If your garage door opener in Austin is broken, you might be interested in exploring your options for a new garage door opener. Your garage door repair should include garage door opener installation, and you can use this opportunity to choose the best type of garage door opener for your needs. Here is a comparison of some of the most common types of garage door openers.

Screw Drive Garage Door Openers

Screw drive garage door openers operate via a trolley system that rides on a threaded steel rod. This rod rotates using a motor, which causes your garage door to open. This type of garage door opener does not utilize the push and pull force of the more traditional chain or belt operated garage door openers. Because screw drive garage door openers have fewer moving parts to maintain, the typically require less garage door repair. They operate best on residential garage doors in temperate parts of the country, as they are sensitive to cold. Their garage door prices are also often more expensive than other options.

Chain Drive Garage Door Openers

Chain drive garage door openers are the most common option for residential garage doors. These openers run the garage door along a track, relying on a chain to push the trolley, which is connected to a device called a J-arm that maneuvers the garage door. These garage door openers tend to be noisy, so they are best for detached residential garage doors. Modern garage doors that operate via a chain drive opener are much quieter than older models. Many people consider this the best garage door for garage security, as the noise alerts them that someone is entering their garage.

Belt Drive Garage Door Openers

Belt drive garage door openers might have the highest garage door prices, but they are also considered the sleekest and most luxurious option. They use the same mechanism as a chain drive opener, but operate with a belt rather than a chain. This makes them less noisy. The belts are made from rubber, fiberglass, or polyurethane

When garage door openers were first invented, there weren’t many options available for homeowners. Today, there are many types of garage door openers and, depending on how much you are willing to spend on one, you can purchase a garage door opener that has any number of technological features. Some can even be synced with your smartphone so that you can use your garage opener simply by pressing a button on your phone. Answer these questions while shopping for automatic garage doors near Pflugerville or Austin to pick the best option for your home.

Do you have livable space located above your garage?

Many homeowners opt for a chain-driven garage opener because it is often the least expensive option. Chain-driven models use a chain, much like the one used on a bicycle, to push and pull a bar that controls a garage door. The problem with them is that they can be very noisy, so if you have a bedroom located above your garage, you will probably want to go with something that is a lo​t quieter like a DC-powered garage door opener.

Do you use your garage for overhead storage?

Most garage door openers are mounted in the middle of a garage on the ceiling. This works for many homeowners, but if you don’t have space in the middle of your garage to mount a garage door opener, you have another option. A jackshift garage door opener mounts on the wall next to your garage and uses pulleys and a torsion bar to open and close the garage.

Do you want the latest tech features for your garage door opener?

You can do more than just open and close your garage door with the latest garage door openers. Companies like LiftMaster offer garage door openers that include great features for homeowners. For example, there are many garage door openers that will allow you to control your garage door from anywhere simply by using your smartphone. These garage door openers may be more costly than traditional options, but they are well worth the investment.

Once upon a time, homeowners were forced to manually open and close their garage doors every time they wanted to access them. Eventually, garage door openers were invented, and they made it easy for people to open their doors automatically with the press of a button. Since then, garage door openers have evolved and those looking to install residential garage doors near Austin now have options when it comes to garage door installation. Here are several types of garage doors that are available today.

Chain-Driven Garage Door Openers

When garage door openers were first invented, most of them used chains, similar to the chains used on bicycles, to open and close garage doors. The chains were connected to the opener itself which was positioned on the ceiling in the middle of a garage and a metal bar that either pushed the door down or pulled the door back to open it up. While some garage door openers still use chains, the biggest criticism against them is that they can be very noisy. Belt-driven and screw-driven garage door openers are less noisy, but they operate in the same way by pushing or pulling garage doors.

Jackshaft Garage Door Openers

In recent years, companies that make garage door openers have figured out that not everyone wants to install a large opener in the middle of their garage. They have fixed this problem by creating jackshaft openers that can be mounted on the wall directly next to a garage door. The opener uses a system that includes pulleys and a torsion bar to open and close a garage door, and it is incredibly quiet when it works. It will also give homeowners the option of using their garage for overhead storage.

DC-Powered Garage Door Openers

Many of the newest garage door openers are DC-powered. These openers must be installed in the middle of a garage on the ceiling, but they offer variable speeds and soft-stop technology as well as battery backup. They are also quieter and more efficient than any other type of garage door opener and include the latest technological advances.