The Austin Homeowner’s Guide to Choosing a Garage Door Opener
Thinking about upgrading your garage door system in the ATX? You’ve come to the right place. From the modern builds in Mueller to the classic ranch homes in Southwest Austin, choosing the right opener means finding a balance between tech-savviness and durability against the Central Texas heat. There are chain drive, belt drive, screw drive, and jackshaft garage door openers. Each style has its pros and cons, and learning these will allow us to determine which opener will best fit your home, your lifestyle, and our unique Austin climate.
Understanding Drive Systems
Lets start with the mechanics of each garage door opener. Drive types are the main working parts of the garage door opener. They all function differently and have their own perks and drawbacks that we will need to consider — especially given our Austin climate.
Chain Drive Openers
Chain drive openers use a metal chain to raise and lower your garage door. They have been around the longest of all the drive types and are known for being strong and effective.
Pros:
- Inexpensive: Chain drives are typically the cheapest opener.
- Strong: Can lift heavier doors with no problem.
Cons:
- Noise: Chains are loud, which can be annoying if your garage is adjacent to bedrooms.
- Maintenance: Chain drives may require lubrication over time and occasional tightening. Living in Austin means our openers are exposed to limestone dust from Hill Country construction, as well as seasonal cedar pollen. This dust can get into the chain and make things gritty and tough to operate. Be sure to wipe down your chain with a silicone based lubricant every few months.
Belt Drive Openers
Belt drives are pretty much the same as chain drives but use a rubber belt rather than a metal chain. This is what gives the belt drive it’s quieter operation and smoother lifting.
Pros:
- Quiet: Great for homes where noise is an issue, especially if the garage is above living areas.
- Strong: Can lift heavier doors with no problem.
Cons:
- Cost: These openers are usually more expensive than a chain drive.
- Durability: Because these openers use a rubber belt they are not as durable as the steel chain. Belt will eventually wear out and need replacement.
Screw Drive Openers
Screw drive openers raise and lower your garage door by spinning a threaded steel rod.
Pros:
- Maintenance: Screw drives have less wear and tear.
- Energy Efficient: They require less energy to run.
Cons:
- Speed: These openers may take longer to open and close than other types.
- Can be affected by our Texas weather. Extreme cold can slow down the mechanism and extreme heat can cause parts to overexpand. While we don’t typically see many freeze alerts in Austin, those unexpected “Blue Norther” cold fronts that push through and drop temps 40+ degrees in a matter of hours can really affect screw drive performance. Screw drives also slow down during those oppressive summer heat waves we see here in Central Texas. If temperatures top 105°F your screw drive will begin to feel that heat, too.
Direct Drive (Jackshaft) Openers
Direct drive openers, also known as jackshaft openers, are installed on the side of your garage door. This is great if you have low clearance on your garage as they do not require much space. These openers use a motor to turn the door directly.
Pros:
- Space Saving: Like we mentioned before, these openers require very little room.
- Quiet: This garage door opener is also very quiet and best for those attached garages.
Cons:
- Cost: Direct drives cost more than other garage door openers.
- Limited: These are not as common as other garage door openers so our options will be limited when we go to purchase one.
Which Garage Door Opener is Right for Me?
Now that we’ve covered the different types of openers let’s talk about how you can determine what opener will work best with your lifestyle.
Horsepower (HP)
Garage door openers come in different levels of horsepower. The higher the horse power, the stronger the garage door opener.
- 1/2 HP is good for light to medium doors, up to 300 pounds.
- 3/4 HP is ideal for heavier doors, wood and insulated models.
- 1 HP is the most powerful and works well for commercial-grade or very heavy residential doors.
Safety Features
The safety of your family and home should be your main priority when looking at garage door openers. Here are some things to look for when thinking about the safety features of garage door openers.
- Automatic reversal – if the opener detects something in the way, it will stop and reverse direction.
- Motion Sensors – Similar to automatic reversal, these sensors detect motion and prevents the door from closing on someone or something.
- Manual release – In case of a power outage, we can still manually raise or lower your garage door. If we live in Austin this is a must. Summer grid failure or those pop-up thunderstorms that Austin is known for can leave us without power. You don’t want to be stuck in your garage during these events.
Security Features
Your garage is often the first line of defense when protecting your home. Garage door openers have come a long way in providing us with various security features. Here are some things to look for.
- Rolling code technology – Each time you use your remote the opener changes it’s code. This prevents someone from hacking your garage door opener and gaining access to your garage.
- Key Pad Entry – Keypads are an added layer of security and provide us with a way to enter the garage without the remote. We can also give out access to others if we wish.
- Smartphone compatibility – Many garage door openers can be connected to a smartphone app. This will allow us to monitor and control our garage door opener from right at our fingertips. If we live and work in Austin this is a necessity. We’ve all worked those late nights in Domain or Downtown. There’s nothing worse than realizing you forgot to close your garage door before you leave work. With a garage door opener you can check it immediately and keep your home secure.
Convenience and Smart Features
Alright Austin. We live in Silicon Hills for a reason. As residents of Austin we have grown to expect technology to seamlessly integrate into our lives. Garage door openers are no different and offer some smart features that we may not only love, but will question how we lived without.
- Battery Backup – Again, we live in Austin. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from living in Central Texas it’s that you need to have a battery backup on your garage door opener. Full stop. Whether you’re dealing with one of our sudden summer storms or ERCOT announcing upcoming grid issues during our annual heat waves, the last thing we want is to be stuck in the garage with no way out. Don’t forget that your battery backup will work with your manual release mechanism so you have two forms of protection.
- Wi-Fi Capable – Remote operation right at our fingertips. Gone are the days of having to run back inside to make sure you closed the garage door. We can now check from wherever we may be.
- Scheduling Features – Want the garage door to close at a certain time every night? How about us want to make sure it’s closed before we go to bed? With scheduled settings, we can program our garage door opener to close (and open) at set times. This feature is great for Austin homeowners who live in crime prone neighborhoods like Leander, Hutto, Cedar Park and want added security during high theft hours (at dusk).
Professional vs DIY Installation
Now that you have selected the perfect garage door opener for you and your home it’s time to install. Installing your garage door opener can be done by professionals or ourselves. Here are some pro’s and con’s to each that will help you decide.
Professional Installation
Pros:
- Safety – All of your safety features will be installed properly.
- Warranty – Some warranties will void if the opener is not professionally installed.
- Know-How – Garage Door Professionals know what they are doing.
- Quick and Easy
Cons:
- Installation Cost: Professional installation will cost extra.
DIY Installation
Pros:
- Cost: We will save money by not having to pay someone to install the opener.
- Schedule: We can schedule the installation to suit us.
- Feels good to do it yourself.
Cons:
Safety: We are responsible for making sure all safety features are installed correctly.
Warranty: Like we previously mentioned, some warranties may become voided.
Maintenance Tips for Garage Door Openers
Maintaining your garage door opener is simple and will ensure it runs smoothly and lasts longer. Here are a few tips you can follow to make sure your garage door opener is maintained—with a few Austin specific tips thrown in for good measure.
Inspect Bolts and Screws
Make sure to check bolts and screws every now and then to ensure nothing is loose. If something is loose, be sure to tighten it.
Cleaning the Tracks
Since your garage door opener will be rolling on your tracks keeping them clean is important. Not only will debris make it difficult for the door to open and close but here in Austin we experience an abnormal amount of limestone dust from construction in Georgetown and Temple. This dust sticks to everything and can get into the moving parts of your garage door opener and create a chalky buildup on your wheels. Be sure to clean your tracks every 2-3 months to prevent any issues.
Inspect Rollers and Hinges
As the rollers and hinges on your garage door opener start to wear out, they may start to bind up or create rubbing sounds when the garage door is moving. Be sure to replace these as soon as you start to notice wear.
Limit Usage If Door Is Older
If you have an older garage door, try not to use it too much.
Lubricate
You should lubricate your garage door opener every 3-4 months. Lubricate the chain, screw or belt. Make sure to use a silicone based lubricant. Traditional grease will attract Texas dirt/grit. Silicone based lubes won’t!
Maintenance Garage Door
Garage doors come in all sorts of materials. Depending on the type of door you have, there are different ways to clean them. Aluminum doors can be cleaned with a simple damp cloth.
Choosing Your Ideal Door Opener
When picking out a garage door opener we try to weigh out all of our options. Noise, maintenance, and price are all important but for us Austinites we also have to take our climate into consideration. Additionally, many of us have very tech-oriented lives. We don’t want garage door openers holding us back. Remote connectivity and battery backups aren’t just perks they’re necessities in Austin. Now that you know the different types of garage door openers we hope you can pick out one that will fit your home and lifestyle.
Not sure which opener is right for you? Give Two Brothers Garage Doors a call—we’ll walk you through your options and handle the install, hassle-free.
