Roller shutters: Aluminum vs. Plastic

Why is aluminum better than plastic when it comes to heat?

Not against the heat, but because of the heat. Plastic shutters fade and deform. They should not be wider than 1.5m.

We had gray plastic roller shutters in the size 2.8 x 2.2 m facing southeast for 18 years. No repairs, no patina or noticeable fading, no deformation. Whether aluminum would have been better - no idea. The plastic certainly worked.

That I am writing down my experience here again, I wouldn't have thought either: We have plastic in anthracite over 2 meters wide on the south and west. Nothing is warped or faded.

We had gray plastic roller shutters in the size 2.8 x 2.2 m facing southeast for 18 years. No repairs, no patina or noticeable fading, no deformation. Whether aluminum would have been better – no idea. The plastic definitely worked.

You still got the good quality!!!
In the past, the material was much thicker and stronger.
Nowadays, the plastic slats of a roller shutter have become much thinner than 20 years ago. This is also intentional by the manufacturers.

Plastic
+ cheaper purchase price
- less stability
- shorter lifespan (especially for large elements), as the connections between the slats become brittle and break over time
- not always locked on the sides -> slats can shift more easily and the roller shutter jams
+ but single (defective) slats can also be replaced more easily as a result
- limited color selection
- easier to cut through during a break-in (utility knife) and tear out of the guide
- not very colorfast -> depending on sun exposure, they change their original color quite soon

Aluminum
- more expensive
+ more durable
+ much more stable
+ more colorfast
+ more selection
+ burglar resistant
+ somewhat better properties regarding thermal and sound insulation
+ slats are always locked on the sides, which makes everything smoother (also during installation, repair, etc.)

You still got the good quality!!!

What luck with a standard row house developer product.

We are also getting plastic roller shutters. Unfortunately, I didn't have this in mind, and when ordering samples, I didn't want to pay the extra charge to change it. Later, the site manager told us: "Never fully lower the roller shutters in summer because of the heat buildup between the roller shutter and the window." But I was puzzled by that...