Wall Mount Garage Door Opener Pros and Cons: Best Guide

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Overhead Garage Door Openers are extremely popular and convenient. But there are times when Wall Mount Garage Door Openers work out to be better. An understanding of wall mount garage door opener pros and cons will help you to decide which is better for your garage.

What is a Wall Mount Garage Door Opener?

A Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener is also known as a Jackshaft (based on the drive mechanism used). Of course the obvious notable feature is that a Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener is mounted on the wall (not the ceiling) on either the left or right of the Garage Door.

Wall-mounted Garage Door Openers use the pulley and rope mechanism coupled with the torsion spring on the garage door to move the door up and down. It has all the required safety features.

What is an Overhead Garage Door Opener?

An Overhead Garage Door Opener is the most commonly used type of Garage Door Opener. Most residential garages have this type.

An Overhead Garage Door Opener unit is suspended from the ceiling of the garage. It is positioned in the center of the overhead tracks on which your Garage Door glides as it opens and closes.

A track runs from the Garage Door to the Opener unit, in between the two horizontal side tracks on which the Garage Door glides.

There are three types of drive mechanisms available.

Belt type

• Pros: Smooth and quiet operation, preferred choice for garages with rooms above
• Cons: More expensive than chain or screw type openers

Chain type

• Pros: Lower cost, higher strength and durability, popular among homeowners
• Cons: Noisy, requires more maintenance

Screw type

• Pros: Sturdy and reliable, long-lasting
• Cons: Requires regular lubrication, messy and inconvenient

Overall, Belt Type Garage Door Openers are the most popular choice, especially for attached garages.

Wall Mount Garage Door Opener Pros and Cons

The wall mount garage door opener pros and cons are discussed below:

Wall Mount Garage Door Opener Pros

• Frees up ceiling space
• Useful for garages with cathedral or sloped ceilings
• Quieter operation
• More security features

Better Space Utilization

A Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener uses a lot less space. It fits in snugly on the wall next to the Garage Door. This means that you can use the garage ceiling in several ways, such as installing extra storage space, hanging a punching bag or maybe putting up a ceiling fan for summer evenings.

Very High Ceiling Garages

If your garage ceiling is high, say 10 feet, then the Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener is certainly a better option.

In case of high ceilings, especially a cathedral ceiling. Overhead Garage Door Opener Trolley and center rail would require hanging brackets of two feet or more. 

These will vibrate and may loosen from the ceiling. The Garage Door will also vibrate and become noisy over time. Moreover, this is not safe.

In this situation a Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener is a better option.

Very Low Ceiling Garages

If your garage ceiling is too low, the Overhead Garage Door Opener Unit will leave little headspace for tall persons, tall cars or cars with cargo carriers or roof boxes.

In such situations you will have little choice but to install a Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener.

Low Maintenance

The Garage Door uses two guide rails attached to the ceiling on which it moves up or down. The Overhead Garage Door Opener requires another guide rail in between these two for the belt or the chain. 

The Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener does not require this center guide rail. Less parts means lower maintenance. Compared to Overhead, a Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener, is anyway more accessible for maintenance.

Enhanced Security 

The Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener usually has more security features. Some models have a Deadbolt that automatically engages when the garage door closes, keeping the door locked down. A reassuring “clicking” sound signals complete security.

Wall Mount Garage Door Opener Cons

• More expensive than traditional systems
• Requires professional installation and maintenance
• Limited lifting capacity
• Higher Repair and Replacement Cost

Wall mount garage door openers offer numerous advantages, but they also come with a few cons as under:

Higher Initial Cost

Wall mount openers are typically more expensive than traditional ceiling-mounted models. For example at the time of updating this post the overhead opener is priced at around $262, while the wall mount opener is priced at around $495.

Requires Professional Installation

Wall mount openers are not that easy to install. More likely than not you will need the services of a professional. There may also be a need to modify the wall adjoining the garage door. All this may further push up your initial cost.

Limited Lifting Capacity

Wall mount openers may have a limited lifting capacity, so it is important to ensure that the model you choose is compatible with the weight and size of your garage door.

Power Source Access

Wall mount openers require a stable power source close to it to operate. If you live in an area prone to power outages, you should invest in a generator or backup battery system.

Higher Repair and Replacement Cost

Like all mechanical devices, a wall mount garage door opener is also subject to wear and tear. Repairs and replacements are typically costlier than that for an overhead garage door opener.

Wall Mount vs Overhead Garage Door Opener

I compare two models from Chamberlain in the table below to highlight the features of Wall Mount and Overhead Garage Door Openers.

Wall Mount Garage Door Openers

CHAMBERLAIN NEXT-GEN WI-FI GARAGE DOOR OPENER Model No. RJ070

• Wall mount design frees up ceiling space for extra storage, light fixtures, ceiling fans and more.
• Smooth, quiet operation virtually eliminates noise and vibration into living spaces.
• Monitor and control your garage from anywhere with built-in Wi-Fi® and the myQ® App.
• Automatic Garage Door Lock deadbolts your garage door every time it closes.
• Open and close your garage door even when the power is out with Battery Backup.
• Enables secure in-garage delivery for Amazon Prime packages. Check availability in your area.

You can buy CHAMBERLAIN NEXT-GEN WI-FI GARAGE DOOR OPENER Model No. RJ070 at Lowes by clicking on this link.

Overhead Garage Door Openers

CHAMBERLAIN ULTRA-QUIET BELT DRIVE WI-FI GARAGE DOOR OPENER Model No. B970

• Built-in Wi-Fi® enables smartphone control with myQ®.
• MAX lift power for heavier doors with a lift force equivalent to 1-1/4 HP*.
• Open/close your garage door even when the power is out with Battery Backup.
• Enables secure in-garage delivery for Amazon Prime packages. Check availability in your area.

You can buy CHAMBERLAIN ULTRA-QUIET BELT DRIVE WI-FI GARAGE DOOR OPENER Model No. B970 at Lowes by clicking on this link.

Wall Mount Garage Door Openers (Special Requirements)

Installation of a Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener does require a few conditions be met.

• The garage should have around a foot of garage wall available on the left or right side of the Garage Door.
• There should be a power point nearby.
• The torsion spring shaft of the Garage Door must be strong. By the way Wall-mounted openers do not work with Garage Doors that use extension springs.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Wall Mount Garage Door Openers are actually better than an Overhead type on most features.

In some situations, such as very high or very low garage ceilings Wall-mounted may be the only option. However, to be able to use a Wall-mounted option certain conditions have to be met. 

A Wall-mounted Garage Door Opener is, however, a lot more expensive than an Overhead Garage Door Opener.

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.