Garage doors come in three Garage Door Springs Lowes different drive types.
Chain driven garage doors is the original style. They are still very popular because of their simplicity and good value. The old style chain is noisy though. Garage Door Sizes Chart This technology is the same that came from the past on every car port. Of course, some people appreciate the warning that someone is parking in the driveway.
Belt driven openers are really no different from chain driven garage door openers. They operate with a rubber belt and are quieter than other garage openers. You have to pay for this premium though, as these garage door openers tend to cost more than others.
Halfway in-between is the screw drive opener. They cost somewhere in between the chain and rubber belt car port opener and are somewhere in between in terms of noise and cost. All of these custom garage doors take a little of ingenuity to install, but the screw drive opener is probably the easiest.
The average car port opener uses a ½ horse power engine. Anything smaller is not recommended on anything past a one car garage. Heavy custom carriage doors and the like need a ¾ horsepower engine. Always err on the side of power. In an emergency, it will at least open your door.
A standard door is 7-feet-tall. The door opener usually has 6 extra inches of leeway accommodation. Taller doors will require extensions.
These car doors are actually very high tech. Ever since 1993 all doors have been required to be sold with a safety mechanism that stops the door if something is under it. Security has been upgraded also. New doors with a rolling code feature cannot be hacked or opened by strangers.
Power is an important consideration, especially with high horsepower units. The standard unit can take a two 60 to 100 watt bulbs. Battery backup is not standard, but this will let you open your garage when the power is out. Otherwise you may be locked out of your house and car.
Keyless entry will also let you open the door from the outside without an opener. This is handy if you have guests or if you lose your opener. The standard unit only comes with two door openers.
Most units are made to be installed by professionals, but some sell Do-It-Yourself kits of the home entrepreneur. However the only main difference is that disassembled, DIY kits fit in a car much more easily.
