--- title: What's Best a Hydraulic Garage Door or a Bifold Door? description: Every facility has different needs. Learn the differences between hydraulic garage doors and commercial bifold doors to decide which one is best for you. image: https://www.overhead-doors.com/hubfs/Canopy%20Type%20Bifold%20Doors%20-%20Commercial%20Doors%20NYC%20NJ%2013.png --- [Home](https://www.overhead-doors.com) | [Contact Us](https://www.overhead-doors.com/contact/) | [Blog](https://www.overhead-doors.com/overhead-door-blog) [![Overhead-Door-logo](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Overhead-Door-logo.png?width=248&name=Overhead-Door-logo.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com) Overhead Door Company of The Meadowlands & NYC [24 HR Emergency 1-800-362-6367](tel:+18003626367)         [![SCHEDULE SERVICE](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/167911/a6079eaf-3a9a-4be3-af9f-40060b92f021.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/167911/a6079eaf-3a9a-4be3-af9f-40060b92f021)          [![SCHEDULE ESTIMATE](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/167911/92234230-1cbb-48ae-9a40-a78072e9e4bf.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/167911/92234230-1cbb-48ae-9a40-a78072e9e4bf) ## NYC & NJ Finest Commercial Doors & Loading Docks # What's Best a Hydraulic Garage Door or a Bifold Door? Posted by [Overhead Door Expert](https://www.overhead-doors.com/overhead-door-blog/author/overhead-door-expert) on Aug 27, 2021 4:49:00 PM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) It’s important to know your facility's needs in order to decide which commercial garage door will work best for you: [commercial bifold doors](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors) or [hydraulic garage doors](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors). Each door offers something different and have specific advantages. These are some of the things that must be considered when trying to decide between a hydraulic garage door or a commercial bifold garage door for your facility:  ## - Hydraulic Garage Doors: 1. Hydraulic Garage Doors Require Less Headroom  A hydraulic door is ideal as there is no loss of headroom. [![Hydraulic Garage Doors NYC, NJ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hydraulic%20Garage%20Doors%204.png?width=400&name=Hydraulic%20Garage%20Doors%204.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors) 2. Extra Parking Space Is Needed [The hydraulic garage door acts as a large moving wall that swings outward when opening, requiring extra space as the door travels outward to the open position. ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors)It is quite important to keep the doorway clear in order to avoid possible damage to equipment, vehicles, and airplanes when opening the door. By clearly marking the “No Parking Area” there will be minimal loss of valuable parking space in front of your hangar/warehouse/storage building/restaurant. [![Hydraulic Garage Doors NYC, NJ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hydraulic%20Garage%20Doors%202.png?width=400&name=Hydraulic%20Garage%20Doors%202.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors) 3. Water and Snow Can Build Up in Hydraulic Doors When Left Fully Open When the [commercial hydraulic door](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors) is in the fully open position, it lies flat 90°. As a consequence, water and snow can build up. It's important to make sure that this one-piece door has a slight downward slope when open to direct moisture and water off the door sheeting, to prevent water from seeping under the door sheeting and ruining the interior door insulation and moisture. You can always get external trusses (these are available and optional) or order your door with a built-in slope. [![Hydraulic Garage Door in NYC NJ with Snow1](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hydraulic%20Garage%20Door%20in%20NYC%20NJ%20with%20Snow1.png?width=400&name=Hydraulic%20Garage%20Door%20in%20NYC%20NJ%20with%20Snow1.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors) 4. Hydraulic Garage Doors Cause More Stress on the Buildings than Bifold Doors The building must be prepared to support the forces of your door in all positions. When hydraulic doors are fully open, these lay in a flat 90° position, which causes more stress on the building than bifold doors. [![Hydraulic Garage Doors NYC, NJ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hydraulic%20Garage%20Doors%206.png?width=400&name=Hydraulic%20Garage%20Doors%206.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors) 5. It’s Best to Have Windows in the Door Frames Adding windows in the door frames will help you prevent accidents by making any obstructions in front of the door visible to the operator before opening the door. [![Hydraulic Garage Doors NYC, NJ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hydraulic%20Doors%201-1.jpg?width=400&name=Hydraulic%20Doors%201-1.jpg)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors) → Click here to see our [Hydraulic Doors Photo Gallery ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/hydraulic-garage-doors)← [![Request an Estimate](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/167911/e71b91eb-c8b2-4bbd-88cc-c48e450f29ec.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/167911/e71b91eb-c8b2-4bbd-88cc-c48e450f29ec) ## - Commercial Bifold Doors: When thinking about installing a [bifold garage door](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors), these are the things that must be considered: 1. Less Headroom Is Required There is no headroom lost inside the building, bifold doors mount up and above the clear opening on the outside of the building structure. The bifold doors lift up and out of the building. [![Canopy Type Bifold Doors - Commercial Doors NYC NJ ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Canopy%20Type%20Bifold%20Doors%20-%20Commercial%20Doors%20NYC%20NJ%2010.png?width=400&name=Canopy%20Type%20Bifold%20Doors%20-%20Commercial%20Doors%20NYC%20NJ%2010.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors-photo-gallery) 2. No Extra Parking Space Is Needed Two great advantages of [bifold doors](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors-photo-gallery) when opening:       ✓ They start by raising upward not outward.       ✓ They require less operating space in the front of your building. The two pieces of the bifold doors allow more usable space in front of your door opening. These are real space savers.  [![Canopy Type Bifold Doors - Commercial Doors NYC NJ ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Canopy%20Type%20Bifold%20Doors%20-%20Commercial%20Doors%20NYC%20NJ%2013.png?width=400&name=Canopy%20Type%20Bifold%20Doors%20-%20Commercial%20Doors%20NYC%20NJ%2013.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors-photo-gallery) 3. Bifold Doors Have a Natural Slope The sheeting on bifold doors is flashed to allow water to easily drain off the door. Bifold doors have a 1:12 natural slope when in the open position. Water and snow runoff in any position. Internal trusses are standard. No external truss is required on bifold doors. [![Canopy Type Bifold Garage Door Schweiss Doors](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Canopy%20Type%20Bifold%20Garage%20Door%20Schweiss%20Doors.png?width=400&name=Canopy%20Type%20Bifold%20Garage%20Door%20Schweiss%20Doors.png)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors-photo-gallery) 4. Less Stress on the Building As mentioned before, hydraulic garage doors lay in a flat 90° position when fully open, which causes more stress on the building. [Bifold doors](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors) don't lay in a flat 90° position, which means, these doors cause less stress on the buildings. [![Oversized Commercial Bifold Doors](https://www.overhead-doors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Oversized%20Commercial%20Bifold%20Doors.jpg?width=400&name=Oversized%20Commercial%20Bifold%20Doors.jpg)](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors) → Click here to see our [Bifold Doors Photo Gallery ](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors-photo-gallery)← As you can see, each door has specific advantages. It’s important to learn about your facility, your operation, and your needs in order to decide which will work best for you a commercial bifold door or a commercial hydraulic garage door. At [Overhead Door Company of the Meadowlands & NYC,](https://www.overhead-doors.com/) we only work with the best manufacturers. For [hydraulic and bifold doors](https://www.overhead-doors.com/commercial-doors/bifold-garage-doors), we work with [Schweiss Doors](https://www.bifold.com/) who has a long history in the door world. For more information, please give us a call at [973-471-4060](tel:973-471-4060) or email us at: [info@dockndoor.com](mailto:info@dockndoor.com)   For 24-hour emergency service, please contact us at 973-471-4060. 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