Types of Garage-Door Openers

Noise and cost distinguish garage-door openers

There are three main types of garage-door openers, differentiated by the mechanical drive that lifts the door. The most common and least expensive garage-door openers use a chain looped around a rail. The quietest and most expensive models use a metal-reinforced rubber belt instead of the chain. Intermediate in cost and noise level are the screw-driven models, with a mechanism that moves up and down along a threaded steel rod. Experts say screw-driven units are powerful and, with the smallest number of moving parts, they can require the least maintenance. They are also a bit harder to find since there aren't as many of these models on the market. A newer technology using torsion springs is also available from Wayne-Dalton.