Curtain wall window has been widely used in residential buildings today

Generally, people have the false perception that window wall is a lesser form of glazed cladding. However, it proves that curtain wall window not only has a vital place in high-rise construction, it can also outperform a typical curtain wall system in residential building applications today. The unique characteristics of curtain wall window wall make it ideally suited for residential applications, which is why it dominates the condo cladding marketplace today.

In most cases, glass curtain wall systems feature heavily in commercial applications. You can retro-fit your home with curtain glass window and glass partition walls, as long as you’re mindful of your load-bearing walls. Because curtain glass window are not load bearing, you can’t simply replace any wall with a glass and aluminum structure. Like commercial glass curtain walls, residential curtain wall systems envelope buildings in non-structural glass and aluminum facades that transfer loads and resistance to the building’s main structure. These glazing systems utilize thermally broken heavy duty glass panes for optimal heat efficiency. Furthermore, curtain glass window performs better than the traditional window wall and has a stronger R-value at the clear wall and the slab intersection according to the modeling. However, improved window wall design ensures a continuous thermal barrier through spandrel bypass and thermal breaks in the balcony slabs.

For some tall residential buildings, wind driven rain and strong winds will be major concerns and proper design of either curtain wall or window wall is needed to achieve strong performance in use. In regard to water penetration and air leakage, aluminium curtain wall has an advantage due to its less exposed parts and simpler connections to the structure. In addition, operable windows and balcony doors are rare in buildings with curtain walls, which can reduce the risk of leaks. On the other hand, considering that there are many more enclosure penetrations needed for mechanical penetrations in residential construction, people tend to use custom curtain walls in their residential buildings in recent years. In most every instance, glass residential curtain wall systems require custom specifications and fitting. These penetrations are not as prevalent in commercial buildings which usually have centralized mechanical ventilation that services the entire building using vertical duct runs. In addition, compared with residential curtain wall window, commercial buildings do not typically have operable windows and balconies on each floor, thereby allowing the continuous cladding system found in curtain walls.