The garage door has been an overlooked element in many homes. Most homeowners only focused on their entry doors. This mistake left them vulnerable to security breaches from the garage door and made their garage doors not only inconvenient for use but also a safety hazard for children and pets. These days, people are becoming more interested in their garage doors’ operation and look.
To guarantee the best looking, safe, and optimally working automatic garage door, a significant number of homeowners in Cairns and other places are opting for professional installation. This way, they are assured that the multiple elements involved in the installation of their doors are handled properly. One of these is the door opener. This automates the opening and closing of your door, assures you of convenience, and boosts your home’s security.
Here are the drive alternatives for garage door openers:
Chain Drives
This popular option for garage door openers features a motor chain that drives a chain. The chain consequently turns a sprocket that will work the door. Chain drives are reliable, inexpensive, and low maintenance. They are, however, noisy when opening and closing your door because the chain will rattle against its rail owing to the challenge of tensioning the chain correctly.
Even so, the noise will not be an issue if your garage is detached from the house. Moreover, chain drives are relatively slow, though some now have sophisticated electronic systems that mitigate this.
Belt Drives
These work like chain drives but have a toothed belt that will turn to open your door rather than the sprocket and metal chain. The belt, in this case, is rubber and has minimal noise. Moreover, it has a smooth operation since it is not difficult to maintain its correct tension. Belt-drive door openers are more expensive compared to chain drives. If your garage is located next to your bedroom, however, their quiet operation makes them worth the investment.
Screw Drives
These operate on a rotating threaded rod that will move a carriage back and forth. This movement opens and closes the door. The noise level of a screw-drive door opener lies somewhat between the belt and chain-drive systems. However, screw drives are faster in opening and closing the garage door compared to the latter. They are also low maintenance and durable alternatives for your door opener.
Jackshaft Drives
These are the latest choice for door openers. Jackshaft units are installed on your garage wall, unlike other drive options mounted on the ceiling. They use a shaft that directly turns the door’s drum and exclusively works on spring-loaded drum-type garage doors. Jackshaft drives are expensive, but they are currently the quietest among garage door openers. Moreover, they are incredibly durable and fit garages with low ceilings since they do not require substantial overhead space.
One of the essentials when choosing from the garage door opener drives above is the horsepower ratings denoting the lifting power. Garage door openers have horsepower ratings of 1/3 to 1 ½. Door openers with 1/3 HP ratings are ideal for single garage doors while those with ratings of ¾ to 1 ½ HP work for high-tech, heavy-duty garage doors.