The Ultimate Guide To Curtain Wall System
What is curtain wall system?
A curtain wall system is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, utilized only to keep the weather out and the occupants in. A curtain wall is defined as thin, usually aluminum-framed wall, containing in-fills of thin stone, glass, or metal panels.The framing is attached to the building structure and does not carry the floor or roof loads of the building. The wind and gravity loads of the curtain wall are transferred to the building structure, typically at the floor line. Structural glazing is a system which involves bonding glass to the structural framing units of an edifice using a high-strength, high-performance silicone sealant designed and tested especially for structural glazing.Simply put, it shields the exterior of the building and even protects the interiors.
What is curtain wall used for?
● The main purpost of curtain walls is keeping air and water out of the building, acting as both an insulator and a buffer. Buildings with curtain walls will be easier to maintain and last longer because they have additional shield to protect them.●These walls are tested for the quality many times to check if they can protect the buildings from the extreme weater, like heavy rain or snowfall. Thus, these walls save a lot of money of building repair and painting.
●The curtain walls are paired with glass so can give great illumination effect to the building means with the installation of glass clients can allow the huge lighting inside the building so save your lighting bills.
●These walls allow you to have the optimize use of even the lesser space and they give the spacious look to the building .
What is the difference between a window wall and a curtain wall?
The curtain wall and window wall systems are the most often used cladding methods of the edifice. To address the common confusion of these two termilonogy, this part we will discuss the similarities and differences between these two systems.A window wall system only spans one floor, and supported by the slab below and above, therefore it is installed within the edge of the slab.
A curtain is a independent structure, typically it can span multiple floors, that is why it is installed above the edge of the slab.
The window wall and curtain wall system are all-in-one system. Although many people think first of the window component of these systems, they have many common aspects and functions of any exterior walls, including:
·Barrier - These systems is the main primary air/vapor/weather-resistive barrier for the edifice.
·Cladding - Except for the transparent glass, these systems can also encompass metal panel, stone or opaque glass, etc.
·Insulation - While they do not have the insulation value as the solid wall, but these systems do protect the exterior building.
·Structure - The framing is attached to the building structure and does not carry the floor or roof loads of the building. The wind and gravity loads of the curtain wall are transferred to the building structure, typically at the floor line.
Glass Curtain Wall:
Generally speaking, curtain wall attaches to the outside of the floor slabs and therefore, non-load bearing. It spans slab to slab, and the curtain wall systems are most often constructed in one of two ways: stick-built or panelized. With stick-built curtain wall, components are sent directly to the job site where they are assembled in the field before they can be installed. Panelized curtain wall is made up of prefabricated units built in a controlled shop environment. The units are sent to the field ready to be anchored at the floor slabs.
Advantages:
- Curtain wall is highly durable and does not require a lot of long term maintenance.
- Since unitized curtain wall systems are fabricated in a controlled shop environment, fewer man hours in the field are required which helps achieve more stringent schedules.
- Glass curtain wall can be a costlier option than window wall
- Since curtain wall sits outside the slab edge, it creates a void from floor to floor. This void requires the inclusion of fire-stopping.
Window Wall:
Unlike curtain wall, window wall sits between the floor slabs. Like unitized curtain wall, window wall is also built in a shop and shipped to the site pre-assembled. Units are anchored at the head and sill and sealed in place using caulking. Window wall is also non-load bearing. Since window wall sits between floor slabs, fire-stopping is not necessary. This also means noise transmittance can be less of a concern than with curtain wall in specific instances.Aesthetics of window wall differ greatly from curtain wall. Architects need to consider how the exposed slab edge will be addressed in the design stage of a project. In terms of cost per square foot, window wall is generally less expensive than curtain wall, although the cost of managing the exposed slab edge needs to be considered. Window wall also has a high quantity of caulk of joints which can lead to long term maintenance expenses.
There are lots of factors need to be taken into consideration when selecting a wall system, and the right solution could shift based on the building structure design. Chimgreen is an innovative and professional company engaged in research, development, manufacture, and marketing for customized window and door, and curtain wall system, we are always your best and most trusted partner for construction.If you are looking for some feedback while searching for the best solution for your project, please feel free to reach out to us for assistance.
