- Discover how a belt-drive garage door opener works.
- Explore the pros these systems provide for homeowners.
- Learn which homes benefit the most from belt-drive systems.
Garages offer one of the simplest luxuries—the ability to get in and out of your house without having to deal with the elements. Whether you're avoiding summer heat, a wintry chill, or the odd rainy day, being able to travel in and out of the house through the garage makes necessary trips just a little easier.
As easy as they can make routine trips, some garage doors have a noticeable drawback—the noise. In some houses, you can mark the coming and going of family members by the telltale sound of the garage door opening and closing. It doesn't have to be this way. Call Balanced Garage Doors to experience the difference a quiet belt drive garage door opener can make in your life.
What is a Garage Door Opener with Belt Drive?
If you've never heard of a garage door opener with belt-drive technology, it first helps to know what it's building from. Nearly all modern garage doors have automatic openers that use electronic sensors and wireless technology to control the opening and closing of the door. Initial models made use of a chain drive.
Chain drive openers are still the most common type of system because they're both reliable and affordable. The metal chain operates a system of pulleys using tense cables and springs to open and close the door. The metal components found in a chain system are the loudest of any garage door opener system, especially where there's metal on metal contact.
A belt-drive system, on the other hand, uses a rubber belt reinforced with steel in place of the metal chain. Overall, the two systems function the same way, but the belt drive replaces the noisy metal chain and reduces the number of moving parts at any one time. The belt pulls a trolley connected to the garage door moving the door up and around the tracks when opening the door.
Pros of a Belt-Drive Garage Door Opener
If the noise of your current garage door opener is becoming too much to bear, call us to determine what your options are for reducing the noise, including installing a belt drive garage door opener system. Here are just some of the advantages of this system:
- Quiet Operation: A garage door opener with belt drive capabilities isn't just quieter, it is the quietest garage door opener available. Coupled with nylon instead of metal rollers, you'll hardly ever hear the system in action again.
- Faster Operation: Not only are belt drive systems quieter than their chain-driven counterparts, they're faster too. The belt system requires less parts and requires precise fitting which accounts for greater speed.
- Less Maintenance: Installing a belt drive garage door opener can also decrease your overall maintenance costs. Unlike the chain-drive system, which needs consistent lubrication and cleaning to operate well, the belt doesn't need to be lubricated.
- More Durable: The belt drive system can also last longer than a chain drive opener because there's less metal grinding on metal. That reduces the overall wear and tear on the system, especially if you use your garage door daily.
Belt-Drive Garage Door Opener Cons
As great as the belt drive system is, there are some downsides to this system that make a chain-drive the right system for your home. After all, the chain-drive system has been around for years for good reason.
- Upfront Costs: A belt-drive system isn't as expensive as screw-drive or jackshaft drive systems, but it does cost more upfront than a chain-drive system. There are still the savings you get from the reduced maintenance burden though.
- Limited Capacity: A quiet belt drive garage door opener can't lift as much as its chain-driven cousin. The belt-drive system can easily handle a one-car garage door, but two or three-car garage doors exceed many belt-drive systems' capabilities.
- Susceptible to Elements: Both chain drive and belt drive systems need to be protected from the elements—humid air can rust a chain over time. For a belt-drive system, the weather can be even more of a factor. Excessive heat can stretch the belt causing it to slip off. If it gets too cold, the belt can shrink and disrupt the carefully calibrated tension of the system.
Is a Garage Door Opener With Belt Drive Right For Me?
After assessing the pros and cons of installing belt drive garage door openers, you may still wonder whether this is the right system for your garage. Given some of the system's limitations, it's worth considering when a belt drive system makes the most sense:
- Do you have an attached garage door with living spaces above the garage or next to it?
- Do you have a one-car garage door, even if you have two doors?
- Is your garage insulated? Or is your area not prone to extreme temperatures and extreme temperature fluctuations?
Get a Quiet Belt Drive Garage Door Opener Today
If you answer yes to all or most of these questions, contact Balanced Garage Doors to discuss installing a belt drive garage door opener today. We provide considerate advice and fast installations across our entire North Atlanta metro service area. Homeowners trust our technicians to provide expert repairs, installations, and maintenance on a schedule that works for them.
