The Motors Inside Our Screens: Somfy, Dooya, and Gaposa, and Why We Trust Them

Audie Builds — July 6, 2026

When you're comparing motorized screens, everyone shows you mesh samples and housing colors. Almost nobody talks about the component your screen depends on twice a day for the next decade: the motor. That's backwards. The motor is the difference between a screen you stop thinking about and a screen that becomes a service call.

So here's the tour nobody gives: which companies actually make the motors inside the four screen systems we install, why those companies have earned the industry's trust, and how the remotes, wall switches, and phone control tie into them. If you're going to trust a moving wall of screen over your patio, you should know what's moving it.

At a glance

• Motor type: Tubular motor, sealed inside the roller
• Somfy: SunPro, Universal MotionScreen, and the Mirage 4500
• Dooya (Somfy Group): Optional on SunPro builds
• Gaposa / high-speed encoded: MagnaTrack by Progressive Screens
• Motor warranty: 5-year coverage on every motorized line we sell
• Controls: Remotes, wall switches, Bond Bridge Pro app, wind and sun sensors

Where the motor actually lives

Every screen we install uses a tubular motor: a long, slim motor and gearbox that slides inside the aluminum roller tube the mesh wraps around. The whole drivetrain hides inside the roller, the roller hides inside the housing, and the housing seals it all away from rain, dust, and wasps. That's why a quality motorized screen is so quiet; you're hearing a motor buffered by the tube it's driving, tucked behind aluminum.

This design is also why good screens last. The motor never sees weather, carries the mesh at a controlled speed with set upper and lower limits, and on the systems we install it can sense trouble: current-sensing and obstacle detection stop the screen when something is in the way instead of grinding against it. A patio chair, a dog, or a curious kid stops the screen; it doesn't fight them.

Somfy: the company that invented this motor

In 1969, a French company in the Alps built the first tubular motor and effectively created this entire product category. That company is Somfy, and more than five decades later it's still the world leader in motorization for shades, screens, and awnings: operating in 57 countries, holding over 2,000 patents, with about 500 engineers dedicated to research and development. When an installer anywhere in the world says a screen is 'Somfy powered,' it's shorthand for 'the motor is the safe choice.'

Somfy motors drive most of our lineup. Our SunPro screens run Somfy with obstacle detection, Universal MotionScreen builds around quiet Somfy tubular motors with an auto-stop obstacle clutch, and the motorized Mirage 4500, built right here in Dallas, is Somfy driven as well. All of them use Somfy's RTS radio technology, the wireless control standard that has been proven across many millions of installed motors, and every Somfy tubular motor carries a 5-year factory warranty.

Dooya: the Somfy Group's volume brand

On SunPro builds you'll sometimes see a second name on the motor: Dooya. That's not an off-brand substitution. Somfy acquired majority ownership of Dooya in 2010, making Dooya part of the Somfy Group and one of the highest-volume tubular motor manufacturers in the world. SunPro offers both, and describes Dooya and Somfy together as its two motor options from renowned global leaders in home automation.

Practically, here's how we treat it: both are proven drivetrains backed by the same 5-year motor and controls warranty on SunPro systems. When a project calls for a specific control ecosystem or sensor package, that's what steers the motor choice, and we spec it with you at quote time rather than leaving it to whatever's on the shelf.

Gaposa and the high-speed motors inside MagnaTrack

Our premium-track line, MagnaTrack by Progressive Screens, takes its own path on motors. Progressive builds around Gaposa, the Italian tubular-motor specialist, alongside its Sense motors with obstacle detection and automatic limit setting, and its SHSM super-high-speed motors: encoded units that run at 90 RPM with the radio receiver built in.

Speed and encoding matter more on MagnaTrack than anywhere else in our lineup because the screens themselves are bigger. When a screen spans a 20-foot outdoor kitchen opening, a faster, encoded motor means the wall of mesh is down before the mosquitoes notice and the travel limits stay exact for the life of the unit. MagnaTrack motors carry the same 5-year coverage as the rest of our lines, inside a system warrantied with limited-lifetime aluminum and 15-year screen coverage.

One remote, a wall switch, or your phone

The motor is half the experience; control is the other half. Every system we install comes with handheld remotes, single-channel or multi-channel, so one remote can run one screen or the whole patio. Prefer something that never gets lost in a couch cushion? We install wall-mounted controls like Somfy's DecoFlex keypads, and MagnaTrack's Sidekick wall mount goes in with no hard wiring.

For phone and voice control we install the Bond Bridge Pro, a professional RF-to-Wi-Fi bridge that runs up to 50 devices and connects your screens to Amazon Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, and the pro ecosystems like Control4, Crestron, and Savant. That's how 'lower the patio screens' becomes a voice command or a scheduled scene, and it's the same setup we ran for the CRAFT rooftop bar so staff could drop ten commercial screens from an app. Add wind and sun sensors and the screens manage themselves: retracting automatically when gusts pick up, lowering against the west sun before the room heats up.

Warranties, registration, and why the dealer matters

Here's the part that actually protects you: every motorized line we sell carries 5-year motor coverage, sitting inside larger system warranties that run to limited-lifetime on aluminum and powder coating for SunPro, Universal, and Mirage. Those are written manufacturer warranties, linked on our motorized screens page, not verbal promises.

As the authorized dealer, we complete and file your warranty registration at install, and if a motor ever needs a claim, we handle the paperwork and the swap. Add our own 1-year workmanship warranty on the installation and you have coverage on the motor, the system, and the install itself. Because we carry four systems with three motor families between them, the motor in your screen is the one that fits your opening, your controls, and your budget, chosen on purpose. That's the whole reason to buy from a screen dealer instead of a catalog: someone local is accountable for the thing that moves.

Curious what a motorized screen runs with all of this included? See real DFW pricing, read how the track systems compare, or have us quote your patio in person.

Frequently asked questions

What brand of motor will be in my screen?

It depends on the system: SunPro screens run Somfy or Dooya (both Somfy Group), Universal MotionScreen and the motorized Mirage 4500 run Somfy, and MagnaTrack runs Gaposa-integrated motors including high-speed encoded units with obstacle detection. We tell you exactly what's specced on your quote, not after the install.

How long do tubular screen motors last?

Every motorized line we sell carries a written 5-year motor warranty, and the sealed tubular design, protected inside the roller and housing, is why these motors routinely run far past that. If one ever does fail, the tube design also makes it a straightforward swap rather than a rebuild, and as your dealer we handle the claim.

Can I control the screens from my phone?

Yes. We install the Bond Bridge Pro, which puts your screens in an app and connects them to Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, and professional systems like Control4, Crestron, and Savant. You can group screens, schedule scenes, and still keep the handheld remotes and wall switches as everyday controls.

What happens if the screen hits a chair or a pet on the way down?

The motors we spec include obstacle detection or an auto-stop clutch: when the screen meets resistance, it stops instead of driving through. Clear the obstruction, press the button, and it continues normally.

Are motorized screens loud?

No. A tubular motor runs inside the aluminum roller, which runs inside the housing, so what you hear is a low hum for the few seconds the screen is traveling. It's quieter than a garage door by a wide margin, and MagnaTrack's high-speed motors keep even a 20-foot screen's travel time short.