Electric overhead door openers got popular in the 1970s and have grown into a huge market with a range of different types of motorized garage door openers for commercial and residential garages. Electric garage door openers took the hassle out of having to get out of the car to physically open up the garage door. Many garage door openers can be mounted by experienced do-it-yourselfers, but for most, installation should be left to the experts. When basic safety is such an essential issue, as it is with garage doors and garage door openers, it's simply better to leave it to the specialists.

There are four kinds of garage door openers: chain driven, belt driven, screw drive, and jack-shaft. Every kind operates differently and your particular needs will guide you to the most suitable opener for your garage door.

Factors to think about when shopping for an opener:

Do you need extra safety features for your opener? This is very significant if you have children.
Are you searching for a very quiet opener?
Do you live in an environment with harsh temperatures (in which a screw drive opener may be the most ideal choice)?
Do you want remote control access?
Does your garage facilitate ceiling mounting of the opener, or do you have cathedral ceilings (which would make a jack-shaft the best option)?
What is your budget? Chain-drive openers are the least pricey of the four options.
Chain Drive
Chain-drive openers are probably the most preferred of the four types of garage door openers. They are the least expensive. They are the noisiest of the four kinds, they are extremely durable and are a good garage door opener option.

Belt Drive
Belt-drive garage door openers are quieter than chain drives because they use rubber belts. They cost a bit more than chain-drive openers and are best for people with living spaces above or next to the garage. There are also minimal vibrations related to this opener type.

Screw Drives
This garage door opener type is usually used in climates with harsh temperatures since they are developed to hold up against temperature changes. Screw-drive openers will not suffer from frosted chains or other weather-related issues. The tracks are plastic-lined and there is very limited upkeep required.

Jack-shaft
Jack-shaft drives are excellent for eliminating that large garage door opener box on the ceiling of your garage. Jack-shaft openers are attached on the side wall of your garage and are ideal for garages with high ceilings. Another benefit is that they are super silent.

Find a local garage door specialist who can help you choose if you are unsure about whichever garage door opener is best for your garage.


Automatic garage door openers became popular in the 1970s and have evolved into a huge market with a click here plethora of different kinds of automatic garage door openers for commercial and residential garages. Automatic garage door openers took website the inconvenience out of having to get out of check here the car to manually open the garage door. When safety is such an important issue, as it is with garage doors and garage door openers, it's simply better to leave it to the experts.