There are a wide variety of makes and shapes of garage door openers on the market these days, each with their own advantages in terms of frequency of repairs, size restraints, and cost considerations. Some are specifically designed for residential garage doors. Others are more heavy duty and able to handle the larger overhead commercial garage doors you might see in warehouses or other professional businesses. Whatever type of door you have, there is a garage door opener out there for you.
With the wide selection available, and the variety of technological and eco-conscious improvements over the years, it’s important to carefully consider which kind of garage door opener works best for your purposes and goals. Let’s look at a few of the garage door openers available in detail.
Types of Garage Door Openers
Here’s a breakdown of some of the basic designs for garage door openers:
Chain Drive Openers
Chain drive garage door openers are the most economic and popular model available. These openers run off a chain — similar to a bicycle chain — that connects via a trolley to the garage door. These openers are durable and can lift some of the heaviest overhead doors on the market. As a drawback, they tend to be loud in operation. They aren’t ideal if your door is near a living space such as a living room or bedroom.
Belt Drive Opener
This is the other common type of garage door opener available that you’ll find in most residential homes. Rather than a chain, it works off a rubber belt, smoothly lifting up your overhead garage door. Belt drive garage door openers tend to be a bit pricier than chain ones and won’t be able to lift extremely heavy doors. You’ll find that belt openers are best suited for light doors, such as those made out of wood. On a plus not, the beauty of this kind of opener is it’s much quieter, something your neighbors will definitely appreciate.
Screw Drive Opener
The advantage to this type of garage door opener is the lack of maintenance. The trolley is connected to the opener via a steel rod that rotates through the motor to open the door. They have fewer parts and a simple design that requires minimal maintenance, meaning you’ll rarely have to call the garage door opener repair company. Unlike belt drive openers, screw drive models can lift extremely heavy and oversized doors. The catch is this opener is noisy — even louder than a chain drive garage door opener. If you’d like your opener to be quieter, a simple garage door repair is applying certified lubricant on the door’s moving parts.
Jackshaft Drive Opener
This type of garage door opener sits on the side of the garage door rather than overhead. It operates via a series of pulleys and motors that open your door for you. This is by far the most expensive and boutique option on the market. Located to the side of the garage door, homeowners will need 8 inches on the left or right side of the door to install this overhead door opener. the advantage of this kind of opener is it leaves room overhead for storage or if you’re dealing with a low ceiling system. Because the jackshaft drive opener is located on the side of the garage door, it won’t make as much noise.
Smart Garage Door Openers
A smart garage door opener can be any of the above, but it’s connected to the Internet and can be virtually controlled by your phone or other mobile device. If you intend to install a new garage door opener, you can purchase one with smart capabilities right outside the box. If you would like to simply upgrade your existing overhead opener, you can install a hub that make turns your existing garage door smart. This technology allows you to control the garage door from anywhere, whether you’re at your desk at work or sitting on the beach.
The beauty of a smart garage door opener is it makes package theft a thing of the past. You can give your delivery driver special instructions to call you when your package arrives, open the door remotely, and have them safely put the package inside your garage. Forget to close the garage door one morning? You’ll be notified on your phone. Then you can close the door remotely, even when you’re sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
If you’re thinking of installing a new garage door opener, do yourself a favor and upgrade to smart technology. It will save you tons of headaches and can come in handy when you least expect it. Having trouble finding the right door opener for your needs? Consult with the best garage door repair and installation companies in your area for their advice. They’ll be able to help you decide on the right overhead opener and install it quickly and securely.