A garage door opener provides necessary and pleasant convenience for every homeowner, but finding the best one for you can be a long and challenging process. The garage door market offers openers in various types and brands, but not all of them live up to expectations.
Before buying a garage door opener, homeowners should research brands, features, and prices to ensure that the model they choose meets their current and future needs. This article lists the factors you must consider to get the right opener for your overhead garage door.
How to Choose the Right Garage Door Opener
Drive options
Chain drive
Chain-drive openers are less expensive and more durable than other drive kinds, but they produce higher vibrations and noise levels. If your garage is adjacent to a bedroom, a quieter option may be preferable. On the other hand, if you have a detached garage, chin drive is a perfect option.
Screw drive
Screw-drive openers produce less noise and require less maintenance than chain-drive openers because they have fewer moving components. They are, nevertheless, more expensive than chain drives.
Belt drive
The belt-driven openers operate quieter and smoother than screw- or chain-driven openers. A belt drive is ideal if your garage is right next to a bedroom or living space. However, the most expensive of the three drive types are belt drives.
Horsepower options
½ horsepower
1/2-horsepower openers are the most frequent horsepower options and work best with single and double doors of moderate weight. You can use this opener on a range of garage doors in terms of power and pricing.
¾ horsepower
Certain garage doors, such as wood and any door wider than 14 feet, can be pretty hefty. If you want your door to last for many years, you will need a 3/4-horsepower opener. 3/4-horsepower openers are the most expensive option, but they last the longest and have the most power.
⅓ horsepower
1/3-horsepower openers are less expensive, but their lifespan is not as long as that of 1/2 or 3/4 horsepower openers. They work well with lighter doors and any doors with evenly distributed weights. Opting for a 1/3-horsepower opener with a heavy door means you will have to repair it more often than if you use a higher-horsepower opener.
Battery backup
You have two options for battery backup: automatic and manual. Automatic backups start working as soon as a power outage happens, while manual backups start working only after activation. Experts recommend having a manual backup if your home is prone to extended power outages. That way, you can still operate the garage door opener during an outage.
Brand and budget
Keep your budget in mind when choosing the brand and model of your opener. For example, suppose a LiftMaster garage door opener satisfies all of your needs but costs more than you anticipated. In that case, another model with identical features may be available at a cheaper cost.
Smart garage door opener options
Smart garage door openers connect your garage door to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to monitor and manage your garage door remotely from your smartphone or other smart home devices. Smart home system integration may not be possible with certain brands. Therefore, be sure to check the opener’s specifications to see which ones can work with your home system.
Garage Door Opener Installation Near Me
Whether you are looking for a basic garage door opener or something more advanced, turn to Titan Garage Doors NE for help to make your choice easier. We offer the best garage door opener repair and garage door opener installation services and have a wide range of opener brands and models available. We are serving the greater Omaha area and surrounding locations including Lincoln, Papillion, and Bellevue, NE and Council Bluffs Iowa. Call us at (402) 513-0255 for free estimates on our garage doors Omaha services.
