Choosing the Right Garage Door Opener

When it comes time to choosing your garage door opener you'll want to factor in power, safety, security and quiet operation.

First and foremost, you need to make sure that your garage door opener will be able to handle the height and weight of your new garage door. You'll want to go with at least a one-half horsepower motor and a three-quarter horsepower if you have a heavy carriage-style door. With the extra power you can be assured that lifting most heavy doors will be a snap and the opener won't burn out as fast as an under-powered model.

To mirror the way family activities are evolving in the kitchen, homeowners are looking for appliances, furniture and products that can do more. They're looking for innovative products that give added value. For example, a kitchen cart is valuable because it provides extra workspace and shelving. Adding a pullout or pull-down function, different spray modes and a pause button to a stylish faucet easily gives it added value.

A quiet garage door opener may be important if your garage is adjacent to bedrooms or living areas. Quiet operation depends mostly on the type of operating mechanism or drive that is used to open the garage door. There are three common types of drive — belt drives, screw drives and chain drivers.

Belt drives use a sturdy rubber-like belt to open and close the garage doors. They are typically the quietest type of drive. Screw drives use a long, sturdy metal rot threaded like a screw to lift and close the door. They aren't as quiet as belt drives, but just as reliable. The most affordable drive is also the loudest, because it uses a metal chain (similar to a bicycle chain) to open and close.

To mirror the way family activities are evolving in the kitchen, homeowners are looking for appliances, furniture and products that can do more. They're looking for innovative products that give added value. For example, a kitchen cart is valuable because it provides extra workspace and shelving. Adding a pullout or pull-down function, different spray modes and a pause button to a stylish faucet easily gives it added value.

Modern garage door remotes come in many sizes and shapes with features to fit your needs and lifestyle. From one button to multi-button designs, standard sized to compact and mini models, brand specific to universal models, there are plenty of convenient and safe ways to open and close your garage. Here are some of the more popular options

• Rolling code security which changes your security code after every use.
• Compact and pocket sized options.
• Multi-button designs used to open several garage doors and control home lights.
• Wall mounted keyless entry keypads.