Electric overhead door openers became popular in the 1970s and have evolved 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 leave the car to physically open the garage door. Many garage door openers may be set up by experienced do-it-yourselfers, but for most, installation should be entrusted to the experts. When basic safety is such an important issue, as it is with garage doors and garage door openers, it's just much better to leave it to the professionals.

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

Details to take into consideration when looking for an opener:

Do you need added safety features for your opener? This is especially significant if you have children.
Are you searching for a very quiet opener?
Do you live in a climate 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 most suitable option)?
What is your budget? Chain-drive openers are the least pricey of the four choices.
Chain Drive
Chain-drive openers are among the most popular of the four kinds of garage door opener. They are the least expensive. They are the noisiest here of the four types, they are very durable and are a solid overhead door opener option.

Belt Drive
Belt-drive openers are quieter than chain drives due to the fact that they check here use rubber belts. They cost a little bit more than chain-drive openers and are best for those with living areas on top of or next to the garage. There are also reduced vibrations associated with this opener type.

Screw Drives
This overhead door opener kind is often used in environments with extreme temperatures since they are designed to withstand temperature changes. Screw-drive openers will not suffer from iced over chains or other weather-related problems. The tracks are plastic-lined and there is very little servicing involved.

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

Find a local garage door professional who can assist you choose if you are not sure about which garage door opener is better for your garage.


Automatic garage door openers became popular in the 1970s and have evolved into a huge market with a plethora of different kinds of automatic garage door openers for residential and commercial garages. Automatic garage door openers took the inconvenience out of having to get out of 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.