Glass curtain walls are lightweight aluminum-framed facades housing glass or metal panels. These glazing systems don’t support the weight of a roof or floor. Instead, gravity loads and wind resistance transfer from the surface to the building’s floor line. Curtain walls are often part of a building envelope or comprises one part of a wall system. Each glazing system requires careful integration with other adjacent structural elements such as wall claddings, roofs, and wall details. Curtain wall systems range from standard prefabricated systems to specialized custom wall units. Increased costs often come with additional customization and larger sizing.

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    Glass curtain wall system types

 

 

1. Pressure-equalized rain screen systems are the best if you need a system to resist air and water infiltration. A gasket surrounds the face of the glass and creates a pressure equalized chamber that forms an airtight barrier. The outside face of the glass and accompanying exterior glazing materials with the aluminum framing create a rain screen and shed water away. These systems also do a fair job of transferring wind loads.   

2. Water-managed systems incorporate drains and weeps. These systems are designed to resist water infiltration, but they make no effort to create an air barrier or “zone-glaze”. This means that a larger amount of water is forced into the system and must be weeped away. Since no air barrier exists, the pressure differential between the glazing pocket and the interior may be strong enough to force water vertically higher than interior gaskets. This results in leaks.

3. Face-sealed systems require continuous and perfect seals between each glass unit, it’s frame and between all other frame members. The long-term durability of these seals is minimal. Patching these systems may require glazing tape.