Choosing the Right Garage Door Opener

October 8, 2019

Shopping for a garage door opener is something most of us have never thought of before until the moment we need one. We don't often hear people talking about opener recommendations, we don't see them out at stores and shops, and we might not ever have to shop for a new one until we own our own home. So if you have recently been faced with the problem of needing a new garage door opener, here are some tips for what to look for and how to select the right one for you and your home.

Let's start by discussing the different kinds of openers:

Chain Drive: This type of opener uses a metal chain to power the opening and closing operation and the most common opener found today. They are reliable and economical but can be a bit noisy.
Belt Drive: This type of opener uses a belt instead of a chain. These systems are very quiet, reliable, and offer long-lasting performance. They are more expensive than chain drive systems so require more investment.
Screw Drive: With this type of opener, the lifting mechanism operates through a threaded steel rod. They are very powerful and have few moving parts so they rarely have maintenance issues. However, they are not as quiet as belt drive units.
Jackshaft: This type of opener is designed for places where a traditional opener won't fit, like garages with low or obstructed ceilings and accommodates for overhead storage options. Precision Door offers a LiftMaster model that has a lifetime warranty for the motor.

Modern garage door openers have so many features to choose from, and depending on which features you might need, this could help you to choose the right opener. Here are some awesome features that you can get with your garage door opener.

Standard garage door openers will often have remotes and wall-mount buttons and/or keypads to open and close your garage door, manual release feature, security lights and/or overhead lights. But certain brands and models also include features like:

Battery backup: A great safety feature should you live in an area that might experience power outages. This will allow you to continue to use your garage door opener should an outage occur, though it's usually only found in high-end models.
Internet connectivity: Smart homes are becoming more and more commonplace and now that includes your opener. Some models, like Liftmaster, are WiFi-enabled and even come with their own app that you can download on your smartphone. This feature allows you to open and close your garage door without being there, get updates if your garage door fails to close or randomly opens while you're away, set schedules for the door to close and for the lights to turn off, and even monitor deliveries to your home with in-garage delivery with Amazon Prime to prevent packages from being stolen from your front door.
Car compatibility: This feature allows you to program the opening and closing of your garage door from within your vehicle, available for certain car models.
Auto-close function: This feature makes sure your garage door automatically closes after a programmed period of time, making sure that your garage never sits open for very long.
Virtually silent operation: You might not think of garage door openers as being capable of functioning quietly but modern openers are. This is great for homes with rooms above the garage, so you don't have to disturb the peace and quiet of the house every time someone has to come and go from the garage.

We hope this quick discussion of garage door opener types and features has helped you to hone in on what your home may need from your new garage door opener. It always helps to have a budget in mind when shopping for your new opener and to look into brand loyalty. For instance, we at Precision Door Service of Salt Lake City are experts in all things garage doors and openers and we proud to offer sales and installation services of LiftMaster garage door openers, ranging from the ultra-quiet to the super-strong to suit your home's individual needs with some of the most advanced openers available.

If you want more help in selecting a new garage door opener, don't hesitate to contact us today and we help you select the right one for your needs and provide installation service you can trust.