ᐅ Roller Shutters: Aluminum vs. Plastic

Created on: 1 Aug 2013 09:34
K
kaho674
Ask three experts and you get six opinions.
We want to install electric roller shutters. The building price includes shutters with plastic slats. Now we’ve heard that beyond a certain width, only aluminum is recommended because plastic slats can deform. But exactly what width is that? How much does heat affect this? Of course, the largest window areas face south.

The answers from the window installers confuse us more than they help. One says from 4 m² (43 sq ft) it has to be aluminum, another says up to 3 m (10 ft) wide and 4.5 m² (48 sq ft) plastic is still okay, and the next only uses aluminum because of the heat in the south. The manufacturer doesn’t provide any information at all – which I find really disappointing! It’s a total mess.

Aluminum is quite expensive and we don’t want to spend unnecessary money. But of course, it would be awful if the shutters deform in the sun. Our largest windows are 2100 mm (83 inches) high and 1650 mm (65 inches) wide. What would you choose?
sirhc23 Jan 2016 11:52
For example, an additional gross cost of 1,700 EUR for 15 window units in our offer.
Weimy23 Jan 2016 17:29
sirhc schrieb:
For example, our quote includes a gross surcharge of 1,700 EUR for 15 window units.

Hello,
our surcharge is similar, I think around 1,500 €, but we are also getting partly venetian blinds, which are made of aluminum anyway.
M
micric3
16 Jan 2020 10:08
We are also facing this decision. Our construction supervisor recommends aluminum. Before that, we hadn’t really given it much thought. How did you decide and why?
kaho67416 Jan 2020 11:11
We chose aluminum because of the heat, but also because it makes it somewhat harder for intruders to cut through the slats with a utility knife.
D
dab_dab
16 Jan 2020 11:36
I don’t think much will be cut there; regarding burglary protection, roller shutters offer little benefit for private homes. They can simply be pulled out of their tracks.

The other advantages related to heat might be true, but personally, I didn’t find them worth the extra cost.
L
ludwig88sta
16 Jan 2020 12:32
Especially for new constructions, it is important to invest in heat protection. And if the additional cost from PVC to aluminum, as mentioned by @sirhc, is really only around 1.7k, that could be considered acceptable.