Curtain Wall Repair & Reglazing

Aging curtain wall leaks, loses its gaskets and seals, and develops broken and foggy glass. We diagnose and repair existing curtain wall and replace glass on occupied buildings.

Common curtain wall problems

Water leaks at joints, corners, the sill and the head
Shrunken, cracked or missing gaskets
Failed perimeter and joint sealants
Fogged insulated glass units
Cracked or broken lites from impact, thermal stress or nickel sulfide inclusions in tempered glass
Loose pressure plates and caps

Finding the leak

Curtain wall leaks rarely show up where the water gets in. Water travels along mullions and horizontals before it appears inside. We trace leaks by inspecting the system, checking the drainage path and weeps, and water testing suspect areas until the entry point is found. Fixing the actual entry point is the only repair that lasts.

Reglazing and glass replacement

Replacing glass in curtain wall usually means working from the outside on a lift, swing stage or scaffold, removing caps and pressure plates, setting the new unit with new gaskets and reinstalling the system. Structurally glazed systems need the silicone cut out and the new glass bonded in place, with proper cure time. Large insulated units require lifting equipment and careful planning.

Repair or recladding

When curtain wall is decades old and problems are widespread, an overall reglazing program or recladding may be more cost-effective than chasing individual leaks. We can survey the wall and give the owner options from targeted repair to full replacement.