Garages are great — they protect your vehicle from theft, vandalism, inclement weather and gives you extra storage for tools, bikes and other essential but-not-every-day items. But what do you get when you can’t open the door to your garage? It’s still all of the previously mentioned things but now it’s a room you can’t access — that’s why garage door openers shouldn’t be overlooked.
A garage door opener works through through a very complex system of tracks, cables, springs and many moving parts. The springs play a particularly important part of the equation as they allow a relatively under-powered motor (the garage door opener) to open a large, heavy garage door. There are multiple types of openers that all operate very differently and all have different benefits.
Chain drive openers are the most basic style of garage door opener and they operate very simply – a chain drive system opens and closes the garage with the aid of the springs and other components of the garage door system. Belt drive openers do the same thing but leverages the power of a belt driven system rather than a chain driven system. Chain drive openers are economical but tend to be noisy and not as reliable as they could be. Belt drive openers are also relatively economical and are less noisy than their chain drives.
Screw drive openers operate in a very similar fashion to the chain and belt drive openers but use a very simple screw drive system to operate the garage door. They tend to be a little pricier but are relatively quiet and very reliable when compared to the other styles of openers. Jack shaft openers are very reliable and very unique, in that it’s not an overhead opener. Instead, it mounts on the wall, directly beside the garage door and directly opens and closes the garage door. This is a favourite for those who can’t use an overhead garage door opener system for whatever reasons.
Proper maintenance of your garage door opener is key to keeping your garage door operating at peak performance. Basic maintenance should include regular inspection and service of your garage door and opener. If applicable, check door and track alignment as well as all fasteners to see if they need tightening. All parts inspected for wear and potential replacement, test door opener for proper operation including force settings and limits and lubrication of both the door and opener.
