Shutter and roller shutter opening

Here we bring together two problems that are more alike than they seem: the roller shutter at home that has stayed down and will not go up, and a shop’s metal roller shutter that will not open. In both cases there is a curtain of metal or PVC slats, some runners, a lock and something that has jammed.

Home roller shutters

Shutters that will not go up

The most common case is a strap or crank operated shutter that has stayed down. The strap has snapped, the winder has stopped winding or a slat has come out of the runner and the shutter is stuck. In that case it is not a lock problem but a mechanism problem. We sort it so you can open up and tell you if a fuller repair is needed, which you have under roller shutter repair.

Shutters with a lock or bolt

Many ground floor shutters on the coast have a bolt or a slide bolt that locks the bottom slat, or a lock in the last slat. If the key has been lost or the bolt has seized with the salt air, the shutter will not go up. Here we do work on the lock: we open it and leave it working or replace it.

Forced shutters

If someone has tried to lift the shutter from outside, they may have bent it or pulled the slats out of the runners. The shutter gets stuck halfway. If that is your case, look first at forced roller shutter. After that it is worth thinking about roller shutter reinforcement: we reinforce shutters so they cannot be lifted or bent.

Shop roller shutters

The shutter lock will not turn

Shop roller shutters usually have a central lock at the bottom or two side locks that lock the shutter to the runners. They are at ground level, they collect water, dust and salt, and every morning someone works them in a hurry. Over time the key stops turning or the bolt will not come out of the runner.

Sabotaged lock

It happens more often than we would like: someone puts glue, silicone or a matchstick into the keyway of the shutter lock. You go to open up and the key will not go in. In these cases the damaged cylinder almost always has to come out and a new one go in before it can be opened.

Shutters that only go halfway up

If the lock opens but the shutter jams on the way up, the problem is in the runners, the slats or the spring on the axle. We free the lock and, if what has failed is the structure of the shutter, we explain it to you. You have more information under roller shutter door repair.

What we do not do

We do not repair or install motors for roller shutters, whether shop shutters or home shutters. If your shutter is motorised and what has failed is the motor, that is a job for a motor technician. We take care of the lock, the manual shutters and freeing the blockage when it is mechanical.

Before opening, the check

Whether it is a shop or a home, before opening we check that the person calling us is entitled to do so. We tell you how to prove it when you get in touch. If the premises are rented, have to hand whatever we ask you for so the opening is not delayed.

If your business cannot open

For a shop every hour with the shutter down counts. If the shutter will not open first thing, you have the first steps in jammed shop shutter. We work 24 hours a day, every day, so we can also come before your opening time or after you close.

How to stop it happening again

• Clean the keyway of the shutter lock. It is at ground level and fills up with sand and dirt.
• Lubricate with a dry product. Never with oil, which forms a paste with the dust from the street.
• Check the runners now and then. A knock from a trolley or a van bends them and the shutter starts to rub.
• In homes left empty, work the shutters when you arrive. Those that stay down for months seize up.

Ask for the opening

Take a photo of the shutter lock or the roller shutter and send it on WhatsApp, in your own language if you prefer. We give you a fixed quote before we start and, if the job changes on site, we let you know before carrying on. We are locksmiths from Torrevieja and we work all over the Vega Baja. You can pay by card, Bizum or cash.