Hangar Door Cost

[corn_flake]

I have been toying with the idea of building my own hangars.  Obvious, everything cost more these days.  However, the real shocker is the bi-fold hangar door.  One vendor quoted me $42k for a 58x20 door.  I may have been ok with paying until he mentioned the "metal cladding" is not included.  Wow!!  So, the door they are selling is really just a frame of a door.  I haven't priced it out, but I doubt I could probably source my own structure steel and hire a certified welder to build the two rectangle frames with a couple of hinges for $10k.  Am I just be a super cheap baster!!   

[Schllc]

I think you will find there is a lot more to it than two metal box frames with a hinge. 
Could you do it cheaper?  Maybe, but usually things like this, are priced more appropriately than not.  The guy making the doors has already learned all the things you will on your journey and I seriously doubt you will end up saving $30k.
Do you really thing the guy that quoted $42k is making  300% profit?
If you’re not concerned about the time, energy and frustration it will take, you will probably spend a little less money, but my guess is at the end of the day, the juice won’t be worth the squeeze. 
 

[slowflyin]

I purchased a Higher Power door for my last hanger.  https://www.hpdoors.com   65x18  23K.    

This door does not place any vertical loading on the header of the building.  Therefore, I was able to order a "standard" building with no additional engineering or design work from the building OEM.  As I didn't pursue it, I can't say how much savings.  I can say, my contractor is a second generation gent that does nothing but metal buildings and he told me the custom headers can get very expensive and can add to the lead time.   Again, no data.

As far as skinning the door, I ordered it when I purchase the siding for the building.  Insulation as well.  

Something to consider is product liability insurance.   I'm sure it's sky high for the door OEMs.   Giant doors hanging of very expensive aircraft.

 

 

 

[KSMooniac]

Higher Power is #1 on my list for my upcoming hangar build as well.  Check them out before going for a bi-fold system.

[BlueSky247]

That's a really interesting solution. Do they offer installation as well, or is that something you had to coordinate with your contractor?

 

This is good timing as I am looking at building a 50x45 on a budget.

 

Fwiw, their yt channel has a few videos of just the doors by themselves operating out in the open. Kinda wild to see that big ole door just moving around with no external attachments.

 

 

[MikeOH]

@corn_flake

I guess I'm a CB like you  $42K plus siding seems INSANE, BWTHDIK.

Take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZYO--8MRKY

 

[Schllc]

The door loading on the building is minimal. It’s the shear and wind that will present the expensive points on the building. This will be a factor regardless of the action/design of the door. 
metal buildings are notoriously week in sheer and a big clear span door doesn’t help. 

[corn_flake]

Thanks for the suggestions on HighPower Door.  I will definitely review their product.  

@Schllc  I don't think the guy selling it to me is making 300% profit.  The 300% profit is probably spread across every hand it pass thru.   

I'm sure many are paying the price, or the company wouldn't be in business.  For me, I always ask the question, is there a better to accomplish the same.  I firmly believe that's how progress is made.  

[exM20K]

Oshkosh is a good place to visit with a number of hangar door vendors, but obviously that's not helpful here in September.  If there are any Ag expos in your area, you'll likely find the same vendors there.

 

I went with a HydroSwing 14.5z46 for mine and am generally happy with it.  It does put some very strange loads on the stub wall, though.

-dan

[corn_flake]

Interesting.  HydroSwing is like regular one piece hydraulic door but with bi-fold.  It certainly look like it could less side load than the one piece hydraulic door. 

[exM20K]

1 hour ago, corn_flake said:

Interesting.  HydroSwing is like regular one piece hydraulic door but with bi-fold.  It certainly look like it could less side load than the one piece hydraulic door. 

That looks like a different, non-US company. I know hydroswing went in and out of bankruptcy; maybe they went back into it.  anyway, most of the door vendors offer a hydraulic single-piece door.

-dan

[slowflyin]

19 hours ago, BlueSky247 said:

That's a really interesting solution. Do they offer installation as well, or is that something you had to coordinate with your contractor?

 

This is good timing as I am looking at building a 50x45 on a budget.

 

Fwiw, their yt channel has a few videos of just the doors by themselves operating out in the open. Kinda wild to see that big ole door just moving around with no external attachments.

 

 

They did not have a contractor in my area (VA).  It wasn't difficult to install.  Most any good erection crew could handle it.

[Schllc]

18 hours ago, corn_flake said:

Thanks for the suggestions on HighPower Door.  I will definitely review their product.  

@Schllc  I don't think the guy selling it to me is making 300% profit.  The 300% profit is probably spread across every hand it pass thru.   

I'm sure many are paying the price, or the company wouldn't be in business.  For me, I always ask the question, is there a better to accomplish the same.  I firmly believe that's how progress is made.  

I agree 100% with what you say, everyone who touches everything puts their markup on it.  I thought when you wrote the original post that you had qualified the bid with others and that was the rate.  My comments were based around that assumption, sorry...

The salient point was that sometimes with something specialized like that, the learning curve can cost the difference, and then at the end you have no one to call for warranty.

if the spread is 20k-42k and they are providing nearly the same thing then yes, that is unreasonable.

[BlueSky247]

21 hours ago, MikeOH said:

@corn_flake

I guess I'm a CB like you  $42K plus siding seems INSANE, BWTHDIK.

Take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZYO--8MRKY

 

I have only watched the first few minutes of it, but that's a pretty clever way of going. Got any videos saved of how to build the actual hangar on the cheap?  I've been thinking of having a pole barn outfit do mine. My main goal is that it needs to be weather tight. We have high humidity here so I really want to be able to manage that.

[A64Pilot]

One thing to make sure is what is the building code for wind loading, many doors won’t meet that where I live and I’m nearly certain my 21 yr old doors won’t now.

Big huge hydraulic doors are cool and all, but hugely expensive. If money were no object I’d like one, they do provide shade when open after all

What’s wrong with folding doors? They don’t take any longer to open than those big hydraulic doors and other than wind put very little load on the building.

You do lose a few feet of usable width though as they stack up on each end, but the lack of expense, no electrics or hydraulics to break etc, make them pretty attractive to me.

 

[corn_flake]

2 hours ago, BlueSky247 said:

I have only watched the first few minutes of it, but that's a pretty clever way of going. Got any videos saved of how to build the actual hangar on the cheap?  I've been thinking of having a pole barn outfit do mine. My main goal is that it needs to be weather tight. We have high humidity here so I really want to be able to manage that.

I would build my own door before DIY my own hangar.  Especially red iron i-beam type.  Those seem a bit more involved.  Plus, I haven't notice the price quoted on hangar to be excessive.  I'm happy to pay for the profit margin for those provide services to me as long as it is reasonable.  I laughed when I got the quote of $42k for a door (or should I say, only the frame to the door). 

[McMooney]

just a thought, get a manual backup to the opening mechanism.  My plane gets stuck in the hangar anytime we have a power outage.

[BlueSky247]

@McMooney One of these should do the trick. 

 

 

[Fly Boomer]

On 9/5/2024 at 8:01 AM, slowflyin said:

Giant doors hanging of very expensive aircraft.

That door is likely north of a thousand pounds — what could go wrong?

[MikeOH]

18 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

That door is likely north of a thousand pounds — what could go wrong?

True enough, but just what weight falling ten feet onto your aircraft would be ok?  

[exM20K]

2 hours ago, McMooney said:

just a thought, get a manual backup to the opening mechanism.  My plane gets stuck in the hangar anytime we have a power outage.

if you have a panel in the hangar,

Disconnect main service

backfeed the panel with a generator

done.

[exM20K]

5 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

What’s wrong with folding doors? They don’t take any longer to open than those big hydraulic doors and other than wind put very little load on the building

I assume the folding doors have tracks like sliding doors do. I have sliders in Florida, and I’m not a fan. Between the pitch up into the hangar and having to roll over an inch of rail, I’m about at the traction limits using a sidewinder on my porky Acclaim.

-dan

[A64Pilot]

On 9/6/2024 at 4:16 PM, exM20K said:

I assume the folding doors have tracks like sliding doors do. I have sliders in Florida, and I’m not a fan. Between the pitch up into the hangar and having to roll over an inch of rail, I’m about at the traction limits using a sidewinder on my porky Acclaim.

-dan

They do have tracks, very small ones. I wouldn’t want to skate board over them but the Mooney has no issue, neither does the tailwheel on my 140 and it’s tiny.

If there is a downside to the tracks it’s that over time they will accumulate some dirt and grass cuttings etc, takes about 30 sec with the leaf blower to blow them clean though.

As far as drainage whoever built mine has the concrete in front of the hangar draining away for about 20 ft or so, I suspect the total drop over the 20 feet to be a couple of inches max. Then there is a drain that drains into the yard so when we get torrential rain like we sometimes do none gets into the hangar without having to have a lip at the hangar. Some will blow in, but that seems to be an issue with any door.

I’ve not priced a folding door but I think one has to be a fraction of what the hydraulic or even cable operated ones cost.

The tracks are flush with the floor and it seems the tire has to roll over a 2” gap.

 

[Hank]

@A64Pilot, that's been my experience with the folding doors, too. Six or seven panels to each side, fold up a little over a foot thick, with a chain to latch open if it's windy. Mine were unpainted fiberglass, which let in light during the day, and my headlights shone through at night.

Now that im behind a folding metal (Schweitzer?) door, I miss the translucence.

[A64Pilot]

My doors are translucent too, and face due East, what that means in Central Fl is they let in a surprising amount of heat, especially in mid Summer. Wife won’t let me paint them semi-gloss white because nothing else is white. They are dark brown now

Previous owner had all but the top panels insulated with foam panels that have aluminum on the outsides, door is thick enough for two thicknesses of these panels.

One day I’m going to have the top panels insulated too and check to see if the attic has blown in insulation and have it blown in if it doesn’t.

I  installed a 2 ton mini-split for humidity control, on at 65% RH and off at 60%. I can just about air condition the hangar, It does keep the humidity down, past few days in Fl have been unusually rainy even for Fl in the rainy season. Attached photo is right now, 7:48 PM. Temp never usually gets above low to mid 80’s even in August and keeping the humidity down really helps.

 

Edited September 8 by A64Pilot