Toilet Roller Shutters: Varieties And Material, Pros And Cons, As Well As How To Properly Install And Operate

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

What are roller shutters in the toilet for, their advantages and disadvantages

For most people, roller shutters on the windows have become commonplace, but when they hear about using them in the toilet, they do not know what they are for there. Even in new buildings, not to mention old houses and apartments, a window is rarely made in the toilet, so people are surprised to hear about this concept. In reality, plumbing shutters have a different purpose compared to those installed on windows - they are necessary to hide a niche in the wall where various communications are located.

Content

• 1 Toilet roller shutters - what are they for

• 2 Design and mechanism of sanitary roller shutters

  • 2.1 Types of toilet roller shutters

    • 2.1.1 Material, profile and lock
    • 2.1.2 Control mechanism
    • 2.1.3 Color and design
  • 2.2 Dimensions of toilet roller shutters
  • 2.3 Main advantages and disadvantages

• 3 Assembly and installation of toilet roller shutters

  3.1 Video: installation of roller shutters in the toilet

• 4 Repair of plumbing shutters

  4.1 Recommendations for use

• 5 Reviews

Toilet roller shutters - what are they for?

When making repairs in an apartment or purchasing new housing, people pay attention not only to creating beauty and comfort in living rooms, but also to how comfortable it will be in the toilet, bathroom, pantry. The peculiarity of the toilet is that a large number of different communications are concentrated in this room: sewer and water pipes, water meters, filters. All this is necessary to ensure a comfortable stay in the house, but if these items are in sight, then they do not give the room aesthetics.

To solve the problem of toilet decoration, modern designers use a solution such as roller shutters. In this case, they have a different purpose than those used on windows - they serve to decorate a niche in which communications are located. Since these roller shutters do not have to provide protection against burglary, but play a decorative role, lightweight materials are used for their manufacture.

With the help of roller shutters, a niche with communications is closed in the toilet

In addition to the fact that such roller shutters improve the aesthetic perception of the room, they also allow, if necessary, to get quick and easy access to communications. Periodically, it is necessary to monitor the readings of the water meters, problems with the pipes may arise, and the filter will need to be replaced. All this can be easily done by opening the roller shutters. If earlier they tried to hide communications behind false walls, which eventually had to be broken, now they have been replaced by roller shutters.

The device and mechanism of plumbing shutters

Despite the different functions, toilet roller shutters and those that are installed on windows have the same design. They consist of the following elements:

• a canvas assembled from a number of lamellas;
• a shaft, inside of which there is a spring that balances the weight of the canvas and keeps it from spontaneous opening;
• guide strips;
• a box in which there is a shaft with a spring;

• control mechanism. It can be either mechanical or electrical.

  

  Plumbing and window shutters have exactly the same structure

If the opening width is less than 52 cm, then experts recommend installing roller shutters not with spring, but with cord control

When the roller shutters are opened, the slats are wound on a shaft hidden in the box. When closed, they are lowered and fixed with a lock.

There are several options for installing roller shutters in the toilet:

1. The box is inserted into the opening. This is the best option used during toilet renovations. After the roller shutters have been fixed, ceramic tiles or other finishing material are laid on the walls. This solution makes the guides almost invisible.

   

   Mounting with a box inside allows you to hide the entire roller shutter mechanism, it is best to carry it out during repairs

2. Box out. This option is used in the case when communications are located not only in a niche, but also near it.

   

   When communications do not make it possible to hide the box inside, it is taken out

3. Overlay. In the event that the roller shutters are mounted directly on a tiled wall, they are installed overlay. Although this reduces the usable area of the room, its appearance is improved.

   

   For overlay mounting, the box is attached directly to the wall

Varieties of toilet shutters

Toilet roller shutters may differ in the following ways:

• material;
• profile used;
• lock type;
• type of mechanism;
• control method;
• sizes;
• design solution.

It is clear that heavy steel roller shutters should not be installed in the toilet. For this case, you need to choose models made of lightweight and durable materials (plastic, aluminum).

Material, profile and lock

The material for the roller shutters used in the toilet can be the same as for those installed on the windows. The only exception is wood, since it is quite expensive and does not tolerate humidity, which is almost always high in the toilet and bathroom.

The optimal materials for roller shutters in the toilet are:

• plastic. This is the cheapest, but not the worst option. Plastic is not afraid of moisture, does not lend itself to corrosion, weighs little, is available in different colors and is strong enough;

  

  Plastic roller shutters are the cheapest option

• aluminum. Roller shutters made of this material will be strong, durable, beautiful and lightweight;

  

  Aluminum roller shutters will be the best choice for the toilet because they are lightweight, strong and durable

• steel. Steel roller shutters have high strength and durability, but they are rarely installed in a home toilet, but they will be an excellent solution for a public bathroom.

  

  Metal roller shutters are rarely installed in the toilet, while it is better that they are made of stainless steel

For plumbing shutters, a simple roll-formed profile with foam filler is sufficient. This solution allows you to provide the required sound insulation characteristics. A more robust burglar-resistant profile can be used for installation in a public toilet.

The presence of foam in the profile increases the sound insulation characteristics of roller shutters

For structures installed in an apartment, a conventional gate valve will be sufficient, with the help of which the roller shutters are fixed in the closed position. For public bathrooms, such devices must be equipped with a full-fledged lock.

In roller shutters for a home toilet, conventional bolt latches are enough

It is recommended to install roller shutters to the full height of the niche in order to provide free access to all communications located there

Control mechanism

Roller shutters can be operated:

• manually;
• using an electric motor.

It is not rational to use electric controls for the toilet, since the weight of the structure is small and it is quite enough to be able to lift the sash with your hands.

In turn, the mechanical type of drive can be of two types:

• tape or cord. It is enough to pull on the tape attached to the shaft and the structure is activated. This control allows you to open roller shutters weighing up to 15 kg. In this case, you will have to make certain efforts, and in the intermediate position, the roller shutters will not be fixed;

  

  The belt control mechanism does not allow fixing the sash in an intermediate position and requires the application of physical force

• spring-inertial. This is a more convenient option - when the roller shutters are opened, they can be fixed at any height. Please note that this type of drive cannot be used with a construction width of less than 52 cm.

  

  The spring-inertial mechanism allows you to fix the canvas in any position using latches

Color and design

With the help of roller shutters, you can not only hide the communications in the toilet, but also decorate this room. When choosing, be sure to take into account the style and color scheme used in the design of the toilet room.

There is a large selection of toilet roller shutters, you can always find exactly the one that suits your case. There are several options for choosing colors and designs:

• roller shutters match the color of the walls. If you choose the shades as accurately as possible, this element will be almost invisible;

  

  If the colors are well chosen, roller shutters will be given out only by their ribbed surface.

• contrast solution. If you want to focus on roller shutters, then they are made in a contrasting color. It is necessary to choose the right combination and take into account that the toilet is small. Experts recommend using a maximum of 2-3 colors for its design;

  

  One of the design options for a bathroom can be a game of contrast

• photo printing. This is the most beautiful, but also the most expensive option. You need to choose an image that is not applied using a film, since it is quickly erased, but by UV printing.

  

  When decorating a toilet, you can choose roller shutters with photo printing and use contrasting colors

If you don't like to take risks, then you can use the simplest and safest option - white roller shutters. White fits into any design solution, but it looks best on walls decorated in light colors.

Dimensions of toilet roller shutters

When choosing dimensions, it is necessary to take into account not only the width and height of the device itself, but also the size of the guides.

The guides are used to hold and move the lamellas and are attached to the side walls. Their standard sizes are 53x22 or 53x60 mm.

The dimensions of the guides are standard and are 53x22 mm or 53x60 mm

When opening, the lamellas are wound on the shaft and hidden in the body. There are several standard box sizes:

• 137x137 mm, it is used when the roller shutter height does not exceed 160 cm;
• 150x150 mm - construction height no more than 200 cm;
• 165x165 mm - height up to 288 cm;
• 180x180 mm - roller shutter height up to 365 cm.

Now almost all manufacturers provide such a service as custom-made roller shutters. To do this, you need to make the correct measurements and contact your chosen company. If you are not sure that you can make the measurements correctly, manufacturing firms provide such a service for free and an experienced measurer will do everything for you.

If necessary, you can make not rectangular roller shutters, but triangular or arched ones, but they will cost much more

Main advantages and disadvantages

If you are still in doubt about whether or not to install roller shutters in the toilet, check out the main advantages of this solution:

• all communications are hidden;
• there remains free access to communications, you can get it in a few seconds. When using false walls, it will take much more time;
• ease of use;
• preservation of free space of the room, since the roller shutters open up;
• it becomes possible to store various items in a niche;
• easy installation, so you can install roller shutters yourself;
• good heat and sound insulation characteristics - noise from pipes practically does not penetrate into the room;
• reliability and durability;
• ease of maintenance, it is enough to periodically wipe the roller shutters with a damp sponge;
• access to communications for children, animals, strangers is limited;
• you can improve the design of the room, as there is a large selection of colors.

One cannot fail to note the disadvantages of roller shutters, although there are few of them and they mainly relate to cheap plastic models:

• high-quality aluminum roller shutters are quite expensive, not everyone can afford to buy them;
• plastic slats can be damaged during careless use;
• plastic surfaces are highly electrostatic, so dust accumulates on them and it is necessary to clean them more often;
• in some cases, roller shutters can "reduce the cost" of the appearance of an expensively decorated room, but a large selection of design solutions comes to the rescue.

Assembly and installation of toilet roller shutters

If you decide to install roller shutters in the toilet with your own hands, then there is nothing complicated about it. You need to have basic skills in performing plumbing work, as well as the necessary tools.

To install roller shutters you will need:

• measuring instruments;
• building level;
• electric drill;
• screwdrivers;
• rivet gun;
• puncher;

• fasteners.

  

  Installation of roller shutters requires tools that any home craftsman has

The roller shutter installation process will consist of the following steps:

1. Preparing the guides. They are applied to the wall, the attachment points are marked and holes are made with a pitch of 40-50 cm using an electric drill.

   

   Holes are drilled in the guides, the location of which depends on the installation method

2. Make holes in the box. Two holes are drilled along the edges of the protective cover through which it will be attached to the casing. On the back wall, holes are drilled at the points of attachment to the wall - they are selected in place.

   

   Holes are drilled in the box for fixing the cover and for fixing the structure on the wall

3. Connect the box and the guides, while making sure that there are flanges on the guides. If there are no flanges, you need to cut them yourself.

   

   Before assembling the roller shutter frame, make sure that there are flanges on the guides

4. The box is attached to the wall. For installation on brick or concrete surfaces, anchors or dowel nails with a diameter of 8 mm are used. Their length is selected so that the size of the working part located in the wall is at least 30 mm.

   

   The box is attached to the wall through the holes made earlier in its back

5. The guides are fixed on the wall, the fastening holes are closed with plugs.

   

   After mounting the guide, the holes are closed with plugs.

6. Install the canvas in the guides and put it into the box from the back. The blade should pass over the shaft. Then the upper lamella is fixed on the shaft and the spring is wound (the number of turns is taken from the instructions), after which it is fixed with a special bracket.

   

   The canvas is inserted into the box, fixed on the shaft and fixed with a special bracket

7. Check the course of the web - it should move smoothly, without jerks and distortions. If everything is in order, install the box cover and fix it with rivets.

   

   The lid is fixed with rivets or self-tapping screws through the holes made during the preparation of the box

For a high-quality installation of roller shutters, the wall must be flat in order to ensure maximum fit of the guides and the box

Video: installation of roller shutters in the toilet

Repair of plumbing shutters

Roller shutters have a not very complex design, so in the event of a breakdown, most problems can be dealt with by hand. To do everything correctly, it is recommended to study the instructions, which necessarily come with the roller shutters.

The most common breakdowns of roller shutters and how to fix them:

1. Damage to the box. A breakdown will be indicated by the appearance of noises inside the box, which arise due to the friction of the canvas on the body. To eliminate the malfunction, it is necessary to completely lower the canvas, then open the box cover, visually determine the cause and in case of failure of a certain part (usually a shaft bearing), replace it.

   

   For repair, you need to remove the box, and then replace the failed elements

2. The lamellas stopped going up or down. During the operation of the drive, you can hear that the shaft is moving, but the lamellas are in place. This is due to the breakage of the crossbars. It is also necessary to remove the cover of the box, inspect the crossbars and replace the broken ones with new ones.
3. Web skew. This problem usually occurs when foreign objects fall into the guides. It is necessary to inspect them and remove items that have got there.

4. Abrasions appeared on the side of the canvas, and the lamellas began to move slowly. Such a breakdown is associated with the failure of the plastic plugs located in the side profiles. To eliminate the breakdown, they must be replaced.

   

   Plastic plugs deform over time and begin to interfere with the free movement of the web

Recommendations for use

Usually there are no problems in the process of proper operation of roller shutters in the toilet. When lowering and raising the blade, care must be taken that no foreign objects get into the working area.

During the operation of roller shutters, especially if they are aluminum or iron, it is prohibited:

• put hands or foreign objects in the path of movement of the canvas;
• operate equipment with an electric drive if the cable or other elements of the electrical circuit are damaged;
• make great efforts to open / close the canvas, it is imperative to find the reason otherwise the lamellas will fail.

Make sure the lock or latch is open before opening the roller shutter. When cleaning profiles, the material from which they are made must be taken into account and the appropriate means must be chosen.

A soft sponge is usually used to clean roller shutters.

In order to ensure the reliable and durable operation of roller shutters in the toilet, it is recommended that they be inspected and serviced at least once a year. If you follow these simple recommendations, then the life of the roller shutters will be more than a dozen years.

Reviews

In a toilet located in a house or apartment, there is a niche in which communications and equipment are located. To hide pipes, meters, pumps, filters and other equipment located in a niche, the best solution would be to install plumbing shutters. After that, all communications will be reliably hidden, and in case of need for their repair or maintenance, free access will be provided to them. A wide selection of roller shutters allows you to choose them for any design solution, while, in addition to the main function, they will also act as decoration.