Ohio River home: Where functionality meets elegance with Schweiss Doors
HECTOR, Minn., Oct. 3, 2024 – Near Ohio’s southern border, Brad and Jenny (last name withheld per request) are proud owners of two exceptional buildings: a five-sided hangar and a newly constructed home which both feature doors from Schweiss Doors.
Adjacent to the Ohio River stands Brad’s hangar, recognized as the five-sided hangar. The unique hangar was the first project where Brad utilized Schweiss products, incorporating two liftstrap bifold doors. Brad originally came across Schweiss Doors at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wis. He says he was immediately interested in the doors and was ultimately recommended to use Schweiss Doors by Chuck Wiplinger from Wipaire.
The unique hangar is home to Brad’s two planes, an Aviat Husky A-1C-200 and a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX. The A-1C-200 has a wingspan of 35 feet and is 22 feet long. The 208B has a wingspan of 52 feet and is 37 feet long. The larger door on the front of the hangar measures 75-feet wide by 18-feet tall. The smaller door on the back of the hangar measures 50-feet wide and 16-feet tall. The Schweiss bifold doors ensure ample space for Brad’s planes to maneuver in and out of the hangar safely.
Both hangar doors operate with bottom-driven liftstraps and automatic strap latches providing safe and efficient operation. The hangar encompasses roughly 10,000 square feet, providing Brad with additional space that allows him to rent to local pilots. Due to the hangar’s location, there is a specific building code mandating materials resistant to organic growth. As a result, the insides of the doors are insulated with closed-cell foam covered by grey powder-coated aluminum sheeting. The exterior is clad in grey steel, matching the siding of the hangar.
Brad installed the hangar doors with the help of a few subcontractors. “I hired a welder to handle welding the door hinges to the building, who brought in a crane operator for the heavy lifting,” he says. “Once the doors were hung, a licensed electrician installed the electrical components and completed the final wiring for the door. Then, I completed the remainder of the installation myself.
“It was a process at first, but once the first one was up, the second one came easily.”
Brad says he is very happy with how the bifold doors turned out and that everything about them is great. They seal well, operate smoothly and look wonderful, which was a huge factor in incorporating Schweiss doors into his residence.
Not long after completing the hangar, Brad and Jenny began the process of designing and constructing a new home overlooking the Ohio River. In designing the home, they wanted the residence to be both modern and elegant, prompting them to seek out only the finest architectural elements with the help of architect and builder Jose Garcia Design of Cincinnati.
When Brad saw the initial architectural renderings of the house, he mentioned Schweiss doors because of their functionality with sophistication. Brad knew Schweiss Doors would be the perfect choice. He chose to go with a hydraulic garage door which is positioned at the front of the home with the hydraulic pump, reservoir and controls located on a lower level of the foundation. This makes the door operation silent inside and outside and leaves a clean look in the garage.
The door measures 27 feet wide and 8 feet tall, with no internal or external trusses on the lower edges of the door for an exceptionally clean architectural look. The door is also equipped with a battery backup, allowing it to operate during a power outage with the push of a button. Western cedar planks make up the exterior of the door to match the exterior of the home.
“Schweiss Doors was able to, once again, provide everything I needed in a door, offering a perfect combination of design and functionality,” Brad says.
The hydraulic door seamlessly integrates with the extraordinary home, bringing functional elegance to a residential garage door.
There is a wide range of captivating architectural elements that were incorporated into the home by Jose Garcia Design. The driveway leading up to the home is made of hand-cut Ohio field stone and features a traditional drainage system from Kyoto, Japan. Beneath the driveway is a heating system to effectively prevent the accumulation of snow and ice. A heated ramp to the front door is constructed from stone imported from Durango, Mexico.
Throughout the first floor of the home, the luxurious theme of Durango stone extends across both the walls and the floor. Incorporating these materials provided an additional layer of sophistication, enhancing the overall elegance of the home. The 14-foot ceilings on the second floor have fluted support columns, resembling tree trunks.
“The second-floor ceilings reach 14 feet high with two exterior atriums surrounded by windows,” Brad says. “For the second-floor atrium over the garage, the Schweiss door frame is integrated into the building structure to help support the 40,000 pounds of dirt and topsoil. The idea was to bring nature into the design of the house, which is exactly what Jose Garcia Design did, along with bringing a variety of unique architectural elements that make the home truly one of a kind.”
Over the years, across two projects, Brad has had great experiences working with Schweiss Doors. “I have worked with both David Schweiss and Jeremy Reike and they are both excellent,” Brad says. “There were times when I had questions and was able to call on the weekend and still receive support.
“Schweiss engineers great doors and I think our doors are going to last a lifetime.”
About Schweiss Doors
Schweiss Doors is the premier manufacturer of hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors. Doors are custom made to any size for any type of new or existing building for architects and builders determined to do amazing things with their buildings, including the doors. Schweiss also offers a cable to liftstrap conversion package. For more information, visit www.bifold.com.
Photo Captions:
OhioHangar1: The front of the hangar showcases the large liftstrap bifold door, measuring 75 feet wide by 18 feet tall, clad in sleek grey steel siding.
OhioHangar2: On the back side of the five-sided hangar, the smaller bifold door measures 50 feet wide by 16 feet tall.
OhioHangar3: An inside view of the large liftstrap bifold door highlights the grey powder-coated aluminum sheeting on the door’s interior.
OhioHouse1: The hydraulic door on the front of the home measures 26 feet wide by 8 feet tall. The custom door is surrounded by the Western Cedar planks and Ohio Field Stone which features the traditional Japanese drainage system. Directly above the door is one of the two outdoor atriums.
OhioHouse2: The custom hydraulic door creates a shaded apron, seamlessly extending the workspace and harmonizing with the home’s contemporary design.
Images (from left): OhioHangar1.jpg; OhioHangar2.jpg; OhioHangar3.jpg; OhioHouse1.jpe; OhioHouse2.jpg
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Editorial Contacts
Jim Austin - 715-323-3588
Managing Director, Targeted Content Inc.
Mike Schweiss - 507-426-8273
Owner, Schweiss Doors
