Choosing the right opener can be tricky, but it’s important to understand the requirements for a jackshaft opener to determine whether you are eligible for one in your garage.
Jackshaft openers are mounted on the wall to the right or left of your door and connect directly to the torsion bar to raise and lower your garage door. There is no other alternative space for a jackshaft to be mounted.
This type of opener is beneficial for people who want to maximize their ceiling space or when there is an obstruction such as a beam in the ceiling, limiting the space where an overhead opener could be placed.
Side Room Requirements
A jackshaft opener must be placed on the wall to the left or right of the garage door directly onto the torsion tube. There isn’t much wiggle room for installation space. As a result, there needs to be enough space on the side of the garage door frame to mount the opener. At minimum, there needs to be 8.5 inches of wall space on the side of the garage door frame.
Additionally, you need to have a grounded outlet located near the opener so it can be plugged directly into the outlet, not into an extension cord. The power cord for a jackshaft opener is 6 feet long, so it’s required there be an outlet within 6 feet that the opener can be plugged into. Ideally, you don’t want the outlet behind the opener, as it makes it more difficult to plug in during installation. It’s suggested that the outlet be above or below the opener, and in some instances, even on the ceiling if the garage ceilings are high.
Header Space Requirements
The header is the section of wall above your garage door opening that maintains the structural integrity of the opening. This is important because a jackshaft opener requires a torsion spring system.
In order to mount the torsion system, you’ll need 12 inches of header space above the garage door. This will ensure that there is enough room for all of the components of a torsion spring system to be mounted and operate correctly.
More Reasons to Choose a Jackshaft Opener
Maximized ceiling space: A jackshaft opener eliminates the motor rail that would run along the ceiling with a belt drive or chain drive opener. This allows you room to store big items overhead and free up space around your garage.
Noise reduction: Jackshaft openers don’t have a belt so they are essentially silent. Additionally, because there is no motor rail along the ceiling of the garage, any nearby bedrooms or living spaces will not be disturbed, as is possible with other garage door openers.
Ideal for irregular garages: Jackshaft openers are great for homes that have high ceilings, where they’d have to extend the hang brackets for an overhead garage door opener. Additionally, if you have anything blocking the path of a standard garage door opener, a jackshaft opener can be a solution since it doesn’t have a motor rail.
Solution for low headroom: Jackshaft openers are also a great option for garages that have low headroom (or low ceiling) and don’t have the space to install a garage door opener which requires a rail to be mounted overhead along the ceiling.