July 3, 2015

What to Do When You Don’t Know Jack(shaft)

Jackshaft

Have you ever heard of a Jackshaft garage door opener? What exactly is it, and how does it work?

Most garage door openers are installed on the "trolley bar" concept. This is an opener that’s installed just above the top center of the door. The Jackshaft opener is a more recent innovation, and is often used commercially. So how does it relate to residential garages?

New Construction

Many modern homes are built with garage ceilings that are considerably higher than the doors. This allows homeowners to maximize their storage space, but it’s a bit self‑defeating if you go with the traditional trolley bar opener, which requires a lot of space to operate.

Maybe your garage has a 12‑foot ceiling, with an 8‑foot door. You could use a vertical‑lift, rail system, and still have the ability to use most of the above‑door space, but the Jackshaft system will give you more. Or maybe you have a cathedral, or sloped ceiling. You could use a central carriage, but in both instances a Jackshaft will be more efficient and give you more usable space, because it’s installed on the side of the door, not the top. It’s also considerably easier to service if you should encounter problems or need to perform routine maintenance.

Not Enough Room

Another situation in which a Jackshaft door opening system can be more effective is if your garage isn’t deep enough to install a central opener. You need a minimum of 48 inches of clearance to use a traditional opener, and if you have a pipe or a boiler in the way, it’s just not going to be possible. Also, you can only use this type of opener with a torsion spring system. That’s because the opener connects to the shaft tube where the springs are installed. You’re going to need a whopping seven inches of clearance above the door.

Another disadvantage to this system is that you can only use it with full vertical lift movement.

The Jackshaft Advantage

You can install a Jackshaft garage door opener on any door measuring up to a height of 14 feet, or with a maximum size of 180 square feet. Modern Jackshaft openers (the LiftMaster 8500 is one) are also equipped with security technology that allows you to operate your garage door from any location, using your computer, tablet or smartphone. They also have the same safety features as trolley opening systems.

Is there a disadvantage to a Jackshaft system? Well, yes, there is. You can expect it to cost anywhere from 25% to 35% more than other systems. As has often been said, though, you only get what you pay for, and the advantages of a Jackshaft garage door opening system far outweigh he disadvantages. The installation won’t cost you any more than it would for other, less satisfactory systems, and you’ll definitely appreciate the flexibility you have in being able to operate it from any device, not to mention the additional space you’ll have.

Now that You Know Jack(shaft)…

So, what are you going to do? If you have a high ceiling in your garage, you definitely want the Jackshaft opener so that you can make use of all that extra available space. And if you travel, or spend a lot of time away from your home, you’ll love the extra security that comes from being able to operate your garage door from any location. For just a little more initial investment, the Jackshaft garage door opening system really delivers.

Why settle for a garage door opener that’s less than satisfactory, when you could have a Jackshaft system? If you need more information about this, do not hesitate to call us at 1 (800) 696‑1926.

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