In times past garage doors could only be lifted by grabbing the handle at the bottom of the door and lift up to open it and to shut it you repeated the steps. Today, in order to open a garage door you need some type of opener, which was invented in the 1920's. They can be opened by a remote control or from a switch on the garage wall. There are several different garage door openers on the market.
Belt drive
This opener is not as noisy as the chain drive. They can be installed for a garage that is below or next to the home. This opener is more durable and stronger than the chair drive, which is why many people prefer this one. The unit of this opener consists of a rubber belt instead of a steel chain.
Chain drive
This one is the cheapest and one most commonly used. It is very easy to install this device because it is basically a metal chain connected to the motor of the opener. You can activate it with a remote control or switch. To lift the garage door up when the main switch is turned on the opener uses a shaft and sprocket chain. This is the noisiest type of garage door opener made. C. G. Johnson made the first types of these openers. Normally the switch is installed on the garage wall for better access, both on the outside and the inside.
Screw Drive
This was founded by a manufacturer called Genie and is an automatic opener. A motor called direct driver operates it. The garage door is lifted with the help of a threaded steel rod. It moves when the motor is switched on using no belts or chains so there is no noise at all. It also has more speed than the other two types of garage door openers making it more efficient,
When choosing a door opener for you garage look at the power you are going to need. If you are opening a single door, a smaller motor will work but if you have a double door garage you will need a motor with at least one-half horsepower. You should look for one that offers a safety mechanism that will keep the garage from closing all the way if something is in the electronic beam that stops the door from closing, helping to prevent accidents that could be serious, even fatal. Another safety feature you might consider is a rolling code. This changes the opening signal each time you activate the door. This will prevent crossed signals with your neighbor's garage door and protects your security code. Look for the simplest one that fits your need.
