Motorising the door you already own: the smart, economical option
Your manual roller garage door still works, but the strap cuts into your hands, the crank handle steals a minute of your morning, or age is making the whole exercise a chore? Good news: in the vast majority of cases there is no need to change the door at all. Roller garage door automation means replacing the manual mechanism (winch or strap reel) with a tubular motor slid directly into the existing winding barrel. The curtain, the box and the guide rails all stay in place: you keep your door, its colour and its insulation — and you gain remote-controlled opening.
It is a light job — two to four hours of work, no masonry — that costs two to three times less than a full replacement. It is the favourite upgrade of our retired clients in Chatou, Enghien-les-Bains and Brunoy, and of busy families in Bois-Colombes or Maisons-Alfort juggling car, bikes and pushchair every morning — not to mention landlords who want a simple way to add value to a rental property.
How does the automation of your door unfold?
1. Free feasibility survey
Everything starts with a visit: we measure the diameter of the barrel (60 mm octagonal, round ZF profile and so on), estimate the curtain's weight from its area and material, check the condition of the slats, the fixings and the guide rails, and locate the nearest power point. If the door is too tired to be motorised with confidence, we say so plainly and point you to our new electric door installation page instead.
2. Choosing the motor and controls
The motor torque (expressed in newton-metres) is calculated from the real weight of the curtain, with a safety margin: an undersized motor wears itself out, an oversized one punishes the door. We select a wired or radio motor from a leading brand, paired with a receiver and two rolling-code remote controls. Possible options: wall switch, outdoor keypad, key switch, back-up battery and a smart-home module for smartphone control.
3. Fitting, wiring and adjustment
On the day, we take down the curtain, extract the old winch, sleeve the motor into the barrel with its adaptors, refit the fixings, run the 230 V supply neatly to the box, then set the upper and lower limit switches to the millimetre. Finally come the programming of the remotes, the calibration of the obstacle detection and a full series of test cycles.
4. Demonstration and guarantee
Before leaving, the technician shows you the declutchable manual override to use during a power cut, hands over the manual and the codes, and walks you through the basic care routine. Motor and workmanship are covered by our parts and labour guarantee.
Your door motorised in half a day
Free feasibility survey, firm quote within 24 hours, fast intervention across the whole of Île-de-France.
What automation changes, day to day
- Comfort: opening and closing from the car — no more strap in the rain, no more stubborn crank handle.
- Security of your belongings: a braked motor keeps the curtain locked shut and makes lifting it far harder, and lost remotes can be wiped from the receiver.
- Safety of people: obstacle detection stops the door at the slightest contact — real progress over a manual curtain that can drop.
- Longevity of the door: the motor moves the curtain smoothly and evenly, where manual handling batters slats and fixings.
- Property value: a motorised, connected garage is a selling point buyers notice in the suburbs.
Guide prices for an automation
- Wired motor with wall-mounted switch: €450 to €650, fitting included.
- Radio motor with two remote controls: €550 to €850 depending on the torque required.
- Options: outdoor keypad (€90 to €150), back-up battery (€120 to €200), smartphone smart-home module (€150 to €300), extra remote (€30 to €60).
- Preliminary refurbishment (fixings, seals, guide-rail adjustment): priced case by case if the door needs it.
Every quote is free, itemised and firm. And if your current door is not a roller but a sound up-and-over or side-hinged door, let's talk: depending on the layout, we will propose the appropriate motorisation or a replacement with a new roller door, manual or electric. After the fitting, an annual garage door maintenance visit keeps your motor in peak condition; and if anything goes wrong, our emergency service answers 24/7 on 07 66 54 96 41.
Fast appointments across all eight départements
Because automation is a short job, we group appointments by area to offer you quick slots: Paris itself, Hauts-de-Seine (Asnières-sur-Seine, Meudon), Seine-Saint-Denis (Rosny-sous-Bois, Livry-Gargan), Val-de-Marne (Alfortville, Sucy-en-Brie), and the whole outer suburban belt: Yvelines (Houilles, Sartrouville, Vélizy), Essonne (Yerres, Longjumeau, Les Ulis), Val-d'Oise (Ermont, Gonesse, Herblay) and Seine-et-Marne (Torcy, Combs-la-Ville, Fontainebleau). One phone call and your automation is booked — often within the week.
Frequently asked questions about automation
Can every manual roller door be motorised?
The great majority, yes: the winding barrel simply has to accept a tubular motor and the curtain must be in good condition. Our free survey checks exactly that; if the door is too worn, we tell you before you commit to anything.
How long does the work take?
Between two and four hours in most configurations: removing the manual mechanism, fitting the motor, wiring, setting the limit switches and programming the remotes are all completed within the same half-day.
Do I need a power socket in the garage?
The motor needs a 230 V supply near the box. If there isn't one, our technicians run the line from your consumer unit or a nearby socket, in tidy trunking, and the cost appears in the initial quote.
What happens to the manual operation after automation?
The original winch or strap is removed, but a crank-handle manual override is installed in its place: during a power cut you can open and close the door by hand, with no tools and no great effort.
Can I control the motorised door from my phone?
Yes, by adding a smart-home module compatible with your hub: remote opening, real-time door status and grouped scenes with your roller shutters all become available from the app.