If you’re in the process of building a new garage, you may notice that there is a lot of space over your garage door. If you’re interested in changing this, you might want to consider a door opener that serves as an alternative to the traditional door opener with a trolley over the center of the door.
Thankfully, there is a great door opener that can help your garage achieve an all-new look. If you’re tired of the traditional door trolley, you might want to consider a wall-mounted door opener. This clears up space on your garage door and offers a sleeker look to help your garage feel more personal. This article will explain what a wall-mounted door opener is, how and when to use it, and the necessary requirements for having one installed.
What Does It Mean to Have a Door Opener Installed Beside the Door?
A wall-mounted door opener is meant to be placed beside the garage door, and is popular in residential homes with cathedral-like ceilings. This type of device is growing in popularity, and is especially useful for homes with ceiling heights of over 10 ft (3m). While it is typically seen in townhouses, it can be used in any kind of home.
To give you an idea of whether or not a wall-mounted door opener is right for you, consider that the average garage door is 7 ft in height (2.1m), and can go up to 8 ft (2.4m) for larger vehicles.
The most common type of garage door openers on the market are generally the ones that function with a trolley, which are often installed in the center of the ceiling. There is also the “Jackshaft” opener, which is the wall-mounted door opener in question. It is typically 16 ¼” high by 6” wide by 6 ¾” deep (41cm x 15cm x 17cm).
The wall-mounted door opener is just as safe as the default trolley opener, and comes with a photoelectric reversal system for safe opening and closing of the door. It uses a remote control to open, just like a traditional garage door opener does. In terms of safety and security, the remote uses a Security+ 2.0 system to protect your garage door signal from being picked up by someone nearby. It also comes with a control panel on the wall to give you more freedom. It can be equipped with a backup battery, which comes in handy if your power goes out. Finally, it can be equipped with the advanced MyQ technology, which allows you to open and close your door using your smartphone or other smart device.
When Is This Type of Garage Door Recommended?
If your garage door measures a height of 7 ft (2.1m), and the floor-to-ceiling distance in your garage is over 10 ft (3m), you have the ideal garage for a wall-mounted door opener. In fact, this size of garage is more ideal for a wall-mounted opener than it is for a traditional trolley-type opener. The drawbacks to the trolley opener are aplenty. You would have to hang your opener at least 2 ft (61cm) from the ceiling, which leaves a lot of unused space between the motor and the ceiling. The long brackets that hold up the door will be too cumbersome and won’t look good once in your garage. Over time, the brackets that support this garage opener will loosen, making it much less safe than a wall-mounted opener.
If you have a cathedral or sloped ceiling, a wall-mounted door opener is far more practical. Overall, this smaller and safer device is great for newer garages.
What Are the Physical Limitations of the Wall-Mounted Opener?
There are two main physical limitations to this type of garage door opener:
- Having enough space in your garage is an absolute requirement. You need at least 8 inches (20cm) on one side of the garage door.
- If you have torsion hardware installed over the door header, you have to use a solid shaft to hold the springs. The solid shaft is more cumbersome, but is required to raise and lower the door.
No matter what type of garage door opener you use, it is important to remember that the door must be properly balanced at all times. You should be able to lift the door with one hand, and it should weigh between 8 and 10 pounds (3.5 and 4.5 kg).
Is It More Expensive?
The wall-mounted garage door opener is slightly more expensive than the traditional trolley opener, but the advantages far outweigh the little extra cost. On average, the trolley-type openers like the model 8355 sell for about $375 – $400, whereas the 8500 wall-mounted opener will cost an extra $150 to $175.
Learn More Now!
If you’re interested in learning more about this wall-mounted garage door opener, feel free to contact us anytime at 207-784-0622. Our garage door professionals know these devices better than anyone in the industry, and are always available to answer your questions. If you visit our website, we’d be happy to send you an online quotation for free.
Stop by and visit our show room to see the range of doors and openers we have available to help you make your best choice. You can also use our Design Centre to make your own virtual design, and check out our image gallery to see what past clients have made.
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