A curtain wall usually consists of aluminium or steel profiles and is lined with glass or other surface elements. In the case of glass curtain walls, a distinction is made between the following systems according to the attachment and mounting of the glass panes:
- Top-mounted systems, in which the glass panes are placed on a supporting frame and pressed into place, e.g. with silicone and pressure bars, in a structural gasket system.
- Panel systems, in which combinations of fixed glazing, window sashes and e.g. opaque sandwich panels are prefabricated and hung as a coherent component on the supporting frame.
- Modular systems, which are similar to panel systems, but are often multi-layered with devices for solar shading, maintenance walkways, photovoltaic elements, etc.
Curtain walls can, for example, be designed as mullion-transom constructions or element facades. The corresponding specifications are contained in product standard DIN EN 13830 Curtain Walling.
The curtain wall is fundamentally different from the ventilated curtain facade: Although it is also placed in front of the load-bearing structure of a building, it is not ventilated.
