Open the shutter box properly - this is how it works in 4 steps

• Roller shutter boxes made of wood
• Roller shutter boxes made of plastic
• Roller shutters in outdoor installation

Whether cleaning or replacing the roller shutter or belt, opening the roller shutter box will be necessary from time to time. What sounds complicated is actually very easy. With the right tool, you can open your roller shutter box yourself.

Open roller shutter boxes with different systems
If you have set yourself the task to open a roller shutter box, you must first note the system, because each box type can be opened differently. There is a distinction between wooden roller shutters, plastic or outdoor installation.

All these types can be opened independently and with common tools, only the procedure differs from type to type. One problem is often that the shutter box is either outside or over-painted or painted. In this case, the workload is slightly higher, but even such shutter boxes can be opened.

You need the following items:

• for wooden boxes
  • Phillips screwdriver
  • screwdriver
  • box cutter
  • spatula
  • ladder
  • magnet
• for plastic boxes additionally
  • narrow screwdriver
  • chisels
• for outdoor boxes
  • Cordless Screwdriver
  • brush

Roller shutter boxes made of wood

Step 1:
Wooden roller shutter boxes are either screwed with normal screws in the box, or they are secured with a hook system and hooks. First you have to find out which system the box is attached to, followed by the exposure. Since the roller shutter box cover is often covered with paint or wallpaper, you must free the gap between the cover and the frame. For this purpose, carefully prick the carpet knife in between and pull it around the box. Now the shutter box lid is exposed and no longer connected to the frame

Step 2 - at screw connections
If the roller shutter box is made of wood and the cover has been fastened with screws, you must first find it. This is not so easy when wallpaper or paint has been layered over it and they are thus covered.
However, this helps you with the magnet that finds a screw faster than you. Move the magnet along the outer edges of the box until the magnet is tightened by the screw. Use a pencil or a ballpoint pen to mark the location and search for the remaining screws.

Step 2 - with retaining hooks
If the roller shutter box is only hooked into the frame, you save a lot of work. The hooks can usually turn to the right or left and then sits the shutter box lid only loosely in the frame. Now lift it up a bit and then carefully out of the frame. The box is now open and you can do the necessary work.

Step 3 - with screws
When you have marked all the screws, you must first remove any paint or wallpaper from it. For this purpose, a spatula, with which you carefully expose the cross or the slot of the screw. Now drive once with the carpet knife around the screw head to release fixed color. As soon as you insert the screwdriver into the screw, you are already one step closer to the opening. Gently start moving the screwdriver until the screw moves.

Especially with old wooden boxes, the screws can be very persistent, as they have been in the wood for many years. In this case, a hot air gun will continue to help you to heat the bolts so that they expand. After cooling, the screw retracts, but the wood retains the expanded shape. Now you can unscrew the screw.

Step 4 - with screws
After you have loosened all the screws in the roller shutter box, you can carefully lift the cover out of the frame. Mostly located at the bottom of the cover a recess, which is the shutter box cover is placed in the frame. To remove the cover, lift the roller shutter cover upwards and then pull it away from the wall. If so-called rails are located to the right and left of the cover, you must first push the cover slightly upwards and pull the lower part away from the wall.

Short tips for roller shutter boxes made of wood:

• Replacement of color between box and frame
• Once round the cover with a carpet knife
• Remove screws from wallpaper or paint
• Heat stuck screws with hot air
• Carefully loosen the screws by turning them
• Remove all screws and set aside
• Carefully lift the cover upwards

Roller shutter boxes made of plastic

Step 1:
A shutter box made of plastic is usually completely flat in the wall embedded and almost flat, so that they are almost always painted over or over wallpapered. To open the roller shutter box, first look for the gap separating the frames and the cover. If you have felt it with your finger, gently prick a scratch with the carpet knife. Now pull the carpet knife once around the cover, so that the frame and shutter box lid are separated. Especially if the roller shutter box has been over-wallpapered, you have to be very careful here so as not to tear the wallpaper.

Step 2:
Even plastic models are sometimes screwed, with more often a so-called click mechanism is used. If there are screws, you must first look for them under the wallpaper or wall paint. To do this, you either use your fingers (when crossing over) or you work with a magnet. The magnet immediately indicates when it is above a screw. Drive slowly along the edge of the cover until you have discovered all the screws. Mark the positions of the screws with a ballpoint pen or a pencil. If it's a click system, you can skip this step and instead look for the hooks that press the roller shutter box lid into the frame. Press lightly against the cover, where the hooks are, you will feel resistance.

Step 3:
Once you have found all the screws, carefully remove possible paint or wallpaper residues with a spatula. If the screws are over-wallpapered, lightly scratch the wallpaper with the utility knife and slide aside until the screws are exposed. Now take the appropriate screwdriver (cross or slotted model) and start carefully with the loosening of the screw connection. Always turn in the direction of solution until the screw finally yields. If the screws are easily accessible, you can also work with a cordless screwdriver.

With a click model, you do not need to search for screws, you can start removing the cover immediately. The roller shutter box lid is under tension, so you first have to find out where the plastic hooks are. You notice this by pressing lightly against the roller shutter box lid. In the places where the hooks are, the plastic does not give way. Here you put the chisel and press the hook inwards. Carefully pry under the cover with the spike and then push it out of the frame. On the other side, do the same until you can lift the roller shutter box lid.

Tip: If you do not have a pick, you can also use a chisel from your tool box

Step 4
After you have removed all the screws, you can usually lift the cover immediately. Sometimes the roller shutter box lid is mounted in a kind of rail system, which is located on the right and left of the frame. In this case, slide the cover down until you can lift the lid off the wall and remove it.

Short tips for roller shutter boxes made of plastic

• Looking for a gap between the frame and the cover
• Cut into joint with the Ritz razor
• Pull the carpet knife once around the cover
• Remove existing screws from wallpaper / paint
• Look for hooks in click system
• Remove screws and lift off cover
• With click system, press the hook inwards

Roller shutters in outdoor installation

Step 1:
If the roller shutter box is mounted from the outside, there must be reliable protection against drafts. For this reason, the cracks between box and wall are usually sealed with weather-resistant silicone. To remove the roller shutter cover, you must first remove the silicone layer. This can be done with a carpet knife by piercing the silicone completely and then pulling the knife once around the box. The remaining silicone can be easily removed with a spatula

Tip: Ensure a secure fit and never attempt to reach the roller shutter box through the sill.

Step 2:
Unlike with roller shutters mounted inside, the box is not embedded in the wall of the exterior model, but is easily accessible from the outside. An external roller shutter box is usually not covered in paint or wallpaper, so the removal is easy by hand. Due to the weather conditions, the screws are often heavily contaminated, so you should first clean them with a brush, otherwise they are difficult to remove. Any existing rust can be removed with a rust remover, if the screws can not turn.

Step 3:
Make sure that the shutter box has a firm hold even if you loosen the screws. Start either up or down and always first loosen the screws on one side before continuing on the other side. For tight screws, use a regular screwdriver to gently loosen the screw with gentle back and forth motion. If the screws have loosened a bit, you can remove them completely with the cordless screwdriver. Before you remove the last screw, make sure that the roller shutter box lid is held securely and does not crash.

Step 4:
After you have loosened all the screws, you can carefully pull the roller shutter box cover away from the wall. If you encounter resistance, silicone residues may be present. Take the spatula again and drive deep between the wall and the box cover.

Check to see if you still see any traces of the silicone layer, if so, remove them with the spatula. Take the box with both hands and pull it backwards. In modern models, a flap may be attached to the bottom, which can be removed after loosening the screw connection. In this case you do not have to remove the complete box.

Short tips for roller shutter boxes for outdoor installation:

• Release silicone for sealing with a carpet knife
• Clean screws with a brush
• Treat rusted screws with rust
• Turn off screws on one side first
• Hold shutter box and remove last screw
• Remove the lid from the wall
• Pull cover carefully backwards