Can You Fix a Roller Shutter Door That Won't Fully Open Yourself?
Posted on: 19 June 2018
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Putting a roller shutter on your shop's door gives you an added level of security when the store is closed. When you open up each day, you can simply roll up the shutter and get ready for business as usual. However, while roller shutters are generally easy to use and reliable, things can go wrong, leaving you and your customers stuck outside. For example, you may get to work one day and find that the shutter won't open up all the way or that it'll move up on one side but not the other. Can you fix this yourself?
Check the Tracks
Roller shutters typically run on tracks. These tracks keep the shutters in place when they are closed and guide them up when they are opened. If you have a stuck shutter or one that opens up unevenly, then you may have something stuck in the tracks, like a stone or some dirt. Take a look at the tracks and, if you can see a blockage, try to ease it out.
Check the Proximity Sensor
Your roller shutter may be fitted with a proximity sensor. This safety device senses when something is under the shutter and stops it from moving to avoid accidents. In some cases, these sensors may be affected by dirt or something partly covering them which makes them stop the opening process part way. If you can see your proximity sensors, check that they are clean and unobstructed.
Damage to the Shutter
If someone has taken a kick at your shutter, then it may be slightly bent. This may have taken it off its tracks a little, preventing it from opening smoothly or fully. If you spot a minor piece of damage or can see that the shutter is off its tracks, then you might be able to gently ease it back into place.
If you can't fix your roller shutter's opening easily yourself and you have an automatic roller with a manual override, then you may be able to use this to open the shutter until you can get a commercial door repair person out to fix the problem. No matter how desperate you are to get in your store, it's best not to use brute force to push the shutter up if it is really stuck. This may simply make the damage worse. It's better to call a door repair company and tell them that you need an emergency repair.