Belt Drive VS Chain Drive Garage Doors

Many people do not think much about the types of garage door openers available on the market today. This is especially true for those who have not previously owned an automated door opener. However, if you recently built a new garage or plan to install an automated opener in an existing garage, it is time to get the facts.

Garage door openers are available in three varieties: belt driven, chain driven and screw driven. However, for this comparison, we will only look at the belt and chain-driven varieties.

Belt-Driven Garage Doors

• Belt-driven operators are regarded as the best choice for residential garage door openers. They operate on a rubber belt, which when engaged pulls the garage door open and closed on its track, without making any noise. This is a great feature if the garage is near bedrooms or other living areas in the home.


• Belt-driven garage door openers are popular in regions which have significant shifts in temperatures. They run satisfactorily even in cold weather.


• Belt-driven operators are the most expensive type of unit. They also do not offer the power which most chain-driven systems provide. Therefore, they are best used on lighter weight garage doors. Furthermore, these types of belt-driven systems require maintenance sooner than other types of openers, since the belts wear out and must be replaced.

Chain-Driven Garage Doors

• Chain-driven openers operate much in the same way as their belt-driven brothers. However, a chain, instead of a belt, is used on the pulling mechanism to open and close the garage door. This is the noisiest of the operators. It should be employed on detached garages or garages where the living quarters are not impacted by its operational noise.


• Chain-driven set ups can handle all types of weather conditions thanks to their durable metal parts.


• Chain-driven openers also offer more power and are excellent choices for wooden garage doors. The unit is more cost effective than other belt-driven models.