Are you renovating your home’s garage? Are you on the market for a high-performance garage door opener that will serve you well for long? Even though many advanced brands are attainable cheaply on the Internet, keep the following attributes in mind when buying, to increase your chances of finding the best:
Drive System
If you are renovating your garage and have a few pounds to spend on an opener, the first attribute you should check before reaching for your wallet is its drive system. Is the door opener that you are contemplating buying a chain drive, belt drive, or screw drive? Read on to learn about the advantages and cons of each.
Chain drives – chain driven garage door openers are durable and among the most common models in homes, mainly because of their cost effectiveness. They have powerful motors. They also have tempered industrial-grade steel chains and can lift heavy sectional garage doors easily. Apart from their cost effectiveness and immense power, chain driven openers are relatively easy to use and if installed well, last long. Unfortunately, they are loud and need frequent maintenance to work well.
Belt drives – for those who are converting their garages to family rooms or whose garages are closer to their living room or bedrooms, a belt driven opener is the best model to buy. Even though they are expensive than chain driven door openers, they work quietly. They are also low maintenance, reliable, easy to install and use, and most importantly, work well with both light and heavy sectional garage doors.
Screw drives – screw drive door openers use a motor driven strong lifting device that runs on a threaded steel rod. Even though they are quieter than chain driven openers, cheaper than belt driven ones, and generally, have a higher door lift capacity, they are temperature sensitive and generally harder to install.
Overall, if you have a low budget and noise is not a concern, consider buying a chain drive. If money is not a concern and peace and quiet is of importance, a belt drive opener is the best. Reserve screw drives for those with heavier door.
Safety
Another important aspect that you should keep in mind when buying a garage door opener for your home is safety. Is, for instance, the model you are contemplating buying fool proof? Instead of buying a budget model that will not protect your pricey possessions as needed, choose an opener that generates random roll codes automatically when opened. It should also have a responsive object sensor with a timed reverse feature, manual emergency release system, and automatic lights.
Power
When buying and opener for a garage door, one of the worst mistakes you can do is choose a cheap or hyped model only to realise that it cannot support the weight and height of your garage door once installed. To avoid this mistake, check the power of the motor (in horsepower) of the opener you are contemplating buying and confirm whether it can handle the weight and height of your garage door. Generally, a 1/2 horsepower motor can lift most residential doors up to 8 feet high.
Ease of Use
While buying a technologically advanced garage door opener is advisable, make sure that is easy to use, if you want to enjoy a positive experience. It should have an automated administrative panel. Its wall operator or keypad should be fool proof and easy to use, and its remote control durable and responsive from a distance.