How To Choose The Right Garage Door Opener

Your garage and garage door opener are essential components of your home, and the newest models are constantly being innovated by integrating smart technology. But how do you know which model is suitable for you? We've created a quick expert guide to make the garage door opener selection process more manageable. 

One of the most intelligent things you can do as a consumer is to consider your needs regarding how loud a garage door opener will be. Ask yourself, will you use it late at night while other people sleep? Will you use it during the daytime distract or interfere with a sleeping baby or someone working from home?

Also, consider where the garage is located in relation to the rooms in your home. Are there bedrooms located above or directly next to the garage? If so, a noisy garage door may wake people trying to sleep, or if the garage is located next to an office or library, it could drown out the noise of a presentation someone is trying to watch for school or work. 

Once you factor in your noise requirements, it’s time to choose a garage door opener. There are several styles, but we will cover the top 4 options.

Chain Drive: These are the most common garage door openers because they are reliable and affordable. They use the same type of chain used on a bicycle to lift your door and are versatile and powerful enough to lift both heavy and light garage doors. The noise is the most significant disadvantage to the chain drive garage door opener. Chains create a lot of vibration, which translates into loudness. In the last decade, manufacturers have made some fantastic innovations to make them as quiet as possible, so a brand new chain drive opener will not be as loud as the ones you heard 20 to 40 years ago.

Screw Drive: Instead of a chain, a screw drive garage door opener uses a threaded shaft to connect the lift motor to the garage door. The shaft spins to pull in or out to lift or open the door. This means there is much less vibration and noise than a chain drive. Screw drives are a little more expensive than chain drives.

Belt Drive: This type of garage door opener is the quietest garage door lift available and the most expensive. They typically use a belt made of Kevlar with teeth that pull up the door as a gear system rolls it. Belt drives dramatically reduce vibration, and the Kevlar material is much quieter when it comes into contact with the lifting mechanism.

Smart Openers: Smart garage door openers connect to your home's Wi-Fi network and allow you to open and close it remotely using a smartphone app. They can also integrate with other smart home devices, such as voice assistants, to provide a seamless home automation experience. Smart openers are available in both chain-drive and belt-drive options, making them a convenient choice for homeowners who want to stay connected from anywhere.

Next, you need to consider the right amount of power for you. You need your garage door opener to be strong enough to lift your door without putting too much strain on the opener mechanism. Still, you don't want to waste energy by having more power than you need. Most will come with one of three power ratings; 1/2 horsepower, 3/4 horsepower, or 1 horsepower.

• 1/2 horsepower is the standard residential option, especially in newer homes with newer-model garage doors. New garage doors are typically much lighter than some of the older ones. If it’s relatively new and has a standard width, this will probably be the option you need. 
• 3/4 horsepower garage door openers are primarily used to lift oversized doors or if you prefer your standard-sized door to open a little faster.
• 1-horsepower openers are usually meant for extra large, specially-made doors or garage doors that are extra heavy, including solid wood doors.

Figuring out the exact amount of horsepower you need can be challenging. Contact your local garage door installation company to assess the situation. A technician can often figure out your needs through a quick phone call. 

Injuries from garage doors are more common than you think, but in this day and age, most new openers will have all the safety features you need to help prevent these occurrences. Here are some of the safety features to consider when shopping.

Sensors & Safety Eyes: Sensors are strategically placed to ensure nothing obstructs your garage door when you close it. Usually, they are in the form of a laser beam that shoots between two lenses on either end of the threshold. If that laser is obstructed, even for a split second, the door will automatically stop or immediately start reversing. 

Touch Reversal: On the off chance that the sensor system doesn't work, most garage door openers are equipped with a door reversal system. If the door lightly touches any object as it lowers, it will automatically reverse and start going back up. This most commonly happens If your car is parked halfway into your garage. Sometimes the sensor will be unobstructed under your vehicle between the front and rear tires. If you lower the door, the sensor won't activate, which would let the motor continue to push downward, causing major damage to your car and the door. A door reversal feature stops this, and most newer garage door openers have it.

Next, you'll need to consider what options you want for opening and closing your garage door. Almost all openers come with one or two standard remote controls with one to three buttons that most people keep in their cars. However, if more than two people need access to your garage, a keypad outside is a great option. This allows people to type in a code that will open the door. These are perfect for giving a gardener access to your lawnmower, which is stored in the garage. It is also a good option for your kids to enter the home instead of giving them a key they might lose.

If you are ready to start exploring a new garage door opener or building a new home and still need to make a selection for your garage, contact your neighbors at Door Gators. We’re a premier garage door repair and installation company located in South Florida. Our unrivaled service and experienced technicians will make the process as straightforward as possible.