Swing and sliding gate automation
A motor for the gate you already own
Most gates in Gorj are already installed and working fine — all they are missing is the motor. We handle the automation only: it mounts onto the gate you have, with no cutting or rebuilding.
On a swing gate we pick the motor by the weight of each leaf, its length and how much room you have beside the pillar. On a sliding gate, by the gate's real weight and the state of the track. Those same things decide whether the gate lasts ten years or starts failing in its second winter.
What the job includes
- Swing gates: linear ram, articulated-arm or underground motors
- Sliding gates: rack-and-pinion motors from 400 to 1,800 kg
- Photocells, warning lamp and manual release included
- Rolling-code remotes and phone access over GSM
- Optional backup battery — the gate works through a power cut
- Force settings to EN 12453, so the gate stops against an obstacle
Swing gates: linear ram or articulated arm?
The linear ram is cheaper and works well when the pillar is no more than 25 cm deep. With thick concrete or brick pillars the ram has nowhere to retract to and the gate stops short — that is when an articulated arm goes on instead.
On very heavy gates, over 400 kg per leaf, we move to oil-bath geared motors. They cost more, but you cannot hear them and they do not stall in the cold.
Sliding gates: the track decides everything
The most common fault on sliding gates around here is not the motor but a concrete track that has settled or filled with soil. If the gate is hard to push by hand, the motor will drag it for a while and then give out.
Cantilever gates, which hang from a beam and never touch the ground, are automated the same way with one caveat: the motor is specified with 30–40% force in reserve, because the gate hangs unsupported.
What we check before fitting
On swing gates we look at the hinges and pillars; on sliding gates, at the rollers and the track level along its full length. A motor fitted to a gate that already sags or drags will strain against it and fail within months.
Where needed we straighten hinges, replace rollers or clear the track. It costs little and you feel the difference immediately, before the motor is even switched on.
Safety is not an accessory
Photocells stop the gate if someone walks through its path. We mount them 50–60 cm off the ground, on both pillars.
For homes with small children or animals we recommend a second pair facing inwards as well. It is a small addition to a job that only gets done once.
Access for businesses and housing associations
For multi-user access we add a keypad or card reader, plus a GSM module holding a list of approved numbers.
Each resident calls the gate from their own phone, the gate opens and nobody answers the call. When someone moves out you delete a number from a list instead of replacing every remote.
Indicative prices
Price ranges for Targu Jiu and Gorj county, in lei, VAT included.
Swing gate
Fitting a linear motorlabour
540 – 1,150lei
Fitting an articulated-arm motorlabour
630 – 1,250lei
Fitting an underground motorlabour
1,350 – 2,700lei
Sliding gate
Fitting a rack-driven motorlabour
450 – 1,350lei
Cantilever gate automationlabour
720 – 1,350lei
Concrete pad for the motor
270 – 630lei
Safety and access
Photocells and warning light
included in the kit
Extra pair of photocells
140 – 270lei
Extra remote control
70 – 160lei each
GSM / Wi-Fi module (open from your phone)
270 – 810lei
Keypad
140 – 360lei
Card reader
360 – 900lei
Backup battery
140 – 320lei
Repairs and service
Site survey and gate check
free within 40 km
Straightening hinges
140 – 360lei
Replacing rollers
140 – 360lei
Cleaning or repairing the track
140 – 450lei
Repairing an existing automation+ parts
180 – 540lei
Periodic service
220 – 400lei
Prices are indicative and may vary with the dimensions, the condition of what is already there, the equipment chosen and the distance. You get a firm written quote after the survey, before we start work.
See all pricesFrequently asked questions
Do you install the gate too, or just the automation?
Just the automation. The motor goes onto the gate you already have, or onto a new one made by your metalworker. If the gate is still being built, call us first so we can tell the metalworker where to leave the motor fixings.
Can any gate be automated?
Almost always, yes. The limit comes from the hinges, pillars or track, not the motor. If the gate is hard to move by hand it will be hard to move with a motor too — we fix what sags or drags first.
What motor do I need for a 5-metre sliding gate?
Weight matters, not length. A 5 m gate in box section and sheet steel comes to roughly 250–300 kg, so a 600 kg motor handles it comfortably. In solid timber or with filled panels it can approach 500 kg and we specify differently.
How long does installation take?
One working day for a standard kit, assuming power is already near the gate. On sliding gates the motor bolts to a plate anchored in concrete — if there is no slab yet, one is poured first. Running cable across the yard adds a few hours.
Can I open the gate from my phone?
Yes, with a GSM or Wi-Fi module in the control unit. We recommend it especially if you have tenants or frequent deliveries — you grant access without handing over a remote.
What about hard frost in winter?
The motors we fit are rated to -20 °C. The real winter problem is not the motor but frozen water under the gate or in the track. Raising the threshold by two or three centimetres and adding a drainage channel solves it.
Do you repair automation installed by someone else?
Yes, any brand. We come out, diagnose it and tell you whether it is worth repairing or replacing. We will not sell you a new control unit when the fault is a dirty photocell.