- Description
- Application
- Specification
- Installation
- Warranty
- Measure
GDO ROLL55 Electric Button Control with Half Hood
Overview and the GDO ROLL logic
GDO pioneered the development of electric roller garage doors built around how UK homes actually use their space. Until this range was developed, manufacturers simply copied each other's standard offerings, blindly assuming every household wanted two remote control handsets alongside safety devices of varying quality. But the facts are quite different. If you use your garage as an extra room, a workshop, or just for storage, you likely access it exclusively on foot. In these situations, a remote control is unnecessary. A basic wall-mounted push button makes far more practical sense. The GDO ROLL range provides a choice, from simple button control right through to a fully smart controlled setup. Yet if you regularly drive a vehicle in and out of the garage, we do strongly suggest opting for remote control operation. Think carefully about your controls before buying.
Introducing the GDO ROLL 55 Half Hood
The GDO ROLL 55 Half Hood is a compact electric roller garage door engineered for simplicity and high reliability. It uses a smaller 55mm curtain slat compared to the traditional 77mm version, making it perfect for single width garages where space is at a premium. This specific model features an aluminium front fascia section. This half hood is designed for installations with limited headroom where part of the rolled curtain might otherwise be exposed to the outside. A full hood cover provides a slightly better overall seal against wind and dust. However, this half hood version is a highly cost-effective alternative if complete weather sealing is not your top priority.
How it operates
Control comes from a standard internal rocker switch. This is a "hold-to-run" or deadman system, meaning you simply press and hold the wall button to move the door up or down. Letting go instantly stops the curtain in its tracks. Because you have full manual control and must stay in clear view of the door while it operates, this method completely strips out the delicate electronic safety sensors usually required for remote-controlled doors. It is an incredibly reliable setup. If you also need to open the door from the driveway, you can add an optional hard-wired external key switch.
Sizes and space requirements
Space is often tight in single garages. Because of the narrower 55mm slat profile, the curtain coils into a much tighter roll than standard models. The entire mechanism is partially enclosed by the 205mm half hood cover, saving valuable headroom and maximising your drive-through height. Every door is made to measure. The maximum ordering width is 3000mm including the guide rails. The maximum guide height sits at 2225mm, before you need to account for the additional 205mm half hood box and endplates.
Construction and finishes
Many people assume all roller doors are identical. But the curtain itself highlights major differences in the gauge of aluminium and the standard of the paint finish. Poor paint finishing inevitably leads to fast external degradation. This door uses high quality, double skinned aluminium slats filled with an insulating foam core. These doors are made specifically for GDO by AlluGuard to our exact specifications. Because they are manufactured entirely in the UK, you get the full benefit of a major manufacturer's warranties, alongside excellent backup and permanent availability of spare components.
The curtain is offered in a choice of 12 premium finished colours as standard. For the guides, endplates, and half hood cover, the choice is yours. You can match the curtain exactly for a clean, unified look. Or you might prefer a contrasting finish to suit your property's exterior, such as pairing bright white guides with a dark green curtain.
Safety and practical considerations
An internal manual override winding handle is supplied as standard, giving you a practical way to open the door during a power cut. This winding point is built directly into the motor drive, so it will always be positioned on the side you select for the motor. If your garage lacks a side pedestrian door and the roller door is your only way in, you can choose an optional external low-level manual override. This routes the winding mechanism down the outside wall to waist height. You can then safely open the door from the driveway in an emergency.
Domestic or light commercial applications.
GDO ROLL55 Half Hood Button Control Specifications
Construction and materials
The GDO ROLL 55 is manufactured from high quality 55mm deep double skinned aluminium slats with a foam filled insulated core. It is a made to measure 240V electric tube motor operated roller garage door. Every single door is manufactured to the exact millimetre in width and height as standard. GDO refined the curtain design to create a tighter and more streamlined coil. Removing the axle collars frees up additional space inside the box, delivering a much cleaner finish. We have also added felt to the attachment straps. This simple detail helps prevent marking on the back of the curtain over years of daily use.
How it operates
This door is electrically operated as standard using a basic internal wall control. It incorporates an internal emergency manual release in case of a power failure. You operate this override using the provided winding handle, attaching it via a hook to the eye of the motor drive. You specify this on the left or right side as viewed from inside the garage when ordering, which dictates the side your motor sits on. You control the electric operation using a simple hold to run rocker switch. Because there are no remote handsets, you just press and hold the button until the door is fully open or closed.
Sizes and space requirements
The curtain of this door rolls around a central steel barrel supported either side by steel endplates. These measure 205mm by 205mm, which dictates the headroom required if you wish to hide the roll behind your lintel. Always allow for a maximum 50mm of curtain hang down when the door is opened. You must factor this in if your opening height is critical. This slight hang down is the same across all roller garage doors.
The aluminium door guides either side are 60mm wide and 34mm deep. The door can be fitted behind or in between the structural opening as required. Always check you have ordered the correct dimensions to take into account the guides and endplates. The half hood cover provided with this model matches these exact same endplate dimensions.
- Ordering size: Over Guide Width (OGW) x Guide Height (GH)
- Clear opening width: Ordering size minus 120mm
- Clear opening height: Guide height minus 50mm (allowing for the bottom slat hang down)
- Maximum width: 3000mm (including guides)
- Maximum guide height: 2225mm (Total overall height is 2430mm when including the 205mm endplates and half hood)
The guide height you use for your ordering size does not include the 205mm endplate size above it. It also does not factor in the loss of drive through height caused by the bottom slat hang down.
Key components
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| Internal Hand crank | Lined guide | ZF Lock | Barrel | Safety brake |
Finishes and colours
When choosing your curtain colour, the guides, endplates, and half hood cover will also arrive in the exact same colour to match perfectly.
Standard Colours:
- White (RAL 9016)
- Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016)
- Black (RAL 9005)
Premium Colours:
- Brown (RAL 8014)
- Chartwell Green
- Navy Blue (RAL 5011)
- Burgundy (RAL 3004)
- Light beige (BS 08B17)
- Fir green (RAL 6009)
- Ivory (RAL 1015)
- Agate Grey (RAL 7038)
- Dark brown (RAL 8019)
- Moss Green (RAL 6005)
Insulation note
Although many roller garage doors are often described as insulated because they use an insulated slat for the curtain, there are no roller garage doors currently in the UK stating a tested and installed U value. Any U values seen advertised are purely for the individual slat in isolation.
GDO ROLL55 Installation Guidance
Before you start
Read through the full manufacturer instructions supplied with the door before beginning any work. Check that your structural opening is square, plumb, and level. Any significant deviation will affect the guide alignment and smooth running of the curtain. Ensure you have a suitable 240V fused spur connection point within reach of the motor position. A qualified electrician should carry out the final electrical connection.
Fitting position
The door can be fitted behind the structural opening or in between it. Behind fixing is the most common method and generally the simplest. If fitting in between, make sure you have accounted for the 60mm wide guides on each side plus adequate clearance. Whichever method you choose, confirm that your ordering dimensions match the actual opening once the guides and endplates are factored in.
Headroom and clearance
You need a minimum of 205mm above the guide height for the endplates and hood box. Check this measurement carefully before ordering. If the lintel or ceiling is too low, the hood will not sit properly and the door may not operate correctly. Always allow for a maximum 50mm of curtain hang down when the door is fully open. This is standard on all roller garage doors and should be considered if your drive through height is tight.
Fixing the guides
The extruded aluminium guides must be securely fixed to a solid structural surface on both sides of the opening. Use appropriate fixings for your wall type. Brick and block walls typically require heavy duty wall plugs and coach screws. The guides need to be perfectly parallel and vertical. Even a small misalignment will cause the curtain to bind or run unevenly. Take your time with this step. It determines the overall quality of the finished installation.
Mounting the barrel and endplates
The steel barrel assembly and endplates sit directly above the guides. These must be fixed level and square across the top of the opening. The endplates carry the full weight of the curtain and motor, so the fixings here need to be absolutely secure. Do not fix into weak or crumbling masonry. If the lintel condition is poor, remedial work should be completed first.
Motor positioning
The tube motor sits inside the barrel on the side you specified when ordering. This is also where the manual winding override will be accessible from inside the garage. Confirm the motor side before final assembly. Changing it afterwards means a full strip down. Route the motor cable neatly down the wall to the 240V fused spur. Keep the cable protected and tidy using appropriate trunking or clips.
Fitting the hood cover
Once the barrel, endplates, and curtain are in place, the full hood cover clips over the top to completely enclose the roll. Ensure it sits flush and is securely fastened. The hood provides important protection against wind and dust ingress, so gaps or loose sections will reduce its effectiveness.
Connecting the Somfy controls
The Somfy Rollixo Optimo control panel should be wall mounted inside the garage in an accessible position. Follow the Somfy wiring diagram supplied to connect the panel to the motor and the hard wired optical safety sensor in the bottom edge seal. Once powered up, pair the two transmitters and the wireless wall switch to the control panel using the Somfy programming procedure included in the documentation. Test the safety sensor thoroughly before regular use. Place an obstacle in the door path and confirm the door stops immediately on contact.
Final checks
Run the door through several full open and close cycles. Listen for any scraping, binding, or uneven movement. Check that the curtain tracks smoothly in both guides without resistance. Confirm the locking strap engages properly when closed. Test the manual winding override to make sure it operates freely. Once everything runs cleanly, secure any loose cables and tidy the installation.
Important notes
- A minimum of two people is recommended for installation due to the weight of the barrel assembly and curtain.
- All electrical connections must be carried out by a qualified electrician and comply with current UK wiring regulations.
- Do not modify the safety sensor or bypass any safety features.
- If you are unsure about any aspect of the installation, contact us or use a professional garage door installer.
Warranty Terms & Conditions
Measuring and Ordering Guide
Getting your structural measurements
Always start by measuring your bare structural opening. Take the width at the top, middle, and bottom. Take the height at the left, centre, and right. Use the smallest measurement as your baseline. Brickwork is rarely perfectly straight, so these multiple checks ensure the frame will actually fit the space.
Understanding the ordering sizes
Roller garage doors are ordered using two specific overall dimensions. The Over Guide Width (OGW) is the total width of the door curtain plus the 60mm guides on either side. The Guide Height (GH) is the height of the vertical side guides, entirely excluding the 205mm hood box and endplates at the top.
Fitting behind the opening
Fixing the door to the inside face of the garage is the most common and practical method. Measure your clear brickwork opening width and add 120mm to account for the two 60mm guides. This gives you your exact Over Guide Width. Measure your opening height to get your Guide Height. You must then check you have at least 205mm of clear headroom directly above the opening to accommodate the roll and hood box.
Fitting in-between the opening
If the door is sitting entirely inside the brickwork tunnel, your ordering dimensions are dictated by the tightest points of your structural opening. Your Over Guide Width needs to fit within the brickwork. Your Guide Height will be the total opening height minus the 205mm required for the hood box.
It is vital to understand that the factory does not add any fitting tolerances to your order. The door is manufactured to the exact millimetre sizes you supply. It is entirely up to you to deduct an appropriate working tolerance from your measurements so the framework physically clears the brickwork. How much you deduct depends entirely on the state of your structural opening and how far out of square it might be. Remember, fitting this way will reduce your final clear drive-through width by 120mm (60mm for each guide), plus whatever fitting tolerances you have allowed for.
How to order your exact size
Because every single door is made to measure, our online pricing is banded into categories. When selecting your door on the shop platform, simply choose the nearest 'up to' size bracket that covers your required dimensions. For example, if your Over Guide Width is 2350mm, select the 'up to 2500mm' pricing option.
Once you proceed to place the order, you will see specific text boxes provided for your measurements. Enter your exact dimensions here. The factory will build the door precisely to the sizes you enter, ensuring the correct fit for your specific installation.
The half hood provides an aluminium front and top section only which is a 90 degree folded profile to give a front fascia of 205mm in total.
