Schweiss Doors

Schweiss Hangar Doors - Which System Is Right For You?

If you’re building a new hangar or heavy-equipment storage facility, the process of selecting which door system is right for your building can be pretty daunting. There seems to be a never-ending list of pros and cons for every type of door on the market, whether you’re building a small hangar on personal property for a general aviation aircraft, a crop duster, or a massive maintenance or storage hangar for commercial aircraft, fleet management, or a private jet, a door from our friends at Schweiss is an excellent choice that you can depend on. But what type of door suits you best?

Schweiss offers both bi-fold and hydraulic hangar doors, each with its own set of pros and cons. Because of this, there are a handful of things to consider when choosing the right door to suit your needs. Schweiss told Great Western that 75% of their door sales are bi-fold doors, but in some cases, a hydraulic door is preferable to customers based on their specific needs. Let’s examine the advantages of each so you can make an informed decision about which door system suits you and your hangar project.

Bi-Fold Hangar Door Advantages

A bi-fold door from Schweiss is a fantastic choice for aircraft hangars with door openings exceeding 40 feet in width. In fact, it is the most often recommended door solution for hangar projects. However, Schweiss also offers single-panel hydraulic doors that our customers occasionally opt for as well.

The most prominent advantage of a bi-fold door is that it allows the same overhead clearance as a hydraulic door without requiring the same amount of clearance in front of the hangar for the door to swing open. So, the bi-fold is an excellent solution if you’re tight on space in front of your hangar or need to park in front of the door. Even without a vehicle parked outside the door, owners can omit checking the door clearance before opening each time.

Bi-folds use a near-noiseless strap system to raise the door, which makes for quiet and efficient operation. Because the straps provide multiple lift points, less load is applied to the building itself compared to a hydraulic door. Better still, Schweiss bi-fold doors use an internal truss system. The structural components of the door system itself are not exposed to the elements, reducing the risk of corrosion.

Finally, one of the most beneficial features of a bi-fold hangar door is the angle the door sits when it’s opened fully. Rather than sitting at a flat 90-degree angle when open, the bi-fold door has a slight downward slope that allows rain and snow to run off the door when opened. This means that moisture doesn’t accumulate, eliminating the risk of flooding into your building and door structure and causing damage to insulation or corrosion. Instead, it runs off the slope of the front of the door.

Hydraulic Door Advantages

Given that a hydraulic door uses a single panel, when open, the door provides additional shade and, thus, a larger shaded working area on nice days when working with the door open. Schweiss even offers the ability to install overhead lights inside the door to illuminate this extended working area for extra space when working at night.

Hydraulic doors from Schweiss use a one-piece frame, so installation, weather sealing, and insulation are quick and intuitive. Because of the one-piece frame and fewer moving parts, hydraulic door systems are generally simpler than bi-folds. With only two hydraulic rams, they have far fewer moving parts than a bi-fold, making them easier to maintain.

Of course, as with anything in life, each door has its drawbacks. Though both doors offer safe and simple functionality, one may be more appealing to you, depending on your primary preferences. Let’s examine the cons of each door type.

Hydraulic vs. Bi-Fold Doors: The Cons

In the case of bi-fold doors, the split between the two door panels does affect the aesthetics a bit. With a single-panel hydraulic door, features like glass windows and cladding can truly enhance a building’s overall appearance. Because of the internal truss structure and folding operation, a bi-fold door makes it more difficult to add attractive and creative custom elements. It’s not impossible, but working around the center fold between the door panels can be challenging. Aesthetics aside, the bi-fold has several advantages over a single-panel hydraulic door. Most prominent is the lack of frontal space required for opening the door. 

Beyond traffic and parked vehicles, a hydraulic door can be a bit problematic in regions with heavy snowfall. If the door needs to be opened in the snow, the external truss assembly of a hydraulic door acts as a shovel and lifts snow and debris unless owners shovel and clear the space in front of the door before opening. It can also collect leaves and other debris and, ultimately, could lead to premature corrosion if it’s not adequately cleaned. Schweiss can manufacture your door with the truss system internally integrated, but that ultimately cuts into the door’s overhead clearance when open. If your building allows raising the door higher to maintain overhead clearance with an internal truss assembly on a hydraulic hangar door, this isn’t much of an issue.

Bi-fold and Hydraulic Hangar Door Safety and Wind Resistance

Both hydraulic and bi-fold doors have in-built safety features that give you peace of mind throughout your operation and ownership.

For hydraulic doors, velocity fuses are added to the hydraulic cylinders. If a hydraulic hose fails, the cylinder will lock in place to prevent the door from suddenly slamming shut. This imperative safety system/feature is standard on all Schweiss hydraulic doors. In addition, soft-closing can be added to your hydraulic door to prevent it from slamming shut.

In the case of bi-fold doors, soft close comes standard courtesy of their strap retraction functionality. When opening, as the straps coil around the drum for retraction, the door increases in speed throughout the opening sequence. As one might expect, the exact opposite happens when closing. As the door gets closer to the ground, it slows down for the soft and quiet closing operation. In addition, Schweiss bi-fold doors have a five-to-one safety margin.

High winds are something to take into consideration when choosing your door. A bi-fold door is typically the superior option if you’re in an area prone to high winds. They are inherently less susceptible to wind damage due to their lesser surface area when in an open position. On the other hand, an open hydraulic door offers plenty of surface area for wind to lift. Unfortunately, that can lead to damage. Additionally, Schweiss bi-fold doors come with a strap latch system that secures your door, whether open or closed. In high-wind scenarios, this can prevent severe damage from occurring.

Which Door Is Right for You?

Ultimately, the choice of which door is best suited for your needs is up to you and your available working space. As stated above, the vast majority of customers opt for the bi-fold door because of its numerous advantages over a traditional hydraulic door. However, in some cases, the hydraulic door may suit a building’s use better. 

Of course, budget is also a concern when it comes to your overall project. For an accurate quote, contact Schweiss directly via their quote and contact page with your preferences and needs. Be sure to let them know Great Western sent you! From there, our team is happy to work with you on whichever door you choose and design your perfect hangar building around it. This way, we can ensure you get your ideal building solution. If you’re interested in more information about a metal hangar building kit from Great Western, check out our page on hangar buildings.

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You should receive your estimated quote by email shortly. Please keep in mind that this is just an estimate and does not include snow loads, wind loads, county specific code requirements, delivery or design specific engineering calculations related to the structural soundness of the building.

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