Becoming Familiar With Different Types of Drives for Torrance Garage Doors

Choosing the right garage door is one of the most important parts of being a homeowner. However, too often, homeowners will solely concentrate on the type of door they purchase and forget about the components needed to make that door function properly. One of those components includes the drive within the garage. The drive is the device that helps to safely open and close your door. Thus, the following includes information on the various types of drives available for Torrance garage doors as well as a few of their pros and cons.

The Dangers of Not Getting the Proper Drive for Your Torrance Garage Doors

Before we begin with the list, it is important to talk about the importance of obtaining the right Torrance garage door drive for your home. As stated above, the drive is used to safely open and close your door. Failure to do choose the proper driver for your particular door can result in serious injury or damage. For example, a large heavy wooden garage door will a strong drive to match the power needed to lift it. The same thought should go into lighter doors where too much power may burn an unnecessary hole through your wallet.

Chain-Drive Openers

Back in the day, the most common driver within garage doors was the chain-drive opener. The reason why the chain-drive was so popular was due to the fact that it was both affordable and easy to repair if anything did happen to it. In addition, Precision Torrance chain-drives also offered consumers an extremely durable product. Today, those same benefits are still included; however, there are have been a few changes made over the years. Consumers have a lot more options when it comes to their chain-drive opener, particularly in terms of material quality. Even then, the tradition of using a chain-drive lives on within many households.

Belt-Drive Openers

Although chain-drives are very popular due to their durability, they are not exactly the best for keeping the noise levels down. Those with families who work early in the morning are likely to wake everybody up as the metal chains move up and down the tracks. Belt drives are usually made out of rubber, polyurethane, or fiberglass materials. These are also an excellent choice for light to moderate weight garage doors. In terms of speed, a belt-drive is likely to lift your door quicker than a chain-drive would. Lastly, belt-drives are widely available, and thus if you ever do need them replaced, it would only take a car drive to your local hardware store to obtain a replacement. So, before you bring in a garage door installation crew, it is important to determine if noise is an issue for you.

Screw-Drive Openers

Perhaps the most complex drive on this list, the screw-drive opener utilizes a threaded rod or the “screw,” as the name suggests. This screw is found within the track and runs from the opener to the actual door. A trolley is then attached to the screw, and that trolley will extend to the door where it is firmly attached to it as well.

When you press your door opener button, the drive begins to use the screw to move the trolley up and away from the motor. The arm will then either lower or raise the door carefully, depending on what you want to do. A great benefit to these is that they do very well with heavy doors that may need that extra stability and horsepower to properly move up and down their respective tracking system. However, much like a chain-drive, a screw-drive opener will also cause a substantial amount of noise while they are in operation.

Jackshaft-Drive Openers for Torrance Garage Doors

Over the years, a new type of drive has emerged from the commercial business community and is slowly being introduced into residential homes. The jackshaft drive opener uses a 24v DC motor to power the torsion bars within the garage and allow it to lift and close. These are a great choice for those looking to lift a very heavy door vertically, such as those made out of wood. The reason they are slowly being introduced into the residential community is because of their ability to be incredibly quiet. Although jackshaft-drive openers are on the expensive drive, they come with a plethora of benefits to them.

One of the most obvious is the opportunity to save a lot of overhead space. Because the motor is located on the side of the garage and is relatively small, that means it leaves a lot more headroom for bigger vehicles. Another benefit includes the peace of mind that it will have the latest safety features such as an emergency reversal system and a light in the event of a blackout.