Need To Lubricate Your Roll Down Hurricane Shutters? Here's How To Do It

When you live in an area that is prone to being in the path of hurricanes, you want to do everything possible to protect your home from sustaining severe damage. One of the best ways to do so is by installing roll down hurricane shutters on the exterior of your home. Yet once they are installed, you also need to give them the maintenance needed to keep them in great condition year after year. This usually involves lubricating them on a regular basis, which unfortunately is something many homeowners fail to keep up with after installation. 

To make sure you know how to lubricate your roll down hurricane shutters and why doing so is so important, our shutter experts here at Rollac are ready to tell you everything you need to know.

Why Lubricating Hurricane Shutters Is Important

Over the years, we here at Rollac have found that one of the biggest myths about hurricane shutters is that they require no maintenance after installation. However, the fact is they do require regular maintenance each year, especially prior to hurricane season.  

As to why lubricating your roll down hurricane shutters is so important, it has to do with the many parts that make up your roll down hurricane shutters. Whether you have manual roll down shutters or have installed motorized shutters on your home, regular lubrication of the shutters will ensure the tracks are smooth and clean, which enables the roll down shutters to slide up and down very easily. 

When this does not happen, it puts greater stress on mounting screws, brackets, and especially motors, all of which can lead to unexpected problems and shorten the lifespan of your shutters.

Which Shutter Parts Need Lubrication?

There are many parts on your home's hurricane shutters that require regular lubrication. Of course, the most important are the shutter tracks that allow your roll down shutters to go up and down as needed. Whether you have manual or motorized shutters on your home, always make it a priority to keep the shutter tracks lubricated. 

In addition to the shutter tracks, don't forget about other parts of your shutters such as:

• slats
• mounting rails
• fasteners
• screws

Should enough dirt and grime accumulate on your shutter's slats, it is possible they may become stuck and become unable to go up and down as needed. Should this occur, this could greatly impact your shutter and put your home at greater risk of being damaged during a storm.

What Is Used to Lubricate Shutters?

When you are preparing to lubricate residential shutters on your home or commercial shutters you may have installed on your business, don't just reach for a can of oil to lubricate your shutters. If you do, you will be making a big mistake.

When you use regular oil or a lubricant that is oil-based, this will actually make it much easier for dirt, grime, sea salt, and other types of debris to accumulate within the shutter tracks, mounting rails, and even between the slats. Instead, we highly recommend you use a silicone-based lubricant for your hurricane shutters. Along with being much less messy than standard oil, a silicone lubricant will not harm any components of your roll down shutters, will require you use only a few sprays here and there, and will be much better at keeping debris from accumulating in the shutter tracks and between the slats.

Choose the Right Lubricant

Since you have likely spent thousands of dollars to purchase and install your roll down hurricane shutters, we suggest you not choose just any lubricant for your shutters. Instead, we always believe that a well-known brand such as WD-40 will be your best bet. 

Along with having an excellent reputation for quality, WD-40 usually comes with attachments that allow you to spray into hard-to-reach areas. This can be important, since this will let you reach screws and mounting fasteners that may otherwise get ignored. By choosing the best lubricant for hurricane shutters, you'll gain peace of mind as well as protect the substantial investment you have made in your home or business.

Lubricating Your Hurricane Shutters Step-by-Step

Before you lubricate your roll down hurricane shutters, we suggest you:

1. Clean your shutters with soap, warm water, and a soft-bristle brush. 
2. Once you have done this to the shutter tracks, rails, and slats, carefully spray a minimal amount of silicone spray on these areas of your shutters. Since silicone spray is very effective at lubrication, you'll only need a small amount to get the job done.
3. Remember to apply the lubricant from one end of the tracks to the other to ensure smooth operation. 
4. Do the same with the mounting rails and slats, since this will prevent debris buildup.
5. Once you have finished applying the lubricant to your shutters, use paper towels to wipe away any excess spray.
6. Test the shutters to make sure they easily move up and down as expected.

More Tips for Your Hurricane Shutters

While lubricating is probably the most important part of roller shutter maintenance, we want to remind you that there are other maintenance tips you should keep in mind as well. 

First, always do a monthly inspection of your roll down hurricane shutters, especially prior to hurricane season when the shutters may not be used very often. When doing so, look closely for any screws that may be loose, mounting rails or fasteners that are loose or damaged, and for signs that insects may have taken up residence in and around the shutters. Unfortunately, bees love to build nests inside tracks or mounting rails sometimes. If you find these, safely remove them and then clean the area with soap and water.

As for cleaning your shutters, do so twice each year when they are opened as well as closed. This will rid them of debris, keep them looking great, and ensure they will move up and down within their tracks very easily.

Find Out More Today

Whether you've got questions about how to fix roller shutter problems or are now ready to purchase rolling shutters for your home or business, find out more by contacting us today here at Rollac. Once you do, you'll discover why more and more people each year put their trust in us!