In times past garage doors could only be lifted by grabbing the handle at the bottom of the door and lift up to open it and to shut it you repeated the steps. Today, in order to open a garage door you need some type of opener, which was invented in the 1920's. They can be opened by a remote control or from a switch on the garage wall. There are several different garage door openers on the market. Belt drive This opener is not as noisy as the chain drive. They can be installed for a garage that is below or next to the home. This opener is more durable and stronger than the chair drive, which is why many people prefer this one. The unit of this opener consists of a rubber belt instead of a steel chain. Chain drive This one is the cheapest and one most commonly used. It is very easy to install this device because it is basically a metal chain connected to the motor of the opener. You can activate it with a remote control or switch. To lift the garage door up when the main switch is turned on the opener uses a shaft and sprocket chain. This is the noisiest type of garage door opener made. C. G. Johnson made the first types of these openers. Normally the switch is installed on the garage wall for better access, both on the outside and the inside. Screw Drive This was founded by a manufacturer called Genie and is an automatic opener. A motor called direct driver operates it. The garage door is lifted with the help of a threaded steel rod. It moves when the motor is switched on using no belts or chains so there is no noise at all. It also has more speed than the other two types of garage door openers making it more efficient, When choosing a door opener for you garage look at the power you are going to need. If you are opening a single door, a smaller motor will work but if you have a double door garage you will need a motor with at least one-half horsepower. You should look for one that offers a safety mechanism that will keep the garage from closing all the way if something is in the electronic beam that stops the door from closing, helping to prevent accidents that could be serious, even fatal. Another safety feature you might consider is a rolling code. This changes the opening signal each time you activate the door. This will prevent crossed signals with your neighbor's garage door and protects your security code. Look for the simplest one that fits your need. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9599610
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So you go to your local Sears store and there is a whole wall of garage door openers. The sales associate is helpful and shows you ALL the items. But you just leave confused. I'll make it easy here and give you the simplest way to figure out which Craftsman garage door opener is best for you.
There are five basic steps to help you get the right door opener and installed in you location. Step One, Measure the height of you door: Step Two, Select the HP (horsepower): Step Three, Select the type of garage door opener: Step Four, Select the type of remotes you need: Step Five, Professional Installation or Install it yourself: Step One, Measure the height of you door: Measure the height of the opening, not the door itself. Most garages door openings are around 7 feet high. If your opening is 8 feet, 9 feet or 10 feet you will have to buy an extension in addition to the garage door opener itself. If it is around 8 feet buy the 8 foot extension. If it is 9 or 10 feet buy the 10 foot extension. Step Two, Select the HP: There are two horsepower ratings for most garage door openers. 1/2 HP and 3/4 HP. If you have an aluminum, aluminum insulated, or fiberglass door a 1/2 HP is plenty strong to open both a single car (7 to 9 feet wide) or a double car (16 feet wide) door. If you have a wood door, a door with windows installed in it, a steel door or one of the new doors that look like they are off an old carriage house I recommend you go with the 3/4 HP door. (If a magnet sticks to your door it is steel.) A new single car carriage style door can use a 1/2 HP opener. If you have an extra tall door (9 or 10 feet) or a door that is wider than 16 feet I also recommend you go with the 3/4 HP door. If you have a one-piece door (usually and old door made out of wood) I recommend a 3/4 HP door. Step Three, Select the type: There are three basic types of garage door openers. Chain drive, belt drive, and screw drive. Chain drive garage door openers are what you are used to. They are reliable, noisy and usually last a long, long time. They come in many different sizes. For example, Sears has an economy version, homeowner versions and heavy duty versions. These chain drive garage door openers are usually the best value and can be easily sized for you garage door. You can buy extensions for the opener for 8 foot and 10 foot doors. A Belt drive garage door opener is relatively new on the market. It uses a metal reinforced belt instead of a chain to make the drive much quieter than a chain drive. It's usually a little faster than a chain drive opener. If your garage is under the living space of your house and it sounds like a herd of elephants in your bedroom when someone uses the garage door the quiet belt drive may be the best choice for you. You can buy an 8 foot extension kit but not a 10 ft. Screw drive units feature the fewest number of moving parts. They are powerful and quieter than chain drives. I believe Stanley was the first to introduce the screw drive garage door opener 15 years or so ago. Stanley is not making garage door openers anymore but Sears and Genie still have these available. I expect the screw drives to be replaced with "torsion spring" technology in a few years. You can buy an 8 foot extension for this type but not a 10 foot. Step Four, Select the remotes: There are different types of remotes. Single button - one button, one door. Mini - small remote to hook right on your key chain. Three function - more buttons to control more doors and even the light in your home. Wireless keypads - attach this to the outside of your garage to open the door securely and safely. Finger Print Wireless Keypad - accepts only the fingerprints you have programmed into it. Great for families with children. Door Monitor - You can use this inside your home to check if the garage door is open or not. Sears offers different "packages" with the garage door openers to give you the best value. Step Five, Professional Installation or Install It Yourself I put this choice as a separate step because there is a good amount of work to install a garage door opener. Yes, your father-in-law can probably do it, but do you really want to pay for a case of beer and at least two trips to the hardware store? If you have not installed one yourself before plan on 4 to 6 hours for a new installation and 2 to 4 hours to replace an existing opener. Sears offer professional installation at a very reasonable price (in my area $109 and the installers have put in hundreds of openers) so it is worth a discussion whether it is a good choice for you to install it yourself. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3559461 Whether you are planning to put your home on the market or make it more comfortable to live in, there is a lot to be gained from making home improvements. Improvements in your home could involve: - Repairs of already existing structures, - Remodeling certain parts of the home to give them a facelift, - Making additions to your home to improve quality of life, - Home improvement projects in order to make a house more energy efficient or environment-friendly. To decide on a home improvement project can seem pretty daunting. But armed with a few handy home improvement tips, you could be well on your way to the ideal home of your dreams. Most of these tips are easy to follow and will make deciding on home improvement projects a breeze for you. - Before deciding on a home improvement project, you have to decide exactly why you think your home needs it, how much you should be spending on it, and what is the result you would be satisfied with. - The first home improvements you should consider are repair moves. Attend to any ceiling repair problems, the plumbing job you have been putting off or that attic insulation that has become necessary. This holds true whether you are planning to live in the home yourself, put it on rent, or put the home on sale. - Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom is a smart home improvement move if you are planning to put your home on sale. This increases the value of the home immediately, and if researched properly, can be done with very little investment. - Home improvement projects that involve remodeling need to be well thought out, so that they do not look out of place in the house. They are usually done to improve lighting, provide more space or glamorize the home. Remodeling a home can also mean an improvement in the atmosphere. For instance, if a kitchen wall is broken down to create an open kitchen, it immediately makes the home more friendly and sociable. - Making additions to a home like adding a deck, a pool, or an outdoor storage area are usually the result of what the family needs, but could also be excellent selling points if the home goes up for sale some day. Additions to the home should be considered as home improvement projects if there is extra outdoor space which by itself does not improve the value of the home. A good tip for an improvement in the exterior spaces of the home is also to consider the neighborhood and only make changes and additions that would blend in. - Helping a home improve its energy efficiency is also a great idea for a householder, because not only does it cut down on the electricity and gas bills, it is a great thing to do for the environment. Improvement in the insulation of the home can be a long-term blessing. Investing on a home so that it at least partially harvests solar energy could be another way of improving the home for posterity. It is obvious that home improvement projects should not be carried out on a whim. It is essential to evaluate why a specific home improvement project is required, and what would be gained from the investment. While home improvements that involve repair increase the comfort in the home and its longevity and are therefore essential, all other sorts of home improvement need to be carefully evaluated before embarking on them. |
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