How to Service a Roller Shutter Door
If you have a roller shutter door in your business, it’s easy to forget about servicing while it works smoothly in the background. That is… until it stops working. As door installation experts, we recommend regular servicing to keep your roller shutter door secure and working for longer, as well as potentially reducing overall maintenance costs by 20-40%.
Once you’ve invested in a roller shutter door, it’s smart to take care of it. Here’s how to service a roller shutter door in the five steps you need to know:
Clean your door regularly.
Keep your guide rails and bearings lubricated.
Check the balance of your door.
Learn best practices for using your door.
Book professional servicing.
1. Clean Your Door Regularly
Making sure you clean your roller shutter door on a regular basis is, of course, a no-brainer, but easily overlooked. If you can, schedule a clean in every three months. This will help you remove dust, dirt and debris that can build up over time, particularly around the shutter mechanism.
When it’s time to clean your roller shutter door, follow these four steps:
Start by removing any loose dirt from around the shutter guide rails with a soft brush or hand-held vacuum cleaner.
Dust carefully between each slat, looking for the places where dirt can get trapped.
For stubborn grime, use a mild soap solution and warm water to gently clean the slats and rails.
Rinse any soap off and allow your roller shutter door to dry completely before using it.
2. Keep Your Guide Rails and Bearings Lubricated
While you can count on regular cleaning to remove the build-up of grime, it’s also worth oiling your roller shutter door at least once a year to keep it lubricated. This process helps you prevent rust and reduce friction that can lead to malfunctions, as well as making your door easier to operate.
To do this, make sure you use a lubricant specifically designed for roller shutter doors or similar mechanisms. Apply as much oil as is needed to your guide rails, bearings and hinges, but avoid putting on too much as this can lead to a build-up of dirt.
3. Check the Balance of Your Door
When your roller shutter door is properly balanced, it’s more likely to perform well and can be safer to use, especially if it’s an electric mechanism. An imbalanced door can be a danger to you or your teams with potentional for uncontrolled movement or failure to respond when needed.
Once you’ve had your roller shutter door installed, we recommend getting its balance checked monthly by a trained professional. A technician can check your shutter is responding correctly, opening and closing smoothly and safely in the way you’d expect. By committing to regular balance checks for your doors, you can significantly reduce the risk of any sudden malfunctions, helping to keep you and your people safe.
Checking the balance of your door can also be done as part of your professional servicing (see step five). At NOVA Door Systems, we can support you with maintenance and checks for all of our doors. Contact us to get a quote.
For businesses that rely on roller shutters, regularly cleaning, lubricating and checking the balance of your doors can help you avoid expensive downtime.
4. Learn Best Practices for Using Your Door
If you have roller shutter doors as part of your business, it’s worth considering that how your teams use it will have a big part to play in the condition of your door and how long it lasts. When someone isn’t trained in how to use a roller shutter door, they might unintentionally misuse it, leading to unnecessary wear and tear and expensive repairs.
When you install a roller shutter door, or as new staff join your business, make sure they’re trained in how to use the door correctly. Most importantly, the shutters of your door need to be lowered gently in order to avoid any sudden impact with them hitting the ground. This can loosen screws, damage internal components and weaken the structure of your door.
5. Book Professional Servicing
As we’ve covered, there are lots of small steps you can take to maintain your roller shutter doors. However, booking a professional service is also a great investment.
When we service roller shutter doors, we’ll perform detailed inspections and adjustments to make sure they stay in peak condition. While your door may appear to be working fine, professional technicians will be able to spot minor issues in your mechanism before they develop into expensive repairs.
A professional servicing for your door will include checking all its elements from the motor and sensors to the rails and slats. You can also opt for a deep clean as part of the maintenance checks, saving you time and effort and giving you peace of mind your door is being looked after.
How Often Should Roller Shutter Doors be Serviced?
If your roller shutter door gets a lot of use, we recommend scheduling regular servicing every six to twelve months. Alongside your monthly balance checks and quarterly cleans, this is the best way to keep your door in great condition.
Importantly, you’ll also be helping to prevent accidents and ensure your door complies with health and safety regulations. In a busy enterprise, having a well-maintained roller shutter door also helps to avoid costly downtime.
Regular professional servicing of your roller shutter doors can help you protect your employees and show health and safety compliance in your business.
Am I Legally Required to Service Roller Shutter Doors?
While there’s no specific legislation as to when and how to service your roller shutter doors, it’s important to remember that health and safety regulations mean you have a legal responsibility as an employer or business owner to maintain your workplace equipment safely.
As poorly maintained machinery is a clear factor in many workplace injuries, regulations such as Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, require you to conduct regular maintenance and inspections to ensure your doors are safe to operate.
In the event of an accident, neglecting your roller shutter door maintenance could potentially lead to a legal liability. Similarly, recording regular servicing and maintenance can help you show due diligence and compliance with your legal responsibilities.
How We Can Help
We hope this guide has left you feeling confident around how to service a roller shutter door, from regular cleaning and lubrication to checking balances, careful handling and scheduling professional servicing.
If you’ve installed your roller shutter door and want to maintain it in peak condition, we can help you with professional servicing and maintenance for all of our door products. For emergency repairs, we can make door breakdowns less stressful with a 24/7 repair service and a skilled engineer onsite within 4 hours of your call.
Find out more about our roller shutter doors here or contact us to arrange installation and servicing for your doors.
