a dining hall, a serving window, a bar, or a wide arch between two rooms, and roll up into a box when the space should be open. Roll-A-Shield installs shutters inside buildings regularly, on the inside of a room or recessed into the opening itself.
Which slat is best for a room divider?
The insulated foam-filled slat, when the goal is to cut noise and block the view. For a kitchen opening onto a noisy dining hall, and for an interior serving window that needs to block sound, that is what Roll-A-Shield recommends. The foam inside each slat is there for sound, heat and cold insulation.
How much light and view gets through depends on the slat's venting:
| Slat | Partly lowered | Fully closed |
|---|---|---|
| Non-vented insulated | Dark | Dark |
| Vented insulated | Light and air through the hinge slots | Dark |
| 63 mm perforated | See-through | See-through |
The 55 mm insulated slat is made vented only, so choose the 38 mm insulated slat when the divider must stay dark at every height. If you want the two rooms to see each other with the shutter down, as at a shop counter, the perforated slat does that. See Vented, non-vented and perforated slats.
How much sound does it block?
Some, not all. The tested figure for Roll-A-Shield's insulated slats is +10 dB with a 100 mm air gap between curtain and glass (DIN EN ISO 140-5). That test puts the shutter in front of a window with an air gap, which is not the same as a shutter standing alone in an open room, so treat it as a guide. See How much do rolling shutters reduce noise?.
Where does the box go?
On one side of the opening, or hidden. The box mounts above the opening, normally to the header; on one recorded call, staff said a box could also go between the side walls, so send photos if there is no header. Many people would rather not see it, so it is often hidden in a soffit, and staff have confirmed a box can be built into a wall and serviced from inside. The Easy Access Panel is a special-order option that gives access to the box for repairs. A reverse mount turns the box to face into the wall or cabinet for a flush look; it is ordered as a reverse mount from the start. See What is a reverse-mount shutter? and Planning a hidden shutter box.
Decide early which room the box and rails face, and tell the rep, because the two mountings are different builds.
How is an indoor shutter operated?
By hand or by motor. For a noisy kitchen opening, staff have suggested a spring-loaded shutter that you pull down; it needs no power. A spring shutter needs at least 31 in of overall width and goes up to 192 in wide and 120 in tall. A strap or crank works for curtains up to about 50 lb. See Spring-loaded shutters.
A motor needs a power source within 3 ft of the shutter. Mains wiring is a job for a licensed electrician. For size limits, see How wide and tall can a rolling shutter be?.
Does it lock?
A manual or spring shutter can lock at the bottom. The options depend on the slat: a slide lock on the 38 mm insulated slat, a key or thumb-turn lock on the 63 mm single-wall slat, or a heavy-duty locking bottom bar on either; slide and thumb-turn locks need no key. Roll-A-Shield's order sheet asks which side of the shutter the lock goes on, so decide which room you will lock from. Motorized shutters have no bottom-bar lock as standard and are held down by the motor. See How do rolling shutters lock?.
What about the floor or the counter?
At floor level the curtain closes onto the floor; a U-channel bottom track cannot be used where people walk, because it is a trip hazard. Where the shutter closes onto a counter, as on a serving window or bar, see Counter, pass-through and concession shutters.
What next
Send the opening's width and height, which side the box should face, and photos of the header and walls. For pricing, see How much do rolling shutters cost?; for a quote, call (480) 921-0200 or request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hide the box in the ceiling or wall?
Often, yes. Boxes are commonly hidden in soffits, and a reverse mount turns the box to face into the wall so the opening reads flush; plan an access panel or service route so the box can still be reached for repairs.
Will it block sound completely?
No. Insulated slats reduce sound; the tested figure is +10 dB with a 100 mm air gap between curtain and glass (DIN EN ISO 140-5), measured against a window, so treat it as a guide rather than a promise for an open room.
Can I lock it without a key?
Yes, on a manual shutter: the 38 mm insulated slat takes a slide lock and the 63 mm single-wall slat a thumb-turn lock, neither of which needs a key. A motorized shutter is held down by its motor instead.
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.