Curtain walling has historically been used in commercial properties for a dual purpose. Firstly, to make functional buildings look more appealing from the outside, with a sleeker and more modern exterior. And secondly, to make workspaces lighter and brighter to promote productivity. But with so many more benefits to offer, what was once reserved for the commercial sector is now becoming increasingly popular in residential properties.
As a non-load-bearing façade, curtain walling enhances a building’s appearance with large expanses of glass that can cover multiple storeys. It is a fantastic way to maximise the light in a property, improving the well-being of its occupants. Good curtain walling that incorporates high-performance glazing and well-engineered systems, also improves the energy efficiency of a building, and can help to protect against the elements.
With all these advantages and more, curtain walling allows homeowners to achieve the wow factor. But it wouldn’t work on every property, so when should you use it and how else can it benefit a project?
When should I use curtain walling on my home?
The use of curtain walling on residential properties depends on the project, property type, and budget.
It works well on buildings with a larger façade and the room to include an expanse of glass without it taking over the whole property. That is not to say that it can only be used on country manor houses. We are increasingly seeing the successful installation of curtain walling on homes in built up areas. These projects tend to be architecturally led and have the budget to achieve the impressive effect curtain walling can deliver.
It is an excellent product for homeowners that want to maximise natural light throughout their property. While large picture windows and patio or bi-fold doors can go a long way towards creating light, bright spaces, curtain walling can bring the double height glazed element into a property to really make the most of natural light inside the home. While having a large expanse of glass offers this huge benefit, consideration should also be given to the privacy of you and your neighbours.
Homeowners can also use curtain walling to frame a beautiful view. Again, this isn’t necessarily restricted to homes in the countryside or on the coast, although it works well there too, but even in more built-up areas, properties that overlook a green space or a line of trees can make the most of the view by framing it with a large expanse of glass. This also ensures you are not infringing on anyone else’s privacy or losing your own.
Curtain walling is an excellent feature, either fitted directly onto the main property or when used within a large, glazed extension, to help create a seamless connection between inside and outside the home. This integration of inside and outside space is a long-standing trend in the home improvement sector and has often been achieved with sliding or bi-fold doors. Curtain walling offers homeowners the ability to extend this effect using a multi-storey expanse of glass.
What are the benefits of curtain walling on a residential property?
As we have seen above, flooding a home with natural light is a huge benefit of curtain walling, but there are many other advantages that are turning the heads of people improving their homes.
One of the most important benefits at the time of writing, with continuing fluctuations in energy bills, is the product’s thermal performance. Some modern curtain wall systems can achieve excellent energy efficiency as well as weather performance. Reynaers SlimWall 35 system, for example, is a slim 35mm curtain wall that can achieve Passive House levels of performance, with u-values as low as 0.8W/m2K. It has also attained A CWCT sequence B pass from the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT), as well as I5 and E5 impact tests, hosepipe tests and more. It has also been tested to American weather standards, Advancing Standards Transforming Markets (ASTM) standards.
Design flexibility and aesthetic appeal is another key driver to use curtain walling on residential homes. The large expanse of glass gives a striking appearance to a property and adds significant kerb appeal, which can also boost your home’s value. It allows you to achieve high-end architectural visions, thanks to the minimal framing and sleek sightlines that are now available. The SlimWall 35 system boasts minimalistic profiles that allow for vast glass surfaces and an elegant façade, without the thicker frames that came with previous curtain wall systems. Popular uses of curtain walling now include glass corners, gable ends, and two-storey glazing.
Curtain walling is also a safe and sustainable way to create an impressive architectural feature in your home. Safety is of paramount importance and so an important feature to question when looking into curtain wall systems on the market. The Reynaers SlimWall 35 system once again ticks all the boxes because it has been tested to EN1627, RC2, the European security standard EN 1627 for windows and doors achieving an RC2 classification that ensures protection against opportunistic burglars. The system has also achieved Cradle to Cradle bronze certification in recognition of its commitment to a circular economy.
Finishing touches to consider with curtain wall systems
If you decide that curtain walling would be the perfect solution for your home improvement project, the devil is in the final detail. Check if the system you are considering can be integrated with other windows and sliding door systems. This will help tie the overall project together.
Although well-engineered curtain wall systems use very slim frames, it is also worth carefully considering the best colour match for your project. Colour can make or break the finished aesthetic, even when slimmer profiles are involved. The SlimWall 35 system offers a choice of over 900 RAL colours in various finishes, including options for a metallic, anodised, matt, gloss, wood look or low maintenance and scratch-resistant Structure finish.
If you would like more help and advice on whether curtain walling is right for your project, contact one of our helpful Reynaers at Home partners, and they can guide you through the process and answer any further questions you may have.
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