Curtain wall
Curtain wall is a glass and aluminum wall that hangs off a building's structure instead of sitting inside an opening. It can run past several floors, and it is built to take higher wind loads and drain water bay by bay. You need it for multi-story glass facades, tall lobbies and glass that crosses floor lines.
Where it is used
- Office and mixed-use buildings with glass facades
- Tall entrance lobbies and stair towers
- Medical, school and institutional buildings
- Ground floors where the glass has to be taller or tougher than storefront allows
What AluVex Experts does
- Reviews the system, the drawings and the specs and prices the scope
- Lays out the wall and sets the anchors at the slab edges
- Installs mullions, transoms, vision glass and spandrel panels
- Seals the wall and the perimeter, then closes out the punch list
How a curtain wall project runs
Step 1: Review and price
We review the system, the drawings, the specs and the schedule, and price the scope in writing.
Step 2: Shop drawings
Elevations, anchor details, glass and finish are approved before anything is ordered.
Step 3: Field layout
Slab edges and openings are checked, and the wall is laid out on the building.
Step 4: Anchors
Anchors are set at each floor so the wall hangs true and can move with the building.
Step 5: Frame
Mullions and transoms go up, plumb and in line from floor to floor.
Step 6: Glass and spandrels
Vision glass and spandrel panels are set, and the system is sealed.
Step 7: Punch list
We walk the wall with you and close out the list.
What is the difference between stick-built and unitized curtain wall?
Stick-built curtain wall is put together piece by piece on the building: anchors, then mullions, then transoms, then glass. Unitized curtain wall arrives as factory-built panels, usually one floor high, that are lifted into place. Stick-built is common on low- and mid-rise work, while unitized tends to pay off on large, repetitive facades.
Why does curtain wall cost more than storefront?
It carries more. Deeper mullions, engineered anchors and a drainage design that handles water at every bay all add material and labor. You are paying for a wall that can go higher and take more weather.
What is a spandrel panel?
A spandrel is the opaque panel in a curtain wall that hides the floor slab, the ceiling space and anything else between the vision glass. It can be glass with an opaque coating on the back, or a metal panel. It keeps the facade reading as one surface while covering what is behind it.
Can curtain wall be used on a one-story building?
Yes. Curtain wall is often used at ground level when the glass has to be taller or perform better than a storefront system allows. The architect and the system's engineering decide which one fits the opening.
Have drawings, or just a photo of the opening?
Send what you have. Tell us where the building is and what you need, and we will take it from there.