Applications · Rolling Shutter Guide
Rolling shutter, roll-up door or security grille: what’s the difference?
All three roll up into a coil above the opening. A rolling shutter is a curtain of interlocking aluminum slats sized for windows, doors and storefronts, solid or perforated. A roll-up door is a heavy-gauge industrial door for warehouse and service-bay openings. A security grille is an open curtain you can see through, chosen when a display must stay visible.
Key facts
- Roll-A-Shield makes aluminum rolling shutters only: 38 mm and 55 mm insulated slats, a 63 mm single-wall slat and a 63 mm perforated slat you can see through even when it is closed. Roll-A-Shield data
- The largest single Roll-A-Shield shutter is 224 in wide on the 55 mm insulated slat and 216 in tall, with an area limit of up to 200 sq ft on the 63 mm slats. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield does not make gates that fold or slide sideways, see-through mesh curtains, or fire doors with fusible links. Roll-A-Shield data
- A rolling shutter is not a fire-rated assembly, and Roll-A-Shield holds no security certification; security comes from the construction and the locks. Roll-A-Shield data
- For the highest security, the 63 mm single-wall slat with end retention is recommended; each slat runs in its own track in the guide rail to resist being pushed out. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Roll-down closures for windows, doors, storefronts and service openings: rolling shutters, roll-up (coiling) doors and rolling security grilles, any make; Roll-A-Shield aluminum rolling shutters.
Rolling shutters, roll-up doors and security grilles look alike from across the street: each coils into a housing above the opening and comes down in guides on either side. The names get used loosely too; Roll-A-Shield calls its product a rolling shutter, and many people ask for the same thing as a roll-up gate or roll-up door. What separates them is what the curtain is made of, what it is sized for, and whether you can see through it.
How do the three compare?
| Rolling shutter | Roll-up door | Security grille | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtain | Interlocking aluminum slats: solid (no view when closed) or perforated (see-through) | Heavy-gauge industrial curtain | Open curtain you can see through |
| Built for | Windows, doors, patios, counters and storefronts, sized to the opening | Warehouse, loading-dock and service-bay openings | Shop fronts where goods should stay visible after hours |
Sources for the table: Roll-A-Shield's storefront comparison of the three products, and staff descriptions of the perforated slat as "almost like a security grill".
What is a rolling shutter?
A curtain of interlocking aluminum slats that rolls up into a box, built to the size of the opening. Roll-A-Shield builds four slats:
| Slat | What it is | Largest single shutter |
|---|---|---|
| 38 mm insulated | Foam-filled aluminum, for windows and smaller doors | 159 in wide, 112 sq ft |
| 55 mm insulated | Foam-filled, for larger openings; motorized only | 224 in wide, 156.5 sq ft |
| 63 mm single-wall | Solid extruded aluminum; takes end retention | 222 in wide, 200 sq ft |
| 63 mm perforated | Single-wall slat punched with holes you can see through | 222 in wide, 200 sq ft |
Every slat goes up to 216 in tall, within its area limit. The insulated slats are foam-filled for heat, cold and sound insulation; the tested sound figure is +10 dB with a 100 mm air gap between curtain and glass (DIN EN ISO 140-5). A shutter can be motorized, spring-loaded or worked with a strap or crank, depending on its weight.
What is a roll-up door?
A heavy-gauge industrial door, purpose-built for warehouse and service-bay openings. It is the right product for loading docks and back-of-house doors, but it is not designed for the look or the sizing of a customer-facing glass storefront or a home.
Choose one when the opening is bigger than a rolling shutter can be built: a single Roll-A-Shield shutter tops out at 224 in wide, and a 24 ft wide warehouse opening, for example, is beyond it. If the opening needs a fire-rated door, a rolling shutter is not the product: Aluminum does not burn, but a rolling shutter is not a fire-rated assembly and Roll-A-Shield has no ember or wildfire test data. Other companies make fire-rated products; Roll-A-Shield does not make fire doors with fusible links.
What is a security grille?
An open curtain you can see through, used where a business wants to stay protected after hours while passers-by can still see the products. Roll-A-Shield's version of that idea is the 63 mm perforated slat: small holes you can see through even when the shutter is fully closed, so there is constant visibility and no blackout. Roll-A-Shield does not make an open mesh curtain; everything is aluminum slat.
Do not confuse perforated with vented. Vented insulated slats have small slots in the hinges that let light through only while the shutter is partly down; fully closed, they black out. See Vented, non-vented and perforated slats. The perforated slat carries no storm rating of any kind.
And folding accordion gates?
They fold to one side on visible interlocking bars, and the glass stays exposed behind them. Roll-A-Shield does not make gates that move left and right; its shutters go up and down. For bars fixed over windows, see Rolling shutters vs security bars.
Which is the most secure?
Roll-A-Shield holds no security certification for any of its shutters, so compare construction and locks. For the highest security, the 63 mm single-wall slat with end retention is recommended: each slat runs in its own track in the guide rail, with an end-retention screw, to keep it from being pushed out of the rail during a break-in or storm. Extruded slats are stronger than the foam-filled ones. Manual shutters can take a key or thumb-turn lock at the bottom that secures the shutter into the guide rails; motorized ones are held down by the motor. Details: How rolling shutters resist break-ins and What is end retention?.
What next
For storefronts, see Storefront security shutters; for pricing, see How much do rolling shutters cost?. To talk through an opening, call (480) 921-0200 or request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is a roll-up gate the same as a rolling shutter?
People use the names loosely. Roll-A-Shield calls its product a rolling shutter; many callers ask for a roll-up gate or roll-up door and mean the same thing.
Can I see into the store through a rolling shutter?
Through a perforated one, yes. Perforated slats have small holes you can see through even when the shutter is fully closed, so a store stays protected while people can still see the products. Solid slats block the view completely.
Do you make accordion or folding security gates?
No. Roll-A-Shield's shutters go up and down; nothing in the range folds or slides sideways.
Are rolling shutters fire doors?
No. Aluminum does not burn, but a rolling shutter is not a fire-rated assembly and Roll-A-Shield has no ember or wildfire test data. For an opening that needs a fire-rated door, other companies make fire-rated products.
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.