Choosing Garage Door Openers Minneapolis–St. Paul

Which is Better – a Manual or Automatic Opener?

Most people would assume this is a no-brainer: automatic has to win every time, right? In most cases, that’s true. The biggest challenge with an automatic garage door opener will be the installation. If you’re the garage builder, you will have all of the information regarding the size and weight of the door, so you won’t need to even gather that information. Then it’s just a matter of installing the hardware.

However, while it’s possible for the average homeowner to install an automatic garage door opener or to convert a manual garage door to an automatic one, it is a task you may want to leave to the professionals. That’s because it will take them much less time than it will take you. They know all of the tricks to getting automatic garage door openers installed quickly and without any hassle.

One of the first things you need to do before you purchase and install your automatic garage door opener is determine the size you need. These devices are available in varying degrees of power. The weakest automatic garage door opener has 1/3rd horsepower and is designed for a door that covers the size of a one car garage. If you want to be able to open double doors, though, you’ll need to go with a door opener that has a motor capable of at least ½ horsepower, if not the more powerful 3/4th horsepower.

You’ll also want to take into account the weight of your door. Even if it’s only the typical garage size, you may need a more powerful motor if the door is made out of heavy materials. To weigh your garage door, all you need is a standard analog scale. Do not use a digital scale for this—they typically do not work quite as well due to the way they register weight.

To weigh the door, you’ll first need to take the opener arm off. If you don’t, you may not get an accurate measurement because it can change how the door’s weight is distributed, plus it can cause damage to the opener arm.

Once that’s done, place a short board on top of your analog scale and then position it in the center of the garage door. Lift the door up high enough for someone to push the scale under the door. This should give you a close approximation of the weight of your garage door, which is all you need.

If your garage is of larger-than-average size or if it weighs more than 300 pounds, you may want to go with a more powerful garage door opener. Note that the average weight of a standard 16 by 7 door is about 280 pounds, which is fine for the 1/3rd HP motor.

Selecting an Automatic Garage Door Opener Type

Once you know what horsepower motor you need, you can take a look at the other options. You have three different drive systems to choose from: chain, screw, or belt.

The chain drive uses metal chains to lower and raise the door. These chains are strong and will not fray over time as manual rope openers would, but they’re also noisy. They can, of course, rust if they’re not made from stainless steel. Often, chain drives are fairly inexpensive.

Screw drives use a threaded rod to raise and lower the garage door. While they’re more expensive than chain drives, they don’t need as much maintenance. They have fewer parts and are usually a little easier to install.

Belt drive openers are the most expensive. They use rubber belts to operate the doors. The benefit of this is that the entire system is very quiet and works very well. The rubber belts do wear out over time, however, and will need to be replaced.

Other Features to Consider

There are a few other things that may also play a part in your decision:

Some openers are faster than others. An average opener operates at about 7 inches per second—some may operate slower or faster.
Do you need a keypad control? If yes, do you need one both inside the garage and outside? What functions will you need (delayed closing, electronic lock, etc.)?
Will you need remotes? If so, how many?

Some automatic garage door kits include these items, but some don’t. You can usually buy additional keypads and remotes.

Choosing the Right Garage Door Opener

Minneapolis St Paul Garage Construction

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