A new "accelerator" line of garage doors has recently hit the market and has become very popular. But is it worth the extra money?
The idea of the new garage door opener is that is opens a door much quicker than older models, and closes them much more quietly. It uses a screw-drive garage door opening mechanism, which is usually quieter than the traditional chain-drive variety. The manufacturers claim that it is equipped with a start and stop that is more "gentle" than the average. After hearing it in action myself, I have to agree it is pretty quiet for a horsepower machine that has to lift and drop hundreds of pounds.
As for the extra speed- it doesn't make much of a difference for the swing-open style doors, but for the sectional roll up, it can lift at a rate of more than fourteen inches per second, which is a vast improvement over the average opener.
One great feature about this opener is that it has what is known as a low- profile rail, meaning it can being installed right up against the ceiling, meaning it requires less headroom than most garage door openers.
On the whole it's a great product that matches the current technology and may even surpass it, but whether or not it's worth the extra cash is up to you. How annoying is the sound of the garage door opening? How annoying is having to wait for it to open? What kind of shape is your old opener in?