Shops here lock up entirely behind a rolling shutter, and that changes what the shopfront glass and the counters inside have to do. A frontage that is protected by a shutter overnight needs different things from one standing exposed, and it is worth specifying for the way the shop actually operates.
Glass behind a shutter needs different things
Where a shutter closes over the frontage every night, the glass is not the overnight security barrier — the shutter is.
So the glazing can be specified for daytime use: clarity, size and appearance rather than resistance.
What it does need is clearance. Glass fitted too close to the shutter track gets touched every time the shutter runs, which is twice a day for years. We set the glass line back from the track deliberately, and it is the commonest thing got wrong here.
Counters that lock, in a shop that empties
Because these shops secure everything overnight, display cases need to be either emptied or locked, and emptying a case daily is a great deal of work.
So a lockable case with rear access is what most shops here actually want: the customer sees the goods and the shopkeeper reaches them from behind.
The hinge and lock take all the wear rather than the glass, since a case is opened hundreds of times a day. That hardware is where the money should go, and a cheap lock fails within a season.
Working in a shop that cannot be emptied
Stock in these shops fills every available inch, and there is nowhere to move it to while work happens.
So we work in short stages around it rather than asking for the shop to be cleared.
Measure on one visit, bring finished glass on another, fit in a couple of hours with only the immediate area cleared. Anything dusty happens first thing before the shutters go up. It is slower in total and it is the only practical way to work here.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
