The Benefits of Roller Shutter Doors

A roller shutter door is a type of door with horizontal slats or bars, and it can be manually operated (lifted and lowered) or motorised. They can come in a variety of different measurements and can be used to protect from weather, unwanted intruders or for heat insulation purposes; resulting in their use in a wide variety of industries for both commercial and residential protection. Common places you would find roller shutter doors include: shopping centres, garages and industrial warehouses.

Materials and purpose

The two most common materials used to produce roller shutter doors are fibreglass and metal; both materials provide different benefits and are often chosen according to purpose. Fibreglass roller shutter doors are often more expensive than their metal counterparts, but are more resilient and require less maintenance. Steel roller shutter doors may be more high maintenance but are more affordable than fibreglass and are strong and robust.

There are other roller shutters available that are made from alternative materials, these materials are best suited to those who wish to obtain shutter doors for purposes other than security.

Electric roller shutters

Roller shutter doors can be operated electronically using simple controls to open and close them. This option saves users considerable amounts of both time and labour that would be otherwise be required if steel roller shutter doors were operated manually. Larger doors may benefit from electrical operation as these will be the most difficult to operate manually.

Electric roller shutters are common for businesses that need to operate several shutter doors at one time; as well as commercial garages, high street shops, shopping centres and residential garages.

General benefits

The general benefits to having roller shutter doors installed for your property or business are vast and include:

• Security - this is probably one of the more common reasons for installation, as both metal and fibreglass doors provide significant extra security for a property, ensuring that intruders cannot easily gain access.

• Anti-vandalism - while not as common as security, anti-vandalism is still a highly justified reason for installing shutter doors. They protect the openings of a property from damage (any vandalism is hidden as soon as the roller is opened and so is never visible during business hours).

• Weather protection - in areas where weather conditions can cause damage to properties, it is common to have shutter doors installed to protect existing windows and doors on your property. Strong winds can cause objects to crack or smash glass and hail can damage paintwork; Steel roller shutter doors are designed to withstand extremely strong winds.

For more information on steel roller shutter doors, you can visit the MDS Industries website.

High Speed Doors - Saving Your Business Time and Money

If you find yourself or your employees complaining about time wasted when moving goods or equipment, or if you have unwanted drafts and air leakage, then high speed roller doors may well be the perfect solution for your business. Flexible and custom made for large openings, they are available in a range of colours, meaning they can be designed to suit and enhance your building or branding.

High speed doors have many benefits that see them commonly in use within the industrial sector. In addition to external use, high speed doors have proved to be perfectly suited for internal use including for freezer rooms and hygienic environments. In addition to this, each door type is wind load tested to ensure they are also suitable for high wind conditions. 

Fast opening times mean these doors are a viable solution for areas with high traffic, as demonstrated by their commercial application - such as in supermarkets and airports. These doors are capable of opening at speed many times a day, cutting down waiting times and streamlining logistic processes. Slow doors can impede the flow of both goods and people and can even end up leading to safety and hygiene issues.

High speed doors are energy saving and provide remarkable thermal efficiency. This allows for a more easily controlled internal environment and, as the doors are open for minimal time, the costs of heating/refrigeration are reduced. The reduction of airborne pollution (exhaust fumes, for example) and noise further enhances the working atmosphere and environment by making it cleaner and quieter.

The fully integrated curtains mean that minimal space is used in installation and the sturdy frame and durable cover materials give you long-term security and efficiency. They also boast safe, reliable operation and require little maintenance. They are fitted with photo panels for added safety and can be easily reset in the event of any impact. A range of activation options are available meaning you can get the most efficient and suitable doors for your business.

With high speed doors there's no time wasted waiting for conventional doors, no more moaning about the draft or noise. Your business can lose the unnecessary distractions and get on with doing what it does best.

Would A Roller Shutter Door Help To Make Your Premises Safer?

With the best will in the world, not many buildings are completely intruder-proof.  Whilst various security measures can be put into place to deter an intruder, if a person has the time and the equipment to carry out a break-in without being seen, chances are they could access a building.  However, the more security measures are put into place, the less likely an intruder would be able to successfully break into a business premises.

Building Accessibility

First of all, it’s a good idea to look at the access to the building.  Many business premises will have a door at the front of the building which is used for pedestrians, and perhaps a loading bay at the rear of the building for industrial access.  Both of these doors will need to have sufficient security measures in place so as to deter intruders outside of working hours.

Roller Shutter Doors

Roller shutter doors are an excellent and highly effective method of securing a building.  Often made from steel, these strong and robust doors will keep out even the most determined intruders.  Whilst a burglar left alone for a couple of hours may eventually be able to cut through a brick wall with an angle grinder, chances are they aren’t going to make any headway through a steel roller shutter door. 

Automatic Sliding Doors

Sliding doors can also contain an interlock function which can secure the building effectively.  Very often the doors can only be opened from the outside by a key fob holder or if a person manually activates the door opening to allow a visitor to enter the building. 

Security Measures

Of course, as well as having effective door systems within the premises, installing other security measures such as alarms and CCTV cameras can also help to deter intruders.  Even if a person did attempt to break into the building, chances are they would be picked up by the CCTV or the security alarm would be activated.

Having high specification door systems such as roller shutter doors and automatic sliding doors can form an effective deterrent for intruders.  Although nothing can secure a building 100% fully, these doors can certainly make it very difficult for a novice or inexperienced criminal from accessing a building without invitation.

To find out more about roller shutter doors and automatic sliding doors, feel free to visit the MDS website. 

Welcome to the MDS Blog

Welcome to the MDS blog where we hope to share our top tips and news with you.  We manufacture, install and repair many different kinds of industrial roller shutter doors to customers across the West Midlands and beyond but we also have a wealth of knowledge in door maintenance and best practice which we would like to share with you.

If there are any roller shutter related topics which you would like us to address in our new blog please do get in touch and we'll do our best to cover it.

Please stay tuned for our expert insight and advice on looking after and choosing the best kinds of doors for your industrial premises.

You can also visit our website for more information.