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Are you in the market for a new garage door opener? If so, you’re probably wondering which one is the best buy. There are a lot of different options on the market, and it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. Let’s talk about some of the best garage door openers available and help you decide which one is right for your home.
What is a garage door opener and what does it do?
A garage door opener is a motorized piece of equipment that attaches to your garage door’s trolley system. When you push or pull your garage door, the trolley acts as the guide for the door. The opener lifts and closes the door using an arm attached to your trolley.
Types of garage door opener
There are a few different types of garage door openers on the market. Here are a few different types:
Chain Drive
This type of opener is the most commonly used because it fits almost all widths and heights of garage doors. This type of door is best used with insulated, wooden, or any heavier kind of door. It’s inexpensive and relatively reliable, but it can be quite noisy.
Belt Drive
This type of opener has a similar mechanism to the chain drive opener. The only difference is that instead of a chain, this uses a rubber belt which makes it more expensive than the chain drive. This type of opener can be used for both light and heavy doors, one-piece or multiple panels doors, and is also considered the quietest garage door.
Direct Drive
This type of garage door opener uses a motor to lift the door. It is usually used for lighter doors and has fewer moving parts than other types of openers, making it more reliable than chain drive or belt drive openers. This type of opener also doesn’t use any belts or chains which makes it much less noisy.
Screw Drive
This type of opener has a threaded metal rod that works like a screw when it opens and closes the door. It is very quiet and since it has fewer moving parts compared to other types it minimizes the risk of it breaking down and hence requires less maintenance.
Jackshaft
This type of opener is similar to the screw drive but it has a shaft that attaches to the center of your garage door, instead of from side to side. It’s a good choice if you have a low ceiling because no tracks or cables are running across your garage. This type of opener works best with metal doors, garages with angled, high, or low ceilings, or when you want some storage space above your garage door. Jackshaft garage door openers require more maintenance than other openers.
Drawbar Openers
Also known as Trolley Openers, this opener attaches to a metal rod that is attached to your door above the top panel. This type of opener is good for garages with slanted ceilings because no tracks or cables are hanging from the ceiling. Drawbar openers do not perform well in areas with high wind and should only be used on one-piece doors.
Hoist Openers
Hoist openers are more compact than other types of garage door openers and operate similarly to a jackshaft opener. Used on almost any type of garage door but is best suitable for huge overhead doors or rolling steel curtain-style doors. They attach to the top panel of your garage door, parallel to the ground. Hoist openers require more repairs than other openers and are expensive.
Advantages of garage door opener
There are several advantages to having one of these devices installed in your home.
Convenience
These garage door openers are remotely operated, meaning, you don’t have to get out of your car on a rainy day or leave your children and/or pets in your car to open your garage.
Safety and Security
They are more secure than the manual option since it is controlled by a switch on your wall or by a remote. Other various security features are also available with these types of openers such as rolling codes which change the code every time the remote is used or a vacation mode that deactivates remote controls.
Lighting
Most of these openers have a lighting feature that automatically illuminates your garage whenever the garage door is opened. This makes it an invaluable bonus to making your life easier, especially during bad weather or dark winter nights.
Affordability
Having one of these garage door openers does not mean paying for an arm and a leg. You’ll be surprised at how affordable they cost and add the features that would make your life easier and your home safer, having one is a steal.
Low Maintenance
After installing your garage door opener, you’ll be able to use them every day, day in and day out with little or no maintenance at all but you’ll want to keep yours according to the manufacturer’s recommendations so that it always works when you need it to.
Things to consider before installing your garage door opener
- Installing is not as easy as you think. There are many components and moving parts to your garage door opener and it’s a good idea to hire a professional instead of doing it yourself.
- Make sure that the type of opener you chose is suitable for your garage door and the type.
- When choosing your garage door opener, consider the amount of horsepower you need for your door type. The heavier your door type is the more power you would need.
If you’re in the market for a new garage door opener, you should know that there are many options to choose from. We’ve talked about some of our favorite models and given reasons why they might be better than others; now it’s time to make your decision! Which one is right for your home? Let our professionals at Mojo Garage Door help. Call today to schedule a visit from our team: 713-494-2599 (Greater Houston area) | 210-997-7777 (San Antonio area)
