A good industrial door should be built to last. Many roller shutters are manufactured from pre-galvanised steel for this reason – it’s sturdy, durable, and resistant to corrosion too, which also means they’ll look nicer for longer.
But whether it’s from general wear and tear, extreme weather, an accident or vandalism, roller shutters will take a battering over their long lives.
Sometimes, this means it needs a full repair – but more cosmetic damage can usually be cleaned up.
If it’s just cosmetic damage, why bother?
While you could sometimes get away with just ignoring it, there’s usually a good reason to show your shutters some TLC.
Weather damage, for example, may seem harmless at first, but over time it can turn into a bigger problem. The same goes for scratches or dents.
Dirt, grime and dust, on the other hand, isn’t about to cause a breakdown – but it could be blocking the view through a visibility panel, or putting people off stepping inside if you’re in a public-facing business.
At the end of the day, damaged shutters just don’t look nice, do they? So let’s give them a scrub.
Cleaning dirt and grime
The general build-up of everyday dirt will mean your roller shutters will probably be ready for a clean once every 12 months.
For a general clean, with nothing too severe causing a problem, you can simply use warm water mixed with an everyday household cleaning detergent – even washing up liquid will do – and a sponge.
For more stubborn marks and stains, you can use a more abrasive nylon or plastic brush – but be careful if your shutter has a polyester powder coating, as too much abrasion could damage it. Use a stronger cleaner, such as Ajax cream or diluted Flash, rather than scrubbing your coating away.
Cleaning scratches and scuffs
Scuffs and shallow scratches to paint or coatings may be easily cleaned with a scratch remover that you’d use on a car, like T-Cut.
Make sure the door is dry, and use a clean cloth to firmly (but not aggressively!) rub over the scratch. This will remove the top layer of paint, hiding the scratch. Wipe it down with another clean cloth afterwards to remove the excess.
For more severe scratches, you may need to have your door’s coating touched up by a professional to ensure a clean match. We create polyester powder coatings to any BS or RAL colour, for example, so you won’t have any off-colour patches.
For scratches and scuffs on exposed metal, you’ll have to sand them down with metal sandpaper.
Door maintenance
Of course, your roller shutter’s finish is just one element you should be keeping an eye on – more important are the mechanisms themselves!
At NGF, we provide full maintenance packages to help ensure your doors and shutters say in tip-top condition, and that you’re meeting all of the requirements set out by the HSE.
If you’d like to know more about this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
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