Hangar Door Resource Guide
If you made it here, you’re probably in the market for a hangar door (or you’re a nerd who enjoys knowing random things like me). The door that’s best suited for your application depends on your building, location, required opening size, style, and budget. The info below provides a high-level overview of the hangar doors available on the market as well as the pros and cons of each door style. I’m not the all-knower of all-things hangar doors so if you see an error or take issue with any info below, reach out to nick@texassteel.com and I’d love to discuss.
Hangar Door Options
Hydraulic Swinging
Bi-Fold
Rolling Bottom (aka Horizontal Sliding)
Accordion
Rolling Steel (Coiling)
Rolling Bottom Doors (aka Horizontal Sliding)
Rolling bottom doors have multiple panels that slide horizontally along a track.
Best suited for very large applications (single-aisle passenger jets and larger)
Pros
Heavy duty
Panel quantity can be increased to allow for larger openings than traditional hangar doors
Eliminates need for multiple, smaller doors
Minimal maintenance and repairs required, which reduces the long-term cost of ownership
Cons
Extremely heavy
Jams on the exposed rails may lead to issues opening/closing
Worst door for sealing out pests/birds and sealing in climate controlled air
Each door section has a seal and each seal is a potential leak path
Hydraulic Swinging Doors
Hydraulic swinging doors open by pivoting the entire door to the horizontal position. The doors must be relatively lightweight because of the amount of force required to open the door. Areas with high wind may also experience issues with movement while the door is open.
These doors are available in both self-supported and building-supported installations. Self-supported options provide their own frame to handle most of the opening/closing loads of the door.
Pros
Allows for great headspace OR lower initial build height
The hydraulic swinging system is robust
Virtually silent operation
Requires only a single person to operate
Cons
Large loads on the building/foundation when open, especially under high winds
Hydraulic system maintenance required
Hydraulic systems are expensive, leading to a higher up-front cost
Bi-fold Doors
Bi-fold doors use nylon straps or steel cables to winch the door open. The door is split near the top to allow for the door to “accordion” up into the open position.
Similar to hydraulic doors, these doors are available in both self-supported and building-supported installations.
Pros
Easy to open/close via the strapping system
Economical alternative to hydraulic doors
Relatively low maintenance
Cons
Requires a taller hangar to provide a similar opening clearance
Accordion Doors
An accordion hangar door has individual, folding panel sections that are connected via hinges and slide along the top and bottom track. When the door is opened, the panels extend outward and allow for easy access to the inside of the hangar.
Accordion hangar doors have several benefits that make them an attractive choice for many hangar owners.
Pros
Simplicity and ease of operation
Very affordable door option
Cons
Each panel has to seal together so air, water, and bugs can enter through any one of the numerous seals
No simple way to motorize operation
Rolling Steel Door
Rolling steel doors are made of individual metal slats that interlock to form a door. The door assembly coils and tucks neatly overhead. These doors are typically used in commercial and industrial applications, but larger sizes can be used for smaller hangars.
Pros
High duty cycle (designed to be open and closed many times)
Low maintenance
Low total cost of ownership
Cons
Size limitations
Typically limited to 40 feet wide or 30 feet high
