Curtain wall carries its own weight and wind load back to the floor slabs through anchors, but no building loads. Stick systems are assembled piece by piece on site; unitized systems arrive as factory-glazed panels that interlock. Water management relies on gaskets, sealants, internal drainage and pressure-equalized pockets, and the perimeter and stack joints are the usual leak spots.
Unitized curtain wall leaks at the stack joints on 9, pull the interior trim and water test from outside.
Water inside a curtain wall is not a failure by itself; the question is whether the internal gutters get it back out.
Also heard as
- CW
Related terms
SSG
Structural silicone glazing, where glass is held to its frame by silicone instead of exterior caps or stops.
Heel bead
A sealant bead at the inside edge of the glass where it meets the frame, forming a continuous air and water seal.
Hose test
A field water test spraying a controlled stream from a calibrated nozzle at joints and windows to find leaks.
Lite
A single pane or unit of glass in a window, door or curtain wall opening.