Garage Door Installation: Three Types Of Garage Door Openers You Should Know About

When planning to install a garage door, most people usually focus on the type of garage door. However, it is also essential to think about the type of garage door opening mechanism to implement. The type of garage door opener to install usually depends on several factors such as:

  • The weight and size of the garage door
  • The build material of the garage door
  • The type of power utilized to open the garage door, i.e., AC or DC power
  • Your budget

Nonetheless, garage door openers are available in all sorts of specifications. Thus, before selecting a particular garage door opener, it is essential to learn about the various types available and what they entail.

Hence, here are three common types of garage door openers you should know about before making your choice.

Chain Drive Openers

Chain-driven garage door openers utilize a bicycle-like chain to pull or push a trolley connected to the J-arm. The J-arm connects the trolley to the garage door. Hence, when the chain pulls or pushes the trolley, the trolley also pulls up or pushes the garage door simultaneously.

Chain-driven garage door openers are old technology, and thus they are usually manually operated. However, newer models of chain drive openers have DC power motors that make them easier to operate compared to older models. Nonetheless, chain-driven garage door openers are among the most common because they are:

  • Capable of operating a wide variety of garage doors irrespective of weight and size.
  • They are quite durable compared to belt-driven openers.
  • They are among the cheapest garage door opener options you can get.

However, chain-driven garage door openers are quite noisy compared to other types of openers.

Belt-Driven Openers

Belt-driven garage door openers operate on the same principle as chain-driven openers, the only difference being that they utilize a belt in place of a chain. Nonetheless, belt-driven garage door openers differ greatly from chain-driven garage door openers. For instance, they are more expensive than chain-driven openers, yet they are not as strong or durable.

Nonetheless, belt-driven garage door openers require less maintenance than chain-driven openers. Additionally, unlike chain-driven openers, belt-driven garage door openers are very quiet.

However, this type of opener also has a list of disadvantages which include:

  • They are more expensive than chain-driven openers.
  • The belt can occasionally slip due to humidity or warm temperatures.
  • Belt-driven openers have a shorter lifespan compared to other types of garage door openers.

Screw Driven Openers

For this type of garage door opener, the trolley is attached to a threaded steel rod in place of a chain or a belt. A motor rotates the steel rod the trolley rides the rod back and forth. Thus, when the threaded steel rod gets rotated, the trolley moves back and forth to open or close respectively.

The main benefits of a screw-driven garage door opener include:

  • Fewer moving parts which make it less prone to breaking down
  • Screw-driven openers can open or close the garage door in half the time it takes other types of openers
  • They are a lot quieter than chain drive openers

Nonetheless, this type of opener also has its drawbacks which include:

  • These types of openers are not suitable for heavy garage doors.
  • They are prone to malfunction in areas where temperatures fluctuate significantly within a day.
  • They can be quite expensive compared to other types of openers
  • If you fail to properly and regularly lubricate the opener, it can malfunction and refuse to open the garage door.  

For more information on garage doors, contact a company like Shank Door.


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