Types Of Garage Door Openers

Chain Driven Openers

Chain drives are typically the most commonly used and are a very reliable type of opener. This drive runs the garage door on its track by using a metal chain. Chain drives are most economical door opener.

Chain drive openers tend to be noisy, so if your garage is located below or adjacent to the main rooms in your home, you may not want this opener. We typically don't recommend these types of openers because the small savings aren't worth it.

Screw Driven Openers

Screw drive openers use a lifting device that runs on a threaded steel rod, rather than a chain or a rubber belt. These openers tend to only work well in locations where the weather and temperature are constant throughout the year as the drive mechanism is made of plastic . In areas with a wide range of temperature or weather patterns throughout the year, a screw drive opener is not recommended.

They also are the slowest moving and noisiest of all three openers. If you didn't like how noisy or slow your current opener was, you won't enjoy having a screw-driven opener in your garage. This model is commonly installed by builders.

Belt Driven Openers

Belt drives are regarded in the garage door industry as the best type of opener. Not only are belt drives as reliable as chain drives, but they are also virtually silent. This drive runs on a steel-reinforced belt and typically costs only a few dollars more than chain openers.

If your garage is attached to your home and has surrounding bedrooms, you should consider having a belt-driven opener installed.

Jackshaft Openers

Instead of the opener mounted in the center of your garage ceiling, the jackshaft is mounted on the wall next to your garage door and attached to the torsion spring shaft above the door. When would you want a jackshaft? When you have high ceilings in your garage or if you have a car-lift installed in your garage. The cost is substantially higher than a ceiling-mounted opener.