Aluminum Shutters in Palma: Buying Guide and Maintenance Tips

If you’re looking at aluminium shutters in Palma, the first thing is to think about your day-to-day: do you raise and lower them by hand, or would you rather have a motor? If you live in a high-floor apartment with wind (and that happens in Palma), a lightweight shutter that’s well guided makes a huge difference: it doesn’t rattle or get “stuck halfway” when it blows. In real-world purchases, what fails most often isn’t the aluminium, it’s the whole setup: the box, the guides, and the shaft. Ask what type of slat they’ll install: an aluminium slat with foam inside helps keep the living room from turning into an oven in August and, as a bonus, dampens some street noise. And watch the measurements: it seems trivial, but if the opening isn’t properly squared, you’ll end up with rubbing and that “scraping” sound every time you lower it. If you’re unsure whether to replace just the shutter or the whole system, think about this: if the old box is poorly insulated, no matter how good the shutter is, you’ll still notice drafts and heat.

I’ll put it to you with a typical example: you’re half asleep, you go to raise the bedroom shutter and you notice the strap is stiff. That’s when you start considering motorization. A motorized shutter isn’t just “convenience”: it prevents yanking, extends the system’s lifespan, and you get rid of the frayed-strap problem. That said, if the installation is done in a rush, the scares come later: poorly adjusted limit switches (it goes up too far and bangs) or a motor that strains because the shutter rubs in the guides. The practical bit: ask them to check the shaft and the brackets, and leave the shutter lowering smoothly, without sudden stops. And if you’re concerned about security, consider a lock or an anti-lift system; it’s not a movie, but on ground floors it’s appreciated. Friendly advice: before choosing a motor, confirm whether you have an outlet near the shutter box or if you’ll need to run wiring.

Maintaining an aluminum shutter is more about consistency than mystery. In Palma, with sea salt and dust, what you notice most is that the tracks gradually fill with grime: you lower the shutter and it feels like it’s dragging sand. Once a month (or every two if you’re not big on routines), run a brush or vacuum along the tracks and inside the box, then wipe the slats with a damp cloth. No direct high-pressure jets into the box—you can force water into places it shouldn’t go. If you hear squeaking, don’t fix it with just any oil: use a suitable lubricant on the tracks (a small amount) and check that there isn’t a bent slat. Warning signs: the shutter tilts, jerks as it goes up, or makes a “clack” at the end; that usually means the axle is out of adjustment or a part is damaged. And if it’s motorized, test a full raise from time to time: if the motor sounds more “strained” than normal, it’s working too hard. Fixing it in time is usually cheap; leaving it for months ends up meaning parts need replacing.