Curtain Walls

Curtain Walling Installation and Fabrication

Curtain walling in aluminum and glass is popular in architecture. Shop Fronts provides expert installation and fabrication across the UK.

Expert
Worker

Nationwide Projects

Fast Project Completion

Expert Worker

Nationwide Projects

Fast Project Completion

What is curtain walling?

Curtain walling is an external cladding system applied to building exteriors. It is non-structural and primarily serves to protect the building’s interior from the elements, including extreme weather conditions and seismic forces. It also reduces maintenance requirements and enhances the appearance of the building with stylish glass facades.

Curtain walling offers a wide range of design possibilities, from contemporary to traditional styles. Made from various materials such as glass and aluminium, it can also improve a building’s energy efficiency. This system is commonly used in modern architecture, especially in high-rise buildings, to maximize the intake of natural light.

Shop Fronts Curtain Walling Products

Partnering with experts for the fabrication and installation of your curtain walling system is crucial, as errors or required adjustments can be costly. At Cardiff Shop Fronts, we take pride in delivering tailored solutions with flexible designs, all rigorously tested to meet Curtain Walling and Cladding Technology (CWCT) standards, including air permeability, water tightness (both static and dynamic), and wind resistance.

Here are some key benefits of choosing Cardiff Shop Fronts for your curtain walling project:

Safety rating of 3,600 pascals.
Standardized, sleek 50mm sightlines.
Suitable for sheer, high-rise, barrel-vault, sloped, or inclined façades.
Enhanced thermal efficiency with 50mm profiles, with custom profiles available on request.
Sound reduction of up to 2 decibels, perfect for busy city environments.
Comprehensive range of glazing adaptors, gaskets, and pressure plates, supporting glazing options from 3mm to 50mm.
Concealed vents to preserve sightlines.
Roof glazing options available, including pitched, sloped, barrelled, or pyramid styles.

What Materials Can Be Used for Curtain Walling Systems and External Cladding?

As a seasoned provider of curtain wall fabrication and installation services, we specialize in creating bespoke curtain wall systems tailored to your exact specifications. With our fully UK-based, end-to-end process, including in-house factory fabrication, you can enjoy your new façade sooner than expected.

For over 25 years, Cardiff Shop Fronts has been expertly fabricating two of the most popular curtain wall materials—aluminium and glass—in our UK factory. Both materials are lightweight, durable, and perfectly suited for curtain walling projects of all scales.

Glass

This refers to door panels. Narrow entryways may benefit from a single-panel automatic door, while high-traffic shops might choose a double-panel design.

Aluminium

The bi-parting door panels fold inwards, offering a compact design for a wide walkway and occupying less space than traditional sliding doors.

Curtain Walling and Sustainability

Many businesses today are prioritizing environmental and sustainability goals, and our aluminum curtain walling is an ideal choice for eco-conscious companies.

Approximately two-thirds of the energy used to produce aluminum comes from renewable sources, such as hydroelectric power. Aluminum is not only fully recyclable but can also be recycled indefinitely without any loss in quality.

The re-smelting process for aluminum requires up to 95% less energy than producing it from raw materials, making it an incredibly energy-efficient option. Moreover, around 70% of all aluminum is recycled at the end of its lifecycle, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution. The recycled aluminum retains exceptional quality, making it one of the best materials for reuse.

Curtain Walling Installation Methods

The two most commonly used methods for installing curtain walling are the stick system and the ladder frame system.

The stick system, often considered the faster option, involves assembling and installing the framing and glazing directly on-site, typically starting from the center and working outward. In this method, the transoms can be either square-cut or step-cut.

On the other hand, the ladder frame system involves fabricating the curtain walling off-site and installing it on-site in preassembled modules or ladder frames. This approach delivers a true mullion-drained system.

Conditions:

Curtain walling can be installed using either the propped or hung method. In the propped method, the walling is fixed at floor level and constructed upwards, while in the hung method, it is secured at the top of the building and suspended down the façade.

Connect with us today to explore your curtain walling installation and fabrication needs.