Homeowners often ask – which is the best garage door opener? That is a very good question, but the answer might surprise you.
Most people don’t know what model of garage door opener they currently have installed, and for good reason. Garage doors and garage door openers usually have names like “the 3610” or “the 8550,” which can be difficult to remember and don’t mean much to your average homeowner. In fact, homeowners may not even know what they’re looking for in an opener – what they do know, is what they don’t like about their opener. Maybe it’s too loud, or it’s slow, or it doesn’t always open when you push the remote’s button.
Regardless of what problem you’re facing, there is a perfect garage door opener for you. The only problem is… that might not be the best garage door opener for someone else’s situation. Each household is totally different, with different requirements and desires from their opener. With different amounts of use, different doors, different amounts of space, different weather conditions, different noise concerns, and even more complexities besides, every setup is unique to the home in question.
So as to the question of “which is the best garage door opener?” Well… which opener is best depends on the homeowner having it installed!
When it comes to choosing the correct residential garage door opener for your home, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Your best bet is to turn the experts, and ask the installation company that you’re working with what their opinion is. Many companies will carry products from a few different manufacturers, and among those offerings you should be able to find something that fulfills the requirements you’re looking for.
For environmentally-conscious homeowners, one of the most important things is finding a residential garage door opener that is eco-friendly. Although most openers could be hooked up to some sustainable power source, there are certain garage door openers that are designed with green technology in mind and are more energy-efficient as a result. If you’re concerned about your environmental footprint, these might be the openers for you!
Some homeowners want their entire home to be connected digitally, so that their phone can control their habitat. If that sounds like you, you might be interested in a “smart” garage door opener, with smartphone integration and wireless operation features. If you’ve ever wanted to be notified when you (or a family member) leaves the garage door open, these openers will be perfect for you – you can configure the software so that you get notifications when the door is used, when it is left open, or if you just want to operate it from a hundred miles away!
For other households, the primary concern is the noise level of the door opening. If you’ve got teen children coming home at odd hours and a bedroom near the garage, the best way to avoid being woken up every night is investing in a newer garage door and garage door opener. Most garage door openers use a chain drive to raise the door, but if you’re looking for a quieter door, you might want to ask about belt drives. They tend to be slightly more expensive, but many come with excellent warranties and they are quite a bit quieter. Another option would be finding a door with a vibration isolation system. If your primary concern is about the noise level coming from your garage door opener, these might be the right openers for you!
If your garage has a low ceiling, you might have to have a jackshaft opener installed. Jackshaft openers are specially designed motors that, rather than sitting on a track above the garage door, sit on the wall next to the drum assembly and raise the door by rotating the shaft directly. These motors are specially designed for this sort of limited-space job, and if you have a low ceiling or an unusually tall door, these might be the best opener for you!
Lastly, if you’re the sort of homeowner who wants dependable reliability, there are openers specifically designed for people like you. You can find openers that work at longer distances, if you want to operate them from afar with your remote. You can find garage doors with battery backups – these are fairly standard now, but different openers have different sizes of battery backup, and if you live in an area prone to power outages, you might want to invest in a larger backup!
No matter what your household requires, there is a perfect garage door opener out there… it just isn’t necessarily the same opener as your neighbors perfect choice! Now that you know some of your options, why not call a professional and get an expert opinion? Finding the right opener can greatly improve your quality of life, and A Plus Garage Doors would be happy to help you on that journey today!