Key facts

• For a replacement roll on a Roll-A-Shield shutter, the slat length comes from that shutter's original cut sheet, not from the clear opening or the overall width. Roll-A-Shield data
• Roll-A-Shield confirms the exact slat with production before it quotes replacement slats. Roll-A-Shield data
• Roll-A-Shield's slat faces are about 1-1/2 in tall on the 38 mm insulated slat, 2-3/16 in on the 55 mm insulated slat and 2-1/2 in on the 63 mm single-wall slat. Roll-A-Shield data
• Slats, guide rails and box covers are cut in-house, so a slat roll does not wait on an outside supplier. Roll-A-Shield data
• A curtain can be replaced with the box and guide rails left on the wall. Roll-A-Shield data

Applies to: Roll-up rolling shutters with aluminum slats that run in side guide rails; Roll-A-Shield 38 mm and 55 mm insulated and 63 mm single-wall (solid and perforated) slat rolls.

A slat roll (the curtain of interlocking slats) is what owners ask to replace after a dent, an impact or a forced entry. Ordering one goes wrong in one predictable way: the width. This page covers what to send so the new roll fits the first time. Fitting it is covered on how to replace the slat curtain.

Can I replace just the slat roll?

Usually, yes: the curtain comes off the axle and a new one goes on, with the box and guide rails left on the wall.

With the shutter down and the box cover off, the bottom slat is freed from the rails, the old roll is wound off and unhooked from the hanging straps on the axle, and the new roll is hung from those straps and fed back into the rails. A large curtain is heavy and awkward, so it goes on in sections, with two people. See lifting a heavy curtain.

If only a slat or two are damaged, read replacing one damaged slat before ordering a whole roll.

What do I need to send?

Enough to identify the slat and the shutter it goes in.

1. The original order, if Roll-A-Shield built it. The order name, address or contract number lets the factory pull the shutter's build record, which holds the slat length it was cut to.
2. The slat type. Insulated (foam-filled) or single-wall extruded, and whether it is vented or perforated.
3. The slat size. Measure the face height of one slat, from the top of its face to the bottom (see the table below).
4. The color.
5. The bottom slat and end retention. Say whether you need a new bottom slat, and on a single-wall shutter whether the slats are end-retained (every slat, every other slat or none); these are separate choices on a slat-roll order.
6. Photos. The whole shutter, the end of a slat where it enters the rail, and a slat face with a tape measure across it.

Insulated slats come in 7 colors (White, Grey, Metallic, Bronze, Black, Beige, Sand); single-wall slats in 5 (White, Metallic, Bronze, Black, Beige). More on each profile is on rolling shutter slat specifications.

Why isn't the opening width the right number?

Because the slats run inside the guide rails: a slat is longer than the clear opening and shorter than the overall width of the shutter.

A slat roll is ordered by its cut length or by the shutter's overall width, never by the clear opening, and entering a number in the wrong one of those two modes is the most common dimension error on a slat-roll order. Roll-A-Shield does not publish its slat or axle cut deductions; order the roll cut to fit and let the factory do the arithmetic.

If you measure the old curtain yourself, write down exactly what you measured. A "clip-to-clip" measurement, which can include the slat's end plugs, is not the same as the cut length, and the two have to be converted. A replacement roll that came in the wrong width, and how slat width is measured, is one of the slat questions Roll-A-Shield hears on the phone. For the height, give the shutter's height and say whether it is the clear opening or the overall size, the same rule as when ordering a new shutter.

What if Roll-A-Shield didn't make my shutter?

Send measurements and photos rather than a brand name.

Roll-A-Shield confirms the exact slat with production before it quotes. Include a clear photo of the guide rail and a slat end. How to identify an unknown shutter is on matching replacement slats to an existing shutter and parts for older and other-brand shutters.

How long does a replacement roll take?

The slats are cut in-house rather than ordered from a supplier, but there is no fixed turnaround, so ask for the current lead time when you order. In metro Phoenix the roll is usually fitted on a return service visit; elsewhere it ships to you, by parcel carrier or freight depending on its size.

What next

Send the order details and photos through the quote form or call (480) 921-0200. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield's service team can measure, supply and fit the roll for you.

Watch it done

Service tutorial: slat roll replacement

The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep my box and guide rails and replace only the curtain?

Usually, yes. The old curtain comes off the hanging straps on the axle and the new one goes on in its place, with the box and rails left on the wall. If the rails or box are damaged too, say so when you order.

Why did my replacement roll come out the wrong width?

Usually because two people meant different things by one number: a cut length entered as an overall width or the reverse, which is the most common slat-roll dimension error, or a clip-to-clip measurement read as a cut length. Say exactly what you measured, or let the factory work from its own build record.

Does Roll-A-Shield publish slat cut lengths?

No. Slat and axle cut deductions are not published; order the roll cut to fit your shutter and the factory works out the length.

Can I order a slat roll for another company's shutter?

Sometimes. Roll-A-Shield matches by measurement and photos rather than by brand name, and production confirms the slat before it quotes. Whether a new slat runs in your existing rails has to be checked case by case.

Related questions

• How do I replace the slat curtain on a rolling shutter?
• Can I replace just one damaged slat on a rolling shutter?
• How do I match replacement slats to my existing rolling shutter?
• What are the specifications of 38 mm, 55 mm and 63 mm rolling shutter slats?
• How do I lift a heavy rolling shutter curtain onto the axle?
• Can I get parts for an older or other-brand rolling shutter, and what is interchangeable?
• Rolling shutter repair in metro Phoenix
• Shop rolling shutter parts