Are you looking at replacing your garage door opener? Or maybe you’re considering automating the manual garage doors on your historic home. Nothing wrong with bringing vintage garage doors into the 21st century. There are a few types of garage door openers to choose from, and there’s also technology to make these openers “smart”. But before we get into that, you’re going to need to know a few things about your garage. All garages are not created equal, so the garage door opener that works for one garage might not be the right answer for another.
Things you should know about your garage before researching garage door openers:
1. How much overhead space does your door have when lifted?
2. Is your garage door sectional, rollup, hinged or swing?
3. What’s the climate where you live? Seattle is humid, wet and chilly, and you don’t want to be needing garage door opener repairs all the time due to corroded parts.
4. What’s your budget? Did you budget in any “smart” features you think you want?
5. What are the dimensions of your garage door?
Wall-Mounted Garage Door Openers
This type of garage door opener is an ideal solution for small garages that need to maximize usable space. They’re also called direct-drive garage door openers. Basically, instead of being mounted overhead and using a trolley, the motor for the garage door opener is mounted on the wall and uses a pulley system to lift and lower the door. A lot of times, this is the best solution for automating garage doors on historic homes, as older garages tend to be tiny and have limited overhead space. They’re also good for wet environments because there are less moving parts than belt or chain drives.
Belt Drive Garage Door Openers
These garage door openers are top-notch at keeping quiet. The motor is mounted overhead, and tracks on the sides of the garage door, as well as one above the door, help the motor guide the door up and down. The main advantages to belt drive garage door openers are they’re quiet and they’re fast, so they’re great for homes where bedroom(s) are near or next to the garage.
Chain Drive Garage Door Openers
The most common type and best for detached garages are chain-drive garage door openers. They’re just belt-drive openers that use a chain instead of a belt. Okay, so maybe this isn’t our best option in Seattle; more metal = more rust = more corrosion and wear and tear. Chain-drive openers are very dependable (meaning little to no garage door opener repairs with proper maintenance!), and they’re less expensive than other garage door openers. Unfortunately, they’re a bit noisy, which is why they’re best used only in detached garages.
Screw Drive Garage Door Openers
A lesser known type of garage door opener, this opener uses a steel rod to guide the trolley when lifting and lowering the garage door. They’re also kind of noisy, but they have way less moving parts than the other kinds, meaning less maintenance over time. Screw drive garage door openers are powerful and heavy-duty, making them a great option for larger, heavier overhead garage doors.
Decking Your Garage Door Opener out with Smart Tech
A lot of the popular models of garage door openers come with smart technology you can easily integrate into your home’s security system. You can get rid of that garage door opener remote, because now you can use your smartphone. You can stop wondering whether or not you closed your garage door when you’re halfway to work, because you can monitor its status and operate it through your phone. You can also stop worrying about mid-day deliveries getting stolen, because you can schedule the garage door remotely to have delivery-people set packages inside the garage. All these features are convenient, but they also increase the safety of your home, whether it’s your teen trying to sneak out or a thief trying to sneak in. Whatever type of garage door opener system you choose, smart technology is never a bad choice.