The aviation community is remarkable in the sense that we find ways to do things better and more efficiently. The innovations that are on the horizon are bound to mind blowing due to human ingenuity and the endless amounts of information available to us instantly. Some of that information can be considered “fake news” however, if it’s not verified and this holds true with the niche market of hangar doors. With that being said, there are approximately 16-18 manufacturers of hangar doors (or they so they claim). Just because a company sells hangar doors does not make them a manufacturer of hangar doors. Hangar Doors are like buying a custom fitted suit, you’d want to go directly to the tailor right? Additionally what happens when the suit has an issue? Verify all claims. If you google earth a company and see the building is only about 5,000 square feet, they probably don’t make the doors and in fact you may be dealing with a broker and not directly with the factory.
The next thing to point out is that there are many types of hangar doors; sliding hangar doors, top hung rolling doors, bifold doors, tilt up canopy, tilt hydraulic and single panel hydraulic. The interesting thing about all of them is that they all have their place in the aviation industry and beyond. We want to point out that claims from other hangar door companies can be misleading at times. Case in point, the Higher Power Hydraulic Door claims it is a “stand alone” door. This would lead one to believe the HP Door doesn’t need to be connected to the building, and that is absolutely right. However they infer that this is amazing and we should believe it. Sadly the architects think they don’t require the door to be welded or bolted in place. You could try doing that but, we’d bet HP Doors would void any warranty when a storm comes through and blows it over. Additionally their video is misleading because the portion that the cam rolls on is not braced. This will certainly move if not connected, but they don’t advertise that.
No one advertises the down sides of their hangar doors. For example, Schwiess Hangar Doors have lift straps, which are nice and perform well. So, what is untold and not so amazing about that? Their straps are not UV resistant and sun exposure from windows and doors can cause photo derogation. Not that big of a deal, but shouldn’t you know all of the facts? Single Panel Hydraulic Hangar Doors like the ones Well Bilt manufactures uses domestically manufactured cylinders by reputable manufactures for its hydraulic hangar doors. But what do you do when the seals on your hydraulic hangar doors are blown or rotted? Well you have to take them out and have them repaired. We don’t see this often but it does happen and it is expensive. The fact of the matter is hydraulic seals do wear and can eventually fail.
The point is to do some homework! All of the companies are trying to earn your hard earned dollars. All of the products have unique challenges and offer a variety of options. Be sure to ask lots of questions to the supplier and get references. You’ll only have yourself to blame if you are not happy with the hangar door you buy.