How Para-Port® Doors Measure Up Against Other Hangar Doors

If your hangar door doesn’t keep the elements out and your climate-controlled air in, if it requires constant ongoing maintenance, or if it’s difficult to open, is it really worth your investment?

We think not.

With so many different hangar door options on the market, it helps to have a clear side-by-side comparison of Para-Port® Doors with others. 

 Let’s take a look at the most common alternatives to the Para-Port® Door in the areas of seal, durability, and overall cost of ownership:

Bi-fold Hangar Doors vs. Para-Port® Doors

How It Seals

Since bi-fold hangar doors open on all four sides, in order to access your plane, you have to break the seal along the sides, at the top, and in the middle. 

Para-Port’s® curtain technology maintains your hangar’s seal all along the top and sides, even as you’re raising the door, keeping the elements out and your climate-controlled air in for as long as possible.

Hangar Door Durability

Plus, when they’re open, the weight of the door impacts the cables, straps, and hinges needed for operation. This means the door requires moderate ongoing maintenance on these components.

Overall Cost of Ownership

A Para-Port® Door doesn’t require point loads, whereas a bi-fold door requires reinforcement for the point loads. In addition, because of the wedge of a bi-fold door, a hangar with a bi-fold door needs to be taller in order to clear your aircraft, which adds unnecessary expense to the cost of your overall build.

Durable Para-Port® Doors have limited points of failure and reduced wear items. That's why there are so many Para-Port® doors in operation after 50 years of service.

Hydraulic Hangar Doors vs. Para-Port® Doors

How It Seals

Like bi-fold doors, hydraulic swinging hangar doors break your hangar’s seal at all four points—top, bottom, and both sides—letting out all of your heat and A/C.

Hangar Door Durability

Since hydraulic doors operate on a pivot instead of retracting into the ceiling like a garage door, hydraulic doors put significant stress on the end wall and supporting structure.  

Hydraulic doors might not be the best choice for locations with constant high winds. However, since Para-Port® Doors roll up like a curtain when opened, there’s no added strain placed on your building’s support system. The doors are also ASCE rated to sustain winds up to 140 MPH, and they are fully operable in wind conditions up to 35 MPH.

Overall Cost of Ownership

Hydraulic systems are expensive to install and require significantly more steel support in your hangar’s building in order to support the weight of your hangar door system.

But Para-Port® Doors require far less upfront investment and ongoing maintenance. Its lightweight yet durable material keeps both expenses down.

Sliding Hangar Doors vs. Para-Port® Doors

How It Seals

Sliding hangar doors have been around for decades. Like a huge barn door, they are usually operated manually but can be power-assisted with an electric motor and chain rigging.

Sliding doors break your hangar’s seal along just one seam, like Para-Port’s® curtain door, with the critical difference in its location. Heat rises, and since the door opens horizontally instead of vertically, all of your climate-controlled air leaks out from the top of a sliding door as it opens. 

Para-Port® Doors capture that air and release the least amount of heat or A/C. 

Hangar Door Durability

Sliding hangar doors are extremely heavy duty… and extremely heavy. In addition, the tracks have to be constantly maintained to be kept clean of debris and the elements. They are prone to jams and require a lot of muscle to maneuver. They might last a lifetime, but that lifetime is going to put strain on your back and legs, and on top of that, the frustration of jammed doors might give you a stroke.

Para-Port® Doors open easily, every time, without the sweat and cursing that comes with a bottom-rolling door. There’s no compromising on quality and reliability when it comes to Para-Port® Doors.

Overall Cost of Ownership

While a sliding hangar door is likely your more affordable option without the bells and whistles of mechanical components, it’s impossible to calculate the loss of time and energy these doors cost your operations. Doors that won’t open reliably mean delays to your flight schedule. Doors that require significant manpower to maneuver can cost you in workman’s comp. And don’t forget how frequently you need to lubricate that track and wheel system to make sure it actually opens when it’s time.

Para-Port® Doors eliminate all of those daily, nagging frustrations that come with hangar operation.

Para-Port® Doors offer far and away the best solution for hangar doors. With superior seals, long lasting durability, and lowest overall cost of ownership, you simply can’t go wrong. Connect with Para-Port® Doors LLC or give us a call at 877-247-7640 to learn more.