Build your own hangar

[jeremiahd]

I plan to build a hangar at an airport (O16 at Garberville), and wondered what advice people can give me. I'd love to find a Port-a-Port hangar, but they're out of business. It seems most hangar companies don't sell doors, and vice versa. I'm worried that I get a door that doesn't fit if I buy separately.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!

[Mike S]

I have built a couple hangars, first was metal from a company that no longer is in business. Had rolling doors that went sideways arount the inside of the wall.
Doors were a major PITA.

New hangar is wood framed, except the steel header and support beams for the airplane door. I used a Higher Power door------nothing but good to say about that door. The door is specifically engineered to fit the opening-----they tell you how to measure 6 or 7 ways and fill out a form that is used to design the door. https://www.hpdoors.com/

Larry Stevens http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...er.php?u=24013 is someone you could talk to about a hangar. I spoke with him at length a few years back, seems like a nice product (but our airpark restrictions made a traditional metal hangar a poor choice vs. the wood framed one).

[N941WR]

Build the biggest hangar you can afford and add more lighting and electrical outlets than you think you will ever need.

Originally Posted by Mike S

I have built a couple hangars, first was metal from a company that no longer is in business. Had rolling doors that went sideways arount the inside of the wall.
Doors were a major PITA.

...

I have those doors and I HATE them! I can't express what a pain they are, not to mention you need three feet along the side of the hangar to walk the doors open.

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by N941WR

Build the biggest hangar you can afford and add more lighting and electrical outlets than you think you will ever need.

Yep-----and add a bathroom if you can.

Insulation and heating/cooling---if you can.

Originally Posted by N941WR

I have those doors and I HATE them! I can't express what a pain they are, not to mention you need three feet along the side of the hangar to walk the doors open.

Are you pushing the doors open, or pulling them?? I pushed them open, only needed about 6" clear. Is your hangar by ASI?

[DanNiendorff]

The best thing I did when building my hangar was to add a central I-beam with a trolley and an electric hoist. It comes in handy all the time, in ways I never dreamed of when I put it in. Even if you don't add a trolley/hoist right off the bat, add a beam that you can go back and put them on later. You will never regret it, and your back will love you for it.

The second best thing was to add a good quality epoxy floor - not the home depot sort, but high solids from a paint vendor. I used Sherwin Williams. Love it. Cleans up so easy. It makes a huge difference.

I put in a Hydra-Link door made by Air-Side (airsidedoors.com). I'm very happy with it. Very sturdy, and well made.

As others have said....

As large as you can
HVAC if you can
All the electrical outlets you can
Plumb for air if you can

[elev666]

Best advice I can offer is build it behind your house !
And a one off bifold door isn?t that hard to build , use nylon straps & not wire cables, put the Drive mechanism down on the bottom of the door so you can work on it , I haven?t done anything maintenance wise to mine in 20 years

[74-07]

20 years ago a bunch of us that owned property on our airport built Miracle Truss hangars. They were pretty simple to build and used steel frames connected by locally sourced dimensional lumber. I think we built mine in a week or two. I personally helped with two others. To the best of my knowledge all have held up well. I bought the entire kit including the bifold door from Miracle Truss. They are still in business.

[rocketman1988]

check them out! Awesome, self supporting door...

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by elev666

Best advice I can offer is build it behind your house !
And a one off bifold door isn?t that hard to build , use nylon straps & not wire cables, put the Drive mechanism down on the bottom of the door so you can work on it , I haven?t done anything maintenance wise to mine in 20 years

Pictures please! bill (at) repucci (dot) com

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by Mike S

...
Are you pushing the doors open, or pulling them?? I pushed them open, only needed about 6" clear. Is your hangar by ASI?
...

The way mine were built (I bought the house and the hangar was already there.) is that you have to pull them in as the end panels are not in the track at the top and the panels "flop" in and out when being pushed.

Either way, you can't put or hang anything against or on the wall.

The only advantage of this style door is that they are cheap and they open all the way.

The one thing I really don't like about them is when it rains and the wind is blowing against the door, the rain runs down and under the door.