Electric Up and Over Doors

Electric Operators for Up and Over Garage Doors

Every up and over garage door we supply can be converted to remote control electric operation with the right operator and the right fixing components. This guide explains why so many buyers now specify automation as standard, how retractable and canopy doors differ once a motor is involved, which operators suit which doors, and the control methods available once the door is installed.

Why Specify an Electric Operator

An operator is one of the lowest cost upgrades you can add to a new garage door and it changes how the garage is used every single day. These are the reasons buyers tell us they would never go back to a manual door.

Better everyday security

A quality operator is a locking device in its own right. The carriage holds the door panel shut at the top and the motor resists any attempt to lift the panel, so there is no handle to attack and no lock barrel to defeat from outside. Hormann and Garador operators include a mechanical anti lift kit that engages in the track stop as the door closes, and it stays engaged during a power cut. CarTeck offer a magnetic motor lock rated to resist an attack force of 300kg. Sommer built operators apply active counter pressure if the panel is lifted at any point in its travel.

Much easier daily operation

No getting out of the car in the rain, no wrestling a stiff handle, no lifting a heavy panel. One press of a handset opens the door on approach and closes it behind you. Soft start and soft stop is standard on every operator on this page, so the door moves smoothly and quietly rather than slamming into its end positions. Opening speeds of 180 to 240mm per second on the faster models mean the door is clear before you have finished turning onto the drive.

The door is always left closed

Manual doors get left open. It is that simple. With an automated door the cycle finishes on its own, the door returns to a preset closed position, and two way handsets and wall stations let you check the door position from indoors without walking out to look. Add an optional closing timer with a photocell and the door will close itself after a set period if it has been left open.

Ideal for larger and heavier doors

The wider and heavier the panel, the more an operator earns its money. Double width doors, timber faced panels, insulated panels and GRP one piece doors are all noticeably heavy to lift by hand and get heavier as springs age. Operators are rated by pull force, from around 400N for a small light panel up to 1000N for a full double width door, so there is a correct match for every panel size and weight rather than a compromise.

You actually use the garage again

This is the benefit customers mention most after installation. When the door opens in a few seconds from the driver's seat, the garage becomes somewhere you park the car, not just somewhere you store things. That protects the vehicle overnight, keeps frost off the windscreen, reduces the risk of vehicle theft from the drive, and often reduces the insurance risk on the car as well.

Accessibility and shared use

An automated door removes the physical effort completely, which matters for older users, anyone with a back or shoulder problem, and anyone carrying shopping or managing children. Extra handsets, wall buttons and keypads mean the whole household can operate the door safely without anyone needing to handle the panel.

Retractable and Canopy Doors Are Not the Same

Any one piece up and over door is fitted with either canopy gear or retractable gear, and the difference matters enormously once you add a motor.

Retractable gear is the natural choice for automation

A retractable door panel travels back into the garage on horizontal tracks and sits level under the ceiling when open. The motor only needs to push and pull the top of the panel, which is exactly what a boom and belt or chain drive operator does. The operator sits just above the top of the panel and connects to the door with a towing arm to drive it in both directions. Nothing else is needed, so a retractable door is the simplest, safest and cheapest door to automate.

Most up and over doors over 8 feet or 2438mm wide will be retractable gearing as standard, because the panel weight is beyond canopy gear. All double width doors are retractable only.

 

Canopy gear needs a bow arm converter

A canopy door pivots so that around one third of the panel projects forward of the frame when open, which gives maximum drive through width and the simplest installation. Because the panel does not travel back into the garage on tracks, a boom operator cannot simply pull on it. A bow arm converter is fitted to the back of the door panel to transfer the drive of the operator to the correct points on the door so it opens and closes properly. These converters vary in shape and design by manufacturer, and the operator itself often needs a higher force rating to cope.

Important checks before automating any canopy door:

• The panel needs sufficient strength and enough solid fixing points to take the stresses the motor drive applies.
• The gear needs to be correctly balanced, because a poorly balanced canopy door will never automate reliably or safely.
• Older canopy doors are best left manual, or checked by a specialist before any operator is bought.
• Where a new door is ordered with automation in mind, the converter parts are factory fitted and supplied ready to install.

Canopy gear is still the right answer when the garage will not accept retractable gear, for example where roof trusses, a low or sloping ceiling, storage racking, a boarded loft or an obstruction behind the opening prevents the horizontal tracks being hung. It is also chosen on narrow openings at around 7 feet or 2134mm where retractable lifting arms would eat into the drive through width, although Hormann offer a retractable PLUS option that raises the side arm pivot point above typical wing mirror height to recover that width.

In short: specify retractable gear if the garage allows it. Specify canopy gear with a good quality bow arm converter and a powerful operator if it does not.

  

Operators by Brand and Model

Below are the operator ranges we specify most often on up and over doors. Manufacturers rate their motors differently, some in newtons of pull force and some in newton metres of torque, so compare within a brand rather than across brands.

Hormann operators

The Series 4 range with BiSecur bi directional radio, a standard HCP interface for smart home connection and a mechanical anti lift kit on every model.

All Hormann up and over doors can be automated. Retractable doors need only the operator and towing arm. Canopy doors need a good quality bow arm converter plus a powerful operator, and the SupraMatic models are the safer specification in that situation.

Garador operators

The GaraMatic Series 4 range shares the same engineering platform and BiSecur radio, with a 5 year warranty and two hand transmitters supplied as standard. Importantly, Garador supply factory matched canopy versions of each operator complete with the bow arm, so a single canopy up and over door can be automated as one specified package.

All GaraMatic operators comply with the current European standard for powered doors, with automatic reversal, self monitoring closing forces and an integral anti burglar device.

Seip operators

A well proven German range rated by pulling force in kilograms, with automatic force measurement, soft start and soft stop, an automatic chain tensioning system, a dust protected C rail and a 433MHz rolling code radio. A wall push button, a four channel MIDI transmitter and an emergency release are supplied as standard with every model.

The TM 60 suits single retractable doors and well balanced doubles. The TS 75 handles heavier single panels such as steel framed timber faced doors and standard double width doors. The TS 100 is the model to specify for heavy double doors and for canopy conversions, where the special canopy adaptor is required.

Somfy Dexxo Smart operators

Somfy build their own motors with smart ready control boards, so the operator is designed from the outset to sit inside a wider home automation system rather than being retro fitted to it.

Door type is selected on the control board, including an up and over setting, and the motor direction is reversible to suit the installation. Programmable opening and closing speeds, adjustable slowdown zones, partial opening and a battery backup option are all available, and the Set and Go tool gives the installer fine control at commissioning. The door must move freely by hand, needing under 150N of effort, before the operator is fitted.

CarTeck DRIVE operators

CarTeck use a fixed chain drive rather than a revolving chain or belt, which runs quietly and has a strong reliability record. Force is quoted in newton metres.

The 600 models accept the full range of option packs. Those packs are the reason many buyers choose CarTeck: a Power Pack battery module for up to five cycles during a power failure, Parking Packs with a laser guide and a humidity sensor that vents the garage automatically after a wet car is parked, Ambience Packs with 6000 lumen magnetic LED strips and a motion sensor, Safety Packs with a photocell, Access Packs with an outdoor keypad or a two function wall switch, Security Packs with the magnetic motor lock, alarm buzzer and relay, and a Smart Pack output module that reports door status to a smart home system.

CarTeck MOTOR

The MOTOR is the simpler integrated option, with the drive and control unit fitted discreetly above the door for straightforward push button operation and a choice of accessories. It works with myQ, so the door can be operated from a phone or tablet from anywhere with a connection.

The 800 XL operator for the GDO door range

Our own GDO steel up and over doors are supplied with the 800 XL, a German built universal operator that is a genuinely strong all rounder and, crucially, is approved for canopy doors with the correct special fitting.

• 800N maximum traction and pressure force, 240N rated force, panel weight up to 140kg
• Suits doors up to 6000mm wide and 2500mm high on standard track, with a rail extension set taking travel to 6038mm for taller openings
• Maximum speed 180mm per second with soft start and soft stop and self learning force curves
• Universal door type selection covering overhead, sectional, swinging, canopy, side sectional and sliding doors
• High self locking force with active counter pressure against any attempted lift
• Wear free pre tensioned galvanised steel chain, maintenance free in service
• Bi directional SOMloq2 radio with 128 bit AES rolling code and command confirmation, plus door position query
• Carriage engages and disengages in any position from the emergency release cord, and lifts out without dismantling the track
• Under 0.5W standby, LED lighting, under 59dBA in operation, IP21
• Options include a battery pack for power failures, Lumi+ additional LED lighting, a photocell, warning light, pulse button, wicket door contact and an alarm buzzer

Canopy doors need the special fitting kit, so tell us the gear type when you order and we will supply the correct package.

Control Methods to Consider

The operator is only half the decision. How the household will actually use the door decides which controls to add, and most of them are far cheaper specified at the time of order than retro fitted later.

Hand transmitters

Almost every operator comes with two handsets working on impulse signalling. One press opens, the next press stops the door, and a third press closes it. The door runs to preset open and closed positions, so you only ever need to stop it deliberately. Modern handsets use encrypted rolling codes so the signal cannot be captured or cloned, and many are two way, showing you the door position on the handset even when the door is out of sight. Multi channel handsets, such as the four button Hormann and Garador units, the CarTeck Pearl and the Seip MIDI, can also run a second door, a gate, a light or an external receiver.

Internal wall controls

Hard wired or wireless push buttons for inside the garage or inside the house. A single button runs one door and two button versions run two. Two way wall stations show whether the door is open or closed, which is the control most customers use daily from the utility room or hallway.

External keypads

A wall mounted code pad lets anyone you trust open the door with a programmable code and no handset, which is ideal for family, cleaners or trades. Better units are backlit for use in the dark, and multi door versions run two doors from one pad.

Key switches and external release

Every operator has an internal emergency manual release, a short cord that disconnects the carriage from the panel so the door can be worked by hand during a power cut or a tripped fuse. Better operators then let you relock the panel so the garage is not left unsecured. If the garage has no other door into it, an external release is essential. That is usually a lock cylinder and cable outside the door, or a kit that connects the release to a retained door handle. The kit differs by door make and model, so it must be specified with the door.

Photocells and added safety

The basic safety on every operator is force sensing: the motor detects the surge as the panel meets an obstruction, then stops and reverses. That system only performs properly if the door is correctly balanced as a manual door before the operator is fitted. Where extra protection is wanted, for example a door opening straight onto a public footpath or highway, a garage used by children, or any door set on a closing timer, add infra red photocells across the opening for non contact detection.

Convenience accessories

Worth considering at the point of order: battery backup modules so the door still works when the power is off, extra LED lighting strips and motion sensors for a properly lit garage, laser parking guides, humidity venting, warning buzzers, half open ventilation positions and self closing timers.

Smart App Control

Smartphone control has moved from a novelty to the reason many buyers upgrade, because it answers the question every household asks at some point: is the garage door shut?

What app control gives you in practice:

• Open and close the door from anywhere, so a delivery, a family member or a trades visit can be dealt with while you are out
• See the real door status rather than guess, and close it remotely if it has been left open
• Grant access to other people's phones permanently or temporarily, and withdraw it again, with no keys or handsets to hand over
• No handset to lose, and no handset left in a parked car where it can be stolen
• Link the door into scenes and routines with lighting, alarms, gates and heating, or into voice control
• Notifications when the door is used, which is useful if the garage is a side entrance to the house

Somfy is smart ready by design

Somfy make their own motors with smart ready control panels and the io homecontrol protocol built in. io homecontrol is a bi directional encrypted radio standard on 868 to 870MHz, so the door confirms that commands have been received and reports its position back rather than sending a one way signal. A Dexxo Smart io operator pairs with TaHoma or Connexoon Access to give app control, remote access and scenes alongside other io products around the property, such as awnings, blinds, shutters and gates. Because the protocol is designed in rather than bolted on, there is no extra bridge module to add and the installer can fine tune speeds, partial opening and slowdown zones with the Set and Go tool.

Hormann and Garador

Both use BiSecur bi directional radio, where every operator, receiver and control is fully compatible across the range. SupraMatic 4 operators include a Bluetooth receiver as standard for the BlueSecur app, which allows permissions to be passed permanently or temporarily to family phones. Every operator carries the standard HCP interface, so the door can be networked with Hormann homee or a third party smart home system.

CarTeck

CarTeck MOTOR works with myQ for app control from anywhere. On the DRIVE range the Smart Pack output module transfers the open or closed status of the door into a smart home system.

Sommer built 800 XL

The 800 XL uses the bi directional SOMloq2 radio system with 128 bit AES rolling code encryption, command confirmation and door position query, and the SOMlink module gives setting and diagnostic access from a phone or tablet web app.

Specifying the Right Operator

1. Confirm the gear type. Retractable needs the operator only. Canopy needs a bow arm converter or manufacturer adaptor and usually a higher force model.
2. Measure the door width and height, and account for panel weight and material. Timber, insulated and GRP panels need more force than plain steel.
3. Check the headroom above the panel for the boom and carriage, and how the track will be hung.
4. Make sure the door is correctly balanced and moves freely by hand first. An operator cannot compensate for tired springs and worn gear.
5. Decide whether the garage has a second door. If not, order an external emergency release.
6. Choose the controls now: extra handsets, internal wall station, external keypad, photocells, battery backup and app control.

Every garage door we sell can be automated and, when set up correctly, complies with the relevant safety regulations on obstacle detection. If you tell us the door, the gear type and the opening size, we will confirm the correct operator and the exact fixing components needed.

Common Questions

Can any up and over door be automated?

Any new door from our range can. An existing older canopy door may not have the panel strength, fixing points or balance needed, so take advice before buying an operator. An electric operator is not a solution or substitute for a badly worn or old door which requires replacing or new springs and other parts.

Does a canopy door cost more to automate?

Yes. It needs a bow arm converter or a manufacturer specific adaptor and often a higher force operator, which is why we usually recommend retractable gear where the garage allows it. Canopy door electric operators with converters are useful for when you require the maximum drive through width possible and use canopy operating gear.

What happens in a power cut?

Pull the internal emergency release cord to disconnect the carriage and work the door by hand. Add an external release if the garage has no other entrance, or a battery backup module so the door keeps cycling.

Is an automated door more secure than a locked manual door?

In most cases yes. The operator holds the panel closed at the top and resists lifting, and models with an anti lift kit or a magnetic motor lock add a mechanical lock that stays engaged when the power is off.

Will the operator cope with a double width door?

Choose by force rating. A 750N or 500Nm class operator suits most single and lighter double doors, while 1000N, 600Nm, 100kg or 800N class operators are the specification for full double width and heavy panels.

Do I need photocells?

They are not required on a standard domestic installation with force sensing, but we strongly recommend them where the door opens onto a public path or road, where children use the garage, or where a self closing timer is fitted or a smart app is used.