Garage openers from Sommer
- Manufactured by Sommer
- 877-766-6607; www.sommer-usa.com
- Cost: $350 to $450
Standard garage-door openers have a fixed motor that powers a belt or chain to open and close the door, but it’s the motor itself that does the traveling with the unconventional Synoris. The 24v motor engages a fixed chain as it rides along an overhead rail, a design that German-based Sommer (www.sommer-usa.com) says is unusually quiet and vibration-free.
The technology has been in use in Europe since 1986, and the manufacturer says that it has been tested to more than 80,000 cycles without maintenance. Similar to many other garage-door openers, Synoris openers have obstacle-detection and photo sensors that automatically reverse door movement if anything interrupts a beam of light at the bottom of the door. They also have a soft-start and soft-stop feature that keeps noise to a minimum.
Synoris openers come with either a 3⁄4-hp motor for doors weighing up to 550 lb. or a 1-hp motor for doors up to 1000 lb. The company offers a lifetime warranty on the opener and a two-year warranty on accessories.
Prices for professional installations range from $350 to $450. A do-it-yourself model available at Lowe’s and The Home Depot sells for $228.
Photo: courtesy of Sommer.
