Choosing the Best Garage Door Opener

  • Added:
    Jan 03, 2014
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Ironic Garage Door
Ironic Garage Door
Photo by CarbonNYC

If you are in the market for the best garage door opener, there are certain things that you should keep in mind. For the sake of the uninitiated, a garage door opener as defined by Wikipedia is a motorized device that is used to open and close garage doors. Thanks to technology, there are many types of garage door openers to choose from. Most garage door openers are usually automated and remotely controlled. This allows you to control your garage door with minimal hassle.

It is crucial to understand what options you have when choosing the best garage door opener. These options include, but are not limited to:

Remote garage door opener versus one which does not require a remote. When you choose to have the keypad installed inside the garage, it means that you will need a remote to open the garage door from the outside. However, you can choose to have the keypad installed outside to allow you to open the door even from the outside without the need for a remote.  It is important to note that some commercial garage door openers have sensor systems. These systems have sensors which detect the approaching car and the garage door opens automatically. There are also garage door openers which come with tube sensors. When a vehicle rolls over the tube sensors, the sensors activate the garage door to open.

When choosing the best garage door opener, there are certain steps that you should follow carefully. The first step involves measuring the height of your garage door. In order to do this accurately, you will require measuring the garage door opening and not the door itself. If the garage door opening goes beyond the usual 7 feet you will need to buy an extension in addition to your garage door opener.

The second step involves selecting the right horsepower for the garage door opener. Whether an automatic door opener or otherwise, you will find that there are mostly two horsepower ratings to choose from: ½ HP and ¾ HP. If your garage door is made from aluminum or fiberglass, choosing the ½ HP door will do the trick. However, if your garage door is made from steel or other heavy material such as wood you might want to go for the ¾ HP garage door opener.

Choosing the type of garage door opener comes in at number 3. There are three main types of door openers that you can choose from. These are chain drive, screw drive and belt drive garage door openers. It is very likely that a great percentage of your neighbors use the chain drive openers. They are the most common as they are reliable and have great longevity. The belt drive is a modification of the chain drive opener. It uses a reinforced belt instead of a chain. It is quieter and faster than the chain drive. Screw driver openers are much more powerful than the aforementioned. They are also faster and much quieter.

The last step when shopping for the best garage door opener is to have it professionally installed. You may have bought the latest model, state of the art universal garage door opener but if you don’t have it properly installed it won’t be worth the investment.

Author's Profile

Dan Pellegrino is the author of this article on garage door motor. Find more information, about garage door opener remote replacement here


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