Manual and motorised roller shutters – fitting and repair
I fit new aluminium and PVC roller shutters (estores), manual or motorised, and repair broken ones: snapped straps, loose slats, jammed shutters, motors that do not work. I also motorise existing manual shutters so you can control them with a switch or a remote.
What's included
- New shutters in insulated aluminium and PVC
- External and built-in (monobloco) shutter boxes
- Motorising existing shutters
- Replacing straps, strap winders and slats
- Freeing and adjusting jammed shutters
- Remotes, switches and programming
Types and options
- Manual shutter
- With a strap or crank handle. Simple, affordable and easy to repair.
- Motorised shutter
- With a switch, remote or timer. Very practical on large openings.
- Insulated aluminium
- Foam-filled slats: sturdier and better insulating than PVC.
Quick diagnosis: what each symptom usually means
Before you ask for a visit, see if your case is in this table. It helps me bring the right parts first time.
| What happens | Most likely cause | What is done |
|---|---|---|
| The strap is frayed or has snapped | Worn strap or a guide with a sharp edge rubbing | New strap and a check of the winder and the guide |
| The strap does not wind back into the box | Winder spring broken or worn out | Replace the winder |
| The shutter goes up crooked and sticks | Loose or broken slat, or a dented side channel | Replace the affected slats and realign the channels |
| The shutter suddenly dropped | Snapped strap or the shutter's link to the axle has come loose | Open the box and re-attach or replace the links |
| The motor hums but the shutter does not move | Shutter detached from the axle or motor faulty inside | Open the box to confirm; a new motor may be needed |
| The motor shows no sign of life | No power, faulty switch or motor in thermal overload protection | Wait a few minutes, check the fuse board, and only then the motor |
| It stops short or does not stop | Motor end limits out of adjustment | Reset the end limits |
A piece of advice: if the shutter has stuck, do not force the strap or keep pressing the switch. That is how one loose slat becomes a whole shutter jammed inside the box.
Repair or replace the whole shutter
In most cases repairing is worth it. A shutter is made of independent parts and nearly all of them can be replaced without touching the rest.
It is worth repairing when:
- the problem is the strap, the winder, the crank or the motor;
- one or two slats are broken and matching slats can still be found;
- the side channels are straight and the box is sound.
It is worth replacing when:
- the PVC slats are brittle, faded and breaking one after another, a sign the material has reached the end of its life;
- the model is old and compatible slats are no longer available;
- the shutter is wide, in PVC, and bows or comes out of the channels in the wind: then it makes sense to move to aluminium;
- you are going to motorise it and the shutter is in poor condition. Putting a new motor on an old shutter wastes the motor.
There is also a middle way that many people do not know about: replacing just the shutter curtain, that is, the set of slats, keeping the axle, the box and the channels. You get a shutter that is new inside and out without any work on the wall. When I come to look at a broken shutter I always say which of these options make sense and which I would choose if it were my house.
Shutters and security: what to expect
A lowered shutter blocks the view into the house and forces anyone trying to get in to make noise, and that already has value. But it is best not to ask more of it than it can give.
- An ordinary shutter is not a security barrier. The German and Luxembourg police, who publish technical crime-prevention advice, warn that ordinary shutters are often defeated by lifting them or with a lever, and that plastic ones serve mainly to block light and the view. The security of the window itself is still needed.
- What helps: aluminium slats, a sturdy bottom slat, well-fixed channels and locks that stop the shutter being lifted from outside. On a motorised shutter, the motor itself offers some resistance.
- Shutters with proven resistance do exist, tested as an assembly to the European burglar-resistance standard. They are specific products and more expensive; if a shutter is sold to you as a "security" shutter, ask for the documentation.
- Shutters that are always closed give away that nobody is home. The GNR (the Portuguese National Republican Guard) includes fully closed shutters in its list of signs of an empty house. When you are away, a motorised shutter on a timer, going up and down as on a normal day, is more useful than everything shut for two weeks.
On an exposed ground floor, the shutter should be seen as a complement to a good window, not a substitute for one.
What you gain
- Quick repairs
- Most faults are sorted out in a single visit.
- More comfort
- Darken the room, keep out the heat and keep in the warmth in one move.
- More privacy
- With the shutter down nobody can see in. For real security, what counts is the window and the lock.
How it works
Send a message
On WhatsApp, with a photo or two and rough measurements, if you have them.
Get a price
I reply with a clear quote. If something needs measuring precisely, I arrange a visit.
Job done
We book a date that suits you. At the end everything is left clean, tested and working.
Questions about roller shutters
The shutter strap has snapped. Can you fix it?
I can. Replacing the strap is one of the most common repairs and is usually done in a short visit. While I am there I check the winder and the slats, so it does not snap again too soon.
Can I put a motor on a manual shutter?
In most cases, yes. The motor goes inside the shutter axle and is connected to a switch or remote. There needs to be an electrical point nearby, which I assess on the visit.
Aluminium or PVC for shutters?
PVC is cheaper and is enough for small windows. Insulated aluminium is stronger, insulates better and lasts longer, especially on large openings or ones that get a lot of sun.
Does a motorised shutter work in a power cut?
An ordinary motor does not work without power, and the shutter stays where it was. If that worries you, for example on a balcony door that is the only way out, there are motors with an emergency manual override that let you raise the shutter by hand with a crank. It has to be chosen from the start, because it is a different motor.
Cold and noise come in through the shutter box. Can that be fixed?
Most of the time, yes. Old boxes are hollow and uninsulated, and the inner cover does not always seal. Purpose-made insulation can be fitted inside the box, the cover sealed and a brush fitted where the strap comes out, which lets in a lot of air. It will not be the same as a new box, but you will notice the difference.
The shutter rattles and makes noise in the wind. Is that normal?
Some play is normal, because the slats have to run inside the channels. Loud noise usually means channels without brushes or with worn brushes, slats too light for the width of the opening, or a shutter that is not coming all the way down. Replacing the channel brushes and adjusting the shutter solves many cases.
Other services
Ask for a quote
Three quick questions and the message is ready to send on WhatsApp. Then just add the photos.
- Free quote, no obligation
- You talk to the person who does the work
- You're welcome to write to me in English on WhatsApp.