The difference between Glass Curtains and Curtain Walls

Glass Curtains are openable doors or windows, made of glass, for use as patio doors, terrace or balcony enclosures, partitions and restaurant/storefronts. They are fitted to the height of a single storey opening and are fully openable along the whole (theoretically limitless) width of the opening.

Glass Curtains originated, we believe, in Spain. It is the name commonly used for glazed panels that slide along runners to a side wall, then can be turned at right-angles to be neatly stacked out of the main line of sight of an opening.

They became popular with owners of apartments with large balconies and terraces so that the chill wind could be kept at bay to extend the use of the area between warm summers. The application was also used to separate internal areas so that the concept of Open Plan was maintained whilst only smaller living areas needed to be heated.

Simultaneously, restaurant owners saw their commercial use, internally (for seasonal fluctuations in customer numbers and to accommodate private parties), externally (to deflect strong winds) and as the ideal frontage to their premises, allowing the division or coalition of inside and outside dining.

When Glass Curtains are closed, they could be described as a glass wall or invisible wall but the key difference is that, generally, walls do not open whereas Glass Curtains do - the whole "wall" can be removed quickly and easily. The primary door is opened, allowing the other panels to slide along the track.

Glass Curtains are suitable for both domestic and commercial use.

Curtain Walling in a building is a lightweight, non-loadbearing external wall (using glazing or cladding) that is attached to a load-bearing (e.g. steel or concrete) frame rather than built up from the ground like a traditional wall; the curtains wall is fixed and not designed to open.

According to Wikipedia:

"Curtain wall is a term used to describe a building façade which does not carry any dead load from the building other than its own dead load, and one which transfers the horizontal loads (wind loads) that are incident upon it. These loads are transferred to the main building structure through connections at floors or columns of the building. A curtain wall is designed to resist air and water infiltration, wind forces acting on the building, seismic forces (usually only those imposed by the inertia of the curtain wall), and its own dead load forces.

Curtain walls are typically designed with extruded aluminium members, although the first curtain walls were made of steel. The aluminium frame is typically infilled with glass, which provides an architecturally pleasing building, as well as benefits such as daylighting. However, parameters related to solar gain control such as thermal comfort and visual comfort are more difficult to control when using highly-glazed curtain walls. Other common infills include: stone veneer, metal panels, louvers, and operable windows or vents.

Curtain walls differ from storefront systems in that they are designed to span multiple floors, and take into consideration design requirements such as: thermal expansion and contraction; building sway and movement; water diversion; and thermal efficiency for cost-effective heating, cooling, and lighting in the building."

If you are interested in Glass Curtains, there is further information available on the SunSeeker Doors web site, here and here.
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