In our last posts, we covered some options for removing old ‘accent’ strips from roller shutter curtains.  Chances are, if you’ve got a roller shutter with accent slats, those slats probably match the “border” of the roller shutter: the pelmet box, guides and bottom bar.

After a gorgeous roofing and verandah renovation, rejuvenating these shutters would make the front shine! The previous brown guttering & trim was changed to red; the brown shutters now look somewhat out of place.

While we forbid you to think about painting the curtain of your roller shutter, the outside borders are another matter.  If you really need to spruce up a shutter, you can – WITH CARE – paint the pelmet, guides and bottom bar.  The pelmet and guides are static and so won’t suffer from scratching and sticking problems that may occur when a curtain is painted.  Although the bottom bar is part of the curtain, it’s the absolute last slat in the curtain, so it doesn’t actually come into contact with other moving parts, even when fully retracted.  So you can safely paint the bottom bar as well.

While we are giving you guidelines here on what can be done to rejuvenate a shutter, please bear in mind that it’s up to you to ensure that the proper usual painting precautions are undertaken; for example, masking the windows and adjacent surfaces to prevent overspray of paint, etc.  It’s up to you which painting technique you use…be guided by your existing roller shutter and walls…and skill level!

Stay tuned for our next chapter in the ‘rejuvenation’ series – the wait won’t be as long this time, we promise!

In our previous blog we covered some points to consider when thinking about second hand roller shutters.  Here are a few specific things to look out for to ensure you’re buying shutters you can use – not just good looking scrap metal! 

The first to check is fit.  Ensure that the roller shutters, including the guides, (those rails running vertically framing either side of the roller shutter) are at least 100mm wider than your window.  Any less and you run the risk of not being able to securely fasten the roller shutter across the face of the window.

You can buy a shutter that is much wider than your window; it won’t affect the operation at all, it might just look a little strange if you go too much wider than your window.  You can have an oversized shutter trimmed down, though you will probably want this done by someone with expertise in roller shutters, so factor in some extra $$ to have this done if necessary.

You’ll also need to check the height (or drop, as we call it).  You can kill two birds with one stone here by asking to have the shutter curtain fully rolled out: you can confirm the actual height measurement while also inspecting the slats and curtain for any obvious damage, marks, or other issues.  Again, you can shorten the height of a curtain to match your window, or even leave it as is; however adding extra height will mean additional $$ to extend the curtain and may cause issues with colour matching particularly if the curtain is faded.  We can certainly help with any of these issues (if you’re buying a roller shutter in Adelaide that is), even the faded curtain colours, but if your aim is to proudly claim you’ve scored a bargain and done it all yourself, you’ll want to try and avoid these issues to start with!

If buying motorised, ask to see the roller shutter in operation if it’s still installed.  If not, can it be plugged in somewhere so you can at least hear the motor work and see the curtain move up and down – even if it’s only a few cms?  With a motorised shutter, it might be operated by a wall switch or remote control; make sure these are provided and operational to save yourself headaches down the track in sourcing replacements.

There are plenty of things to watch out for if you’re set on hunting a second hand bargain; we’ve covered just the basics here and we hope our tips are helpful!   If you’ve a question that we haven’t been able to cover in this brief article, feel free to contact us and we’ll assist with advice where we can.

Lately we’ve been getting calls from customers looking to install second hand roller shutters. While this can be a great way to save money, it may also lead to greater expenditure and headaches down the track.

Psst…wanna buy a roller shutter?

Some issues are those universal ones faced when buying second hand.  Is the description accurate?  Have they been installed before or are they really ‘never used’?  How old are they?   Do they work?  Is it really a deal that’s too good to be true, or is there a catch?

Then there are the potential issues specific to roller shutters.  Firstly, fit: is the roller shutter wide enough to cover your window frame?  Is the shutter long enough to cover your window?  If it’s a motorised shutter, does the motor work?  How is it powered – solar/240V/12V battery?  Does it come with all required accessories?  If it needs a remote control, does it have one?  If not, can you easily find one?  Unfortunately, some problems may not be evident until the shutter is being installed.

There are plenty of things that can go wrong when buying secondhand, so as a rule we can’t accept installation jobs for second hand shutters.  We are quite happy to provide advice to people wanting to DIY however:  give us a call or email us if you have any questions about your shutters.

It’s not impossible to buy secondhand of course; there are some bargains out there, particularly for the skilled DIY’er.  We’re happy to provide advice to help along the way even though we don’t install second hand shutters – stay tuned for our next blog where we’ll give you some tips to try and get the best outcome when buying second hand roller shutters.

And remember folks, new custom made roller shutters might be more affordable than you think in the long run (a well installed, constructed and maintained roller shutter should last you well over 30 years).  Sure, the investment may be higher than secondhand, but there’s no need to worry about how to install them – and if you buy your new roller shutters from us, you’re covered by a 5 year repair/replacement/refund guarantee…not to mention you get to choose the colour!

We’ve seen a couple of orders for new roller shutters for garages now, so we thought we’d share this space-saving idea!  Adelaide residents have been thinking outside the box and saving precious garage space by installing roller shutters instead of garage roller doors to enclose their garages.  Why?  To save space for one!

Garage roller doors are quite bulky, and when rolled up occupy a large chunk of overhead space.  If every square centimetre counts in your garage, you may like to consider a roller shutter as a space-saving option; the height and width of roller shutter slats mean the curtain can roll up tighter and will fit into a much smaller pelmet space than traditional garage doors.   You will also achieve total continuity of look if you have your adjacent windows fitted with identically styled and coloured roller shutters.

Have you used roller shutters for applications other than your windows?  We’d love to hear about it!  Email us at feedback@trsrc.com.au!