Curtain Wall vs Cladding

With the continuous development of technology nowadays, there are various types of building structures and designs available in the current market. For example, in the modern times, commercial curtain walls are now the hallmark of contemporary city skylines, used to achieve a host of purposes, like energy-efficiency, transparency, designing flexibility and so on. And the most notable advantage of commercial curtain walls is their pretty beautiful appearance in applications. However, there still exists certain confusion about the difference between curtain wall and cladding in building construction now.

Cladding
Cladding is a coating applied to the outer walls of a house or building for many different purposes. When it comes to design, the cladding can add texture and patterns to a place, giving it a fresh look without having to change much in the place’s structure. And cladding is also used to prevent wind and rain from coming inside the building, acting like insulation especially during winter times.

Curtain Wall
Typically curtain wall systems comprise a lightweight aluminium frame onto which glazed or opaque infill panels can be fixed. These infill panels are often described as ‘glazing’ whether or not they are made of glass. Besides, Curtain wall systems are non-structural cladding systems for the external walls of buildings. They are generally associated with large, multi-storey buildings. In recent years, curtain wall has been widely used in commercial building construction. In particular, the curtain wall glazing makes glass available in large uninterrupted areas to create consistent attractive facades. Especially, glass curtain wall can add to the aesthetics of the building, lets the light in and also protects the interior of the place from weather conditions.

What are the differences between cladding and curtain wall?
There are two main differences between the cladding and curtain wall. And one of them revolves around the aesthetic of the products. While you can choose from many materials for designing your curtain wall frames, the panels are always made out of glazed glass. This means you won’t see dramatic differences between two different curtain walling systems. Cladding, on the other hand, has a large variety of styles that can make your place seem cosier, more rustic or posher. For example, cladding can be made in materials such as wood, stone tiles or aluminium, all adding different textures, patterns, colours and feels to the exterior walls of the building. In addition, while a curtain wall is not part of the exterior wall and supports only itself, cladding is also a structural part of the building in applications.