Not every curtain fabric plays well with a motorised track. Pick the wrong weight or heading style, and the motor stalls — or the fabric bunches. Here is what actually works, from a pembekal who supplies to smart home installers across KL and Selangor.
The Basics
Every motorised curtain motor has a weight limit. Go past it and the motor either burns out or the track jams mid-stroke — usually right when your client is showing off their smart home to guests. Most suppliers won't tell you this, but roughly 40% of motorised curtain complaints trace back to fabric selection, not motor quality.
The math is straightforward.
Take a standard Dooya DT82 motor — the workhorse of the Malaysian motorised curtain market. It handles about 35kg of total load per track. A 4-metre window with wave heading at 2x fullness means 8 metres of fabric hanging off that track. If your fabric weighs 280gsm in 118-inch (300cm) width, each running metre of fabric weighs roughly 840g. Eight metres of it? That is 6.72kg. Well within range.
But swap that for a heavy velvet at 420gsm, and now you are looking at 10.08kg — still within spec, but you have eaten into your safety margin. Add a blackout lining? Another 150-180gsm on top. Suddenly that 35kg motor is working hard, and you have not even accounted for the track and gliders themselves.
Smart home installers in places like Mont Kiara and Damansara Heights — they ask us this all the time. The formula every tukang langsir should know:
Total fabric weight = fabric GSM × width in metres × fullness ratio × window width
For a 3-metre window using 118-inch (3m) fabric with 2x wave heading fullness and a 200gsm fabric, that works out to: 200 × 3 × 2 × 3 = 3,600g, or 3.6kg. Perfectly fine for any standard motor on the market.
But stretch that same scenario to a 6-metre sliding door in a Bangsar bungalow, and the number doubles to 7.2kg on a single track. Still within spec for most motors, but this is where you start thinking about split tracks with two motors instead of one long run.
Quick Reference
We get asked this almost daily at our showroom on Jalan Klang Lama. So here is the straight answer — a compatibility breakdown based on the motorised systems we see installers using across Klang Valley projects.
| Fabric Type | Typical GSM | Width Available | Standard Motor (35kg) | Heavy Motor (50kg+) | Best Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheer / Voile | 45–90gsm | 118", 110" | Excellent | Overkill | Wave / S-fold |
| Semi-sheer | 100–160gsm | 118", 110" | Excellent | Excellent | Wave / S-fold |
| Linen blend | 180–260gsm | 118", 54" | Good | Excellent | Wave or Pinch pleat |
| Blackout (coated) | 220–320gsm | 118", 110" | Check load | Good | Wave preferred |
| Dimout | 180–280gsm | 118" | Good | Excellent | Wave or Pinch pleat |
| Velvet | 350–500gsm | 54", 110" | Too heavy | Up to 4m span | Pinch pleat only |
| Jacquard | 250–380gsm | 110", 54" | Check load | Good | Pinch pleat |
A few things that table does not capture. Fabric drape matters nearly as much as weight. A stiff 180gsm polyester can cause more drag on the track than a soft 240gsm linen blend, because stiff fabrics resist folding and create friction against the glider carriers. We always recommend getting a 1-metre sample length to test on the actual track before committing to a full order.
Heading Detail
This is where a lot of curtain makers in Malaysia get it wrong.
Wave heading (sometimes called S-fold or ripplefold) is the default for motorised curtains. Not a suggestion — a default. The reason is simple: wave heading uses 1.8x to 2x fullness, whereas pinch pleat typically requires 2.2x to 2.5x. That extra fabric adds weight and bulk that the motor has to push through every open-close cycle, thousands of times a year.
And there is the stack-back issue. Pinch pleat curtains stack wider when open because each pleat creates a thick fold. On a 3-metre track, a pinch pleat curtain might stack back 45-60cm on each side. Wave heading? More like 25-35cm. For the client, that means more glass visible when the curtains are open. For the motor, it means less resistance during the final push.
That said, pinch pleat is not impossible. We supply fabric for motorised pinch pleat installations in hotels around KLCC and Bukit Bintang regularly. But the installer needs to spec a heavier motor — usually 50kg rated — and keep the track under 4.5 metres. Beyond that, you are looking at centre-opening with two motors.
Forget it. Eyelet headings do not work with motorised tracks at all — the rings cannot travel along the carrier system. Tab top has the same problem. If a client insists on that look, suggest wave heading with closely spaced carriers at 60mm intervals. The visual effect is similar, and the motor will thank you.
Smart home projects in Malaysia — whether it is a condo renovation in Setia Alam or a new bungalow in Desa ParkCity — almost always involve automated curtain fabric paired with a home automation hub. The fabric itself does not care whether it is controlled by Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or a KNX system. But the motor does.
Most Dooya and Somfy motors pair with these hubs through WiFi bridges or dry contact relays. The fabric specification stays the same regardless of the smart home platform. What changes is the motor selection — and that is driven by fabric weight.
Here is our recommendation for smart curtain material selection: start with the fabric your client loves, calculate the total load, then spec the motor to match. Not the other way around. Too many installers pick the cheapest motor first and then scramble to find a fabric light enough to work with it. That approach limits your client's options to sheers and lightweight polyesters only.
Trade Guidance
Walk into most kedai kain along Jalan Ipoh or the Kamdar stretch on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, and they will sell you curtain fabric by the bidang. Ask about motorised compatibility and you will get blank stares. That is because motorised curtain fabric is not a different product — it is standard curtain fabric selected with specific parameters in mind.
At our warehouse in Taman Desaria, we stock over 1,200 SKUs in widths from 54-inch up to 118-inch. Roughly 847 of those fall within the weight range suitable for standard motorised tracks. The price range for motorised-compatible automated curtain fabric starts at about RM8 per metre for basic sheers, going up to RM42 per metre for premium textured blackouts in 118-inch width.
A few practical things to keep in mind when ordering.
First, always confirm the fabric width matches your track length. For 118-inch (roughly 300cm) wide fabric on a standard height ceiling of 274cm, you get a clean drop with minimal waste. But if the ceiling is 310cm — common in newer condos like those going up along the MRT Putrajaya line — you will need a fabric that comes in 320cm width, or accept a seam.
Second, stock availability swings wildly before festive seasons. We consistently run low on popular sheer whites and ivory colourways in the two weeks before Hari Raya. And lead times from our mills in China stretch from the usual 21 days to 35-40 days around Chinese New Year. If your project timeline falls near either period, order early or pick from ready stock.
Third — and this is something most suppliers will not volunteer — not all 118-inch blackout fabric is genuinely motorised-track friendly. Some manufacturers coat one side heavily with acrylic foam backing to achieve the blackout rating. That coating makes the fabric stiff and heavy, sometimes pushing it past 340gsm. It also creates more friction against the carrier gliders. Our dimout range achieves 95-98% light blocking at only 220-260gsm, without the heavy coating. For motorised installations, dimout often outperforms blackout in practice.
MOQ for trade accounts is typically 50 metres per colourway for full roll pricing. Walk-in customers can buy any length — we cut from the roll with no cutting charge on orders above 10 metres.
Why Choose Artwork Fabrics
Every roll in our warehouse is weight-tested. We print the actual GSM on the tag — not just the manufacturer's claim. You know exactly what load to calculate for the motor spec.
Over 380 fabric options in 118-inch (300cm) width, the standard for floor-to-ceiling motorised installations. No seaming needed for ceilings up to 295cm.
We maintain a 3-metre Dooya DT82 test track at our Jalan Klang Lama showroom. Bring your fabric pick, and we will run it on the track before you commit to the order.
Next-day delivery across Klang Valley for ready stock items. We ship nationwide via courier with fabric rolled, never folded, to prevent crease marks on motorised installations.
Free sample books with 47 motorised-compatible swatches, including GSM, width, and recommended heading style printed on each sample. Request yours at the counter or via WhatsApp.
Full roll pricing for trade accounts starts at RM8 per metre for sheers, RM14-22 for mid-weight dimouts and linens. No hidden charges. Volume discounts on orders above 200 metres.
Common Questions
Related Fabrics
Send us your track model and window dimensions. We will recommend fabrics within the weight limit — with sample swatches shipped the same day.