Shutters are a great option for bars and serving areas. They’re easy to operate – sometimes manually or perhaps at the touch of a button – and they’re strong, for maximum security. They are usually also designed to be compact with minimum headroom requirements but still offer wide spans if needed. Shutters are also available in a wide range of designs and are made to measure to suit your premises and your requirements.
There are so many applications for shutters and grilles. Think of all the places you may have seen them: bars, restaurants, reception areas, canteens and departments within hospitals. They are ideal for securing relatively small areas whilst still maintaining a nice-looking environment, especially if short on space.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the points to consider when choosing shutters for your bar or service area.
Visibility
Do you want your clientele to see through your shutters? This will help inform your decision as to which type you go for.
If you would like your clientele to be able to see in, and your personnel to be able to see out, then a grille might be best.
Alternatively, for the best of both worlds, some shutters come with vision panels for partial visibility. This way you can have top security, whilst also advertising your work and maintaining good ventilation. There are various different options available that allow you to choose the amount of visibility and where on the door it is placed.
Fire protection
Some shutters can be linked to your fire alarm so that if the fire alarm is activated, the shutter automatically comes down. Other shutters are manually operated and the use of fusible links in the mechanism activates if the door is exposed to temperatures exceeding 55 degrees. The shutter then drops, creating a fire break.
Should I get a shutter or a grille?
Shutters and grilles are both vertical security solutions that drop down from the ceiling area to meet the counter.
The main difference between shutters and grilles is how the curtain looks and is made. Grilles are essentially an ‘open’ curtain, whereas shutters are ‘closed’.
Depending on your needs, you can decide which would work best for your area. Depending on the product, grilles can have poly-carbonate inserts to prevent ingress of dust particles, if this is something that would be troublesome. Another important factor is that grilles can allow light on either side of the curtain. Again, this may or may not be a desirable feature for you. More traditional shutter curtains are made from double-walled aluminium or sometimes steel for added strength. They can be installed as a built-in or a built-on system and with a choice of operational methods.
Both shutters and grilles, with their respective pros and cons, are good deterrents against intruders and so it is well worth investing in this additional security feature.
Conclusion
In this post, we’ve looked at shutters and grilles for bars and serving areas. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with us, then give us a call on 0121 605 6005.