Measuring, ordering and installing · Rolling Shutter Guide
How do I measure a storefront for a rolling security shutter?
Pick a flat mounting surface, usually the storefront mullions, and plan where wide runs split. Take several widths and heights, use the tightest reading and deduct 1/8 to 1/4 in at tight spots. Note furring for door hardware, sill support for long spans, a reveal beside the frame, the control side and power, and a manual override on entry doors.
Key facts
- Take several width and height readings across the opening, use the tightest, and deduct about 1/8 to 1/4 in at block, brick or a tight head so the unit is not a fight to install. Roll-A-Shield data
- On a surface mount, leave about 1/2 in (down to about 1/4 in) of reveal beside the frame so the guide rail lands near the framing and forgives brick or stucco that is out of level. Roll-A-Shield data
- A door handle that stands about 1-3/4 in proud is cleared with 1 x 2 furring set on its edge, which gives the full 2 in; whatever build-out goes on one side goes on the other so both rails sit on one plane. Roll-A-Shield data
- The largest single Roll-A-Shield shutter by area is the 63 mm single-wall: up to 222 in wide and 200 sq ft; wider storefronts are split into units that meet at a mullion. Roll-A-Shield data
- Entry-door units get a manual override that is worked from the front of the shutter, so the business can still open up if the power is out. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Surface-mounted rolling security shutters on storefronts, shop entrances and commercial windows, any make; Roll-A-Shield single-wall and insulated shutters with motor or manual operation.
A storefront is measured the same way as a house window, with the basics in how to measure for a rolling shutter, plus a handful of commercial problems: several units across one run of glass, uneven block, door hardware, long unsupported spans, power for several motors, and a door the business must be able to open in an outage.
If you have Roll-A-Shield shop drawings for the job, measure against them. They give the guide-rail dimensions, the box size, the clear opening and the overall sizes, and every field reading should be checked against them before anything is built.
What do I record for each storefront opening?
Record the mounting surface, the split points, the tightest width and height, furring, sill support, control side and power, and any override, locks or storm bar.
| Item | What to record |
|---|---|
| Mounting surface | Mullion, block, stucco or a furred-out face, and how much room there is above the opening for the box |
| Split points | Which mullion each unit stops on, measured to the mullion's center line |
| Width and height | Several readings each; keep the tightest, less 1/8 to 1/4 in at tight spots |
| Furring | What sticks out past the mounting surface (handles, hinges, door closers) and on which sides |
| Sill support | Whether the pad carries the closed curtain, or a U-channel or L-angle is needed |
| Control side and power | Left or right as seen from the front of the box, and where power can reach it |
| Door units | A manual override worked from the front of the shutter |
| Options | Slat type, end retention, locks, storm bar, rust-mitigation treatment |
Measure to the nearest 1/8 in; Roll-A-Shield works out the overall size, clear opening and guide-rail lengths in eighths of an inch, each rounded to the nearest 1/8 in.
Where should a storefront shutter mount?
On the flattest, most even surface available, which on most storefronts is the aluminum mullions. Split-face block is uneven and hard to mount to, so stay off it where you can; if the rails must go on block, the high spots are shaved down to the lowest point so the rail sits flat.
Decide at the same time how high the box goes. Taking it right up to the head or the caulking bead gets it out of the glass line, but check what that height runs into: a stucco bump-out above the frame, for example, has to be measured and matched with furring so the box and rails stay on one plane. Box sizes and how far a box stands off the wall are on what size box do I need.
How do I clear door handles and closers?
Fur the rails out past the hardware. Measure from the mounting surface to the outer edge of the handle: a handle about 1-3/4 in proud is cleared by 1 x 2 furring set on its edge, which gives the full 2 in. Roll-A-Shield's furring is a 1 x 2 rectangular tube powder-coated to match the guide rail; specify whether it goes on all sides, the top, the bottom or the sides.
A door closer with its arm on the outside is the other common obstruction. Rather than stacking furring around it, installers often have a door company move the closer to the inside so the door pushes rather than pulls, leaving only the handle to clear.
Tip: Whatever you add on one side, add on the other. Both guide rails must sit on the same plane, so a build-out on one side is matched on the other.
More on build-outs: what is furring, and when does a shutter need it.
Where should a wide storefront be split?
At a mullion, with each unit measured to the mullion's center line. Mark the center of the shared mullion, measure the first unit from its outer edge to that mark, then measure the second unit from the mark to its own outer edge. In the Roll-A-Shield training video, one door unit measured 96-1/4 in to the center of the mullion and the window beside it 141-3/4 in to just shy of the face of the block.
The largest Roll-A-Shield shutter by area is the 63 mm single-wall: up to 222 in wide and 216 in tall, and up to 200 sq ft, and the area limit usually binds before width and height do. For runs beyond that, see covering a very wide opening.
How do I take the width and height?
Take several readings of each and work from the tightest. For width, start the tape in line with the caulking at the edge of the opening, pull it tight to your split mark or the far edge, and repeat at a few heights. At a tight spot (block, brick, or a trapped head with little room above), take about 1/8 to 1/4 in off the smallest reading so you are not fighting the unit at install; 1/4 in at the head is never noticed.
For height, measure at several points across the pad to find the most level point, because both sides of the unit are matched to it. In the training video the readings were 103-1/2 in and 103-1/4 in tight at different points, so the height given was 103-1/8 in. Run a level up and down the sides as well; brick that looks straight can wander by 1/4 in over its height.
Does the bottom of the opening support the shutter?
Check that the closed curtain has something solid to land on along its full width. A wide span with nothing under it sags, and it gets a full-length U-channel. Where the curtain only overhangs a solid pad a little, an L-angle mounted level with the pad, or a short U-channel foot, gives it something to close on. Note either one on the measure form. An unsupported bottom also makes the shutter struggle when it lifts. See what is a U-channel, and do I need one.
How much reveal should I leave beside the frame?
About 1/2 in, down to about 1/4 in, between the edge of the storefront frame and the guide rail on a surface mount. The reveal puts the rail close to the framing and leaves room to plumb it when the brick or stucco is not straight, so the rail does not end up half on the frame and half off.
Which side should the motor be on, and where does the power go?
Decide the control side from the front of the box and plan the power for the whole run, not unit by unit. Choosing mirror-image control sides puts two motors' feeds at the same point: in the training example, the door is right-hand control and the window beside it left-hand, so both feed up to one spot by the exit sign. On remote-controlled motors, neighboring units can also share one power feed, so the wall is drilled once. Watch for drop ceilings when you plan the route.
The connection to building power, including any shared feed, is work for a licensed electrician, who follows the motor maker's rule: terminate in a listed junction box and do not run the motor cable through the wall. More is on what power a motorized shutter needs. Which side suits each unit is explained on which side should the motor, strap or crank be on.
How will staff get in if the power fails?
Give every entry-door unit a manual override worked from the front of the shutter. Most businesses must keep the door usable during opening hours, so the door shutter needs a way to be opened by hand from outside in an outage. Two front-exit styles are used: a Gosnell-style override, where a hex-ended wand is fished into a hole in the box (harder for anyone without the wand to tamper with, but slower to start), and a two-hole universal joint. In the training example only the door unit gets one, because it is the entrance. Bear in mind that a full-size storefront shutter is heavy and slow to crank by hand. See what is a manual override, and do I need one.
What options go on the measure form?
The same order sheet covers storefronts: slat type, end retention, locks and special-order items.
- End retention is available only with the single-wall extruded slat: none, every other slat, or every slat. See what is end retention.
- Storm bar is recommended where a shutter has no solid backstop, to help keep the slats from being blown out in strong winds. See what is a storm bar.
- Locks (key lock or slide lock) are manual-shutter add-ons and are not available on motorized shutters; say which side you want the lock on.
- Rust-mitigation treatment is suggested for coastal sites or where rust is a concern.
What next
Photograph each opening straight on, plus close-ups of the head, the mullions, the pad and any door hardware, and send them with the measurements through the quote form or call (480) 921-0200. Storefront options and examples are on the storefront security shutters page; prices are on what rolling shutters cost.
Watch it done
Commercial measuring tips for storefront shutters
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
Should I measure to the glass or to the storefront mullions?
Measure to the surface the shutter will mount on. On most storefronts that is the flat aluminum mullions, and where two shutters meet, each one is measured to the center line of the shared mullion.
Can one shutter cover a whole storefront?
Only up to the largest size, which is the 63 mm single-wall slat at up to 222 in wide and 200 sq ft, and the area limit usually binds before the width. Wider runs are split into units that meet at a mullion.
Does a storefront shutter need a U-channel?
Only where the bottom of the opening does not support the closed curtain. A long span with nothing under it sags, so it gets a full-length U-channel; a small overhang past a solid pad can sit on an L-angle or a short U-channel foot. Note either on the measure form.
Why take a little off my tightest measurement?
Walls, block and ceilings are rarely straight. Taking a little off the tightest reading at a tight spot means the built unit slides in without scraping, and 1/4 in at the head is never noticed.
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Send your storefront measurements and photos and we will check them against the shop drawings before anything is built. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.