Choosing an opener for your garage door goes beyond price. There are several types of garage door openers to choose from based on power, performance, sizing, advanced “smart” features and so on. As such, it’s important to know the differences and what you need to best suit your needs before you buy.
Below, we’ll go over the specifics of four different types of garage door openers to help you decide on the best type of garage door opener for your home.
Important Questions to Ask Before You Buy
1. How large and heavy is the garage door?
Determining these qualities is important to gauge horsepower. For instance, a heavy-duty or oversized garage door is going to need a one-horsepower opener. If, however, yours is a standard size, a half-horsepower opener should do the trick.
2. What tech-enabled features are important?
Opting for a more advanced system is going to give you additional features but at a higher cost. While browsing the various types of garage door remotes available, decide early if Wi-Fi-enabled features are important to you, such as video monitoring, live updates, remote open/close, etc.
3. Are there bedrooms or common living spaces close to the garage door?
Nobody wants to be woken up by a loud garage door opener. Fortunately, there are garage opener types designed to be more silent than others. Be sure to factor in these considerations if you have kids or shared living spaces.
4. What’s going to happen when the power goes out?
If the garage door failing to work means you’ll be locked out of your home, it’s best to consider an opener with a battery backup. That way, you’ll still have access in case of a power outage.
Belt Drive Openers
First on our list of different garage door openers is a belt drive opener. By using a reinforced rubber belt, the operation of this opener is smooth and quiet, making them highly regarded for being almost silent. These openers are typically used for standard-sized doors as they have smaller motors and are slightly more expensive than alternative openers.
Chain Drive Openers
Reliable and budget friendly, chain drive openers are generally the most popular choice on the market. They are strong, durable and perform well for years with proper maintenance. The only downside is that they are much noisier than other types as they run on a track with a metal chain.
Wall-Mounted (Jackshaft) Openers
Wall-mounted, or jackshaft, openers are one of the more expensive options. Like the name suggests, they are mounted on the inside wall next to the garage door. They are easy to maintain and ideal for garages with high ceilings. Jackshafts use a series of pulleys, springs and rope to open and close the door, so they are pretty quiet.
Screw Drive Openers
Screw drive openers are perfect for oversized or heavy garage doors. They are powerful and a trusted route for custom, heavy-duty applications. Screw drive openers operate via a threaded steel rod that lifts the door as the motor rotates the rod up the mechanism. Although they move slightly slower and operate with more noise, they are a very reliable option.
Let CMB Install Your Next Opener
Once you’ve chosen the right opener for your garage door, the next step is to reach out to the professionals. Here at CMB Garage Doors, we have the expertise to handle any type of garage door opener installation. You can rest assured the project with go according to plan with CMB at your side.
Please contact us today if you are in our service area and let our experts take care of the rest!