The home safe zone or safe haven concept is popular with South Africans. This because of the fear factor brought about by perceptions of crime and the lived experience of many families. The thought of waking up with a threatening stranger next to your bed is terrifying. A safe zone allows families to relax in their homes because it helps keep intruders out of their personal space. We explore three ways roller shutters can create this safe zone in a home.
Roller shutter shutters are not to be confused with sectional roller shutter doors. Both types of roller shutter doors move upwards to open up the space. But sectional overheads usually move up and overhead like a garage door, while roller style shutters move up and wind neatly around a motor in a shutter box.
Sectional overhead doors require a lot more space than roller shutter doors. Roller style shutters roll up inside narrow side guides that can be recessed into the walls on either side of the shutter. Roller up roller shutters fit neatly inside a compact overhead shutter box.
Aluminium roller shutters are nothing like the industrial steel shutters that are often used to protect the front entrance of shops. The aluminium versions used in homes are lightweight but strong and look very elegant when lowered down to create a safe space.
How to Use Roller Shutters to Create a Safe Zone in Your Home
1. Seal off the Passage and/or Stairway
The first step to creating a bedroom area that keeps you safe at night is to seal it off from the rest of the home. This way, if criminals break their way into your living area, they won’t be able to reach you in the bedrooms because the roller shutter will block their way.
Well-designed and manufactured roller shutters are extremely strong. Some have been certified internationally for strength under attack and are called ‘lockdown’ roller shutters. One example is a Trellidor roller shutter model that has been awarded this type of certification. It is perfect for high crime risk locations. This level of strength is probably not necessary for most homes, but what’s reassuring is that the same design principles are used in lower price models.
Roller shutter door installations are seamless and safe for all age groups. No bottom track is needed, so there is no tripping hazard. Plus, there is no bottom track and therefore no need to cut into the flooring. The shutter rests on the floor in the lockdown position. It lifts completely up and out of the way when opened.
2. Block off Access through Windows
Roller shutters can be manufactured for windows as well as doors and passages. With these shutters in place on all bedroom windows, criminals will struggle to find a way into your home. A safe zone protected in this way significantly increases your peace of mind at night.
When you want to open up your home during the day, simply raise all the windows shutters to reveal the complete view outside. They’ll be out of sight in the shutter box until you need them for protection.
Window shutters, like the other roller shutters in your safe zone, are motorised. This makes them incredibly easy to use. They open and close using a hand-held remote-control unit. The roller shutter operation can be linked to your central control if you have a smart home.
3. Have Emergency Escape Measures in Place
An attempted break-in by criminals may not be the only emergency families have to face at home. Sometimes the emergency may be a fire inside the home, or a hostage situation of some kind. Fortunately, these are rare occasions, but they do happen.
There is also a loss of power to consider. Load shedding may have officially ended in South Africa, but there are times when there are unplanned power outages. The last situation anyone wants is to be stuck inside a safe zone behind immovable roller shutters.
For these reason, Trellidor offer some options for customers to consider, depending on the roller shutter model selected. These are:
- A range of roller shutter motors including battery back-up models.
- Solar powered motors.
- A manual override mechanism to use in case of a power failure. This mechanism is fitted to the inside of the shutter so that it is inaccessible to criminals on the outside. It is easy for family members to use during an emergency as it turns the motorised shutter into a manual roller shutter door.
If necessary, these options can be used to open roller shutters on doors and windows to get out of the home and escape the danger.
A word of warning: any window intended to be used as an emergency escape route must not have fixed burglar bars on it. There are many burglar bar designs that do open, including roller shutters. Make sure you have one of these types of burglar bars on at least one window in the safe zone.
Roller Shutter Door Maintenance
Like any other household fitting, roller shutter doors need maintenance to keep them operating in the best condition. This applies to roller shutter doors fitted anywhere including garages.
This is what Trellidor security experts recommend:
- Use a premium quality (salt free) car wash liquid, mixed with water as per the manufacturer’s directions.
- Use this mix and a soft cotton cloth to clean the entire roller shutter ‘curtain’ i.e. the slats that make up the shutter.
- Also wipe down the side guide channels in the walls.
- Never use abrasive cleaners, detergent based cleaners, or solvent based cleaners such as scouring agents, dishwashing liquids, washing powders, and thinners. These could adversely affect the expected life of the product.
- Hard to reach areas may require the use of a soft nylon bristle brush like a dishwashing brush.
- Dry the roller shutter slats and guides with a soft cotton cloth or chamois.
- Do not try to clean the motor inside the shutter box.
- But you can clean the box itself, wiping it clean as above.
Roller shutters are custom-made to fit each opening. So if you are considering a safe zone installation at home, contact your nearest Trellidor outlet for free advice on how to do this. They will help you design your safe haven, provide you with product options, and supply a roller shutter quote or a multi-product quote
