Curtain Wall Installation

Curtain wall gives multi-story buildings their glass facades. We install aluminum curtain wall systems with insulated glass for office, medical, education and mixed-use projects.

Curtain wall versus storefront

Storefront is a ground-floor system installed between the floor and a header. Curtain wall hangs from the building structure, spans multiple floors, and is designed to carry its own weight and wind loads back to the structure. It uses deeper mullions, pressure plates or structural glazing, and a drainage design that handles water across a large, multi-story wall.

Stick-built and unitized systems

Stick-built curtain wall is assembled piece by piece on site: anchors, mullions, horizontals, then glass. It suits low- and mid-rise buildings and complex shapes.
Unitized curtain wall is assembled into large glazed panels in a shop and lifted into place. It suits taller buildings and fast schedules.
Structurally glazed systems hold glass with silicone instead of exterior caps, for a smoother all-glass look.

Performance requirements

Curtain wall has to meet design wind loads, resist air and water infiltration to tested standards, meet energy code requirements for U-factor and solar heat gain, accommodate building movement, and in some regions resist impact or seismic drift. Systems are specified and engineered for the project, and installations are often field tested for water penetration.

Coordination

Curtain wall interfaces with the structure, the roof, the adjacent wall systems and the interior. Embeds and anchors need to be set in the right place, and flashing at the head, sill and jambs must tie into the rest of the building envelope. We work from approved shop drawings and coordinate closely with the general contractor.