Curtain Walls

Key Takeaways: “Storefront” is the American term for what the UK industry calls a shop front glazing system — both describe ground-floor aluminium-framed facades that sit between structural openings. Shop front systems span a single storey (up to about 3 m) and are fixed within openings, while curtain walls hang from floor slabs and can rise […]

Key Takeaways: Curtain walling is a non-loadbearing glazed facade hung from the building structure, while cladding is an opaque external skin fixed directly to it — they protect buildings in fundamentally different ways. Post-Grenfell regulations ban combustible materials in external walls of buildings over 18 metres, affecting both systems — but cladding carries higher fire

Key Takeaways: Most commercial curtain wall installations fall under permitted development and do not need planning permission — but Building Regulations approval is always required. Planning permission is needed if the property is in a conservation area, is a listed building, is subject to an Article 4 direction, or the work materially changes the building’s

Key Takeaways: Curtain walling lets in up to 90% natural light, which has been shown to increase workplace productivity by 18% and reduce artificial lighting costs by up to 40%. High-performance curtain wall systems achieve U-values of 0.8–1.5 W/m²K, comfortably meeting Part L 2021 requirements and cutting heating energy loss through the facade by up