Aluminum Mesh Curtain Wall Maintainability And Repairability

Aluminum mesh curtain wall and perimeter sealants require maintenance to maximize the service life of the curtain walls. Perimeter sealants, properly designed and installed, have a typical service life of 10 to 15 years although breaches are likely from day one. Removal and replacement of perimeter sealants requires meticulous surface preparation and proper detailing.

Aluminum mesh curtain walls are generally painted or anodized. The fluoropolymer thermosetting coating applied in the factory has good resistance to environmental degradation and only requires regular cleaning. It can be recoated with an air-dried fluoropolymer coating, but requires special surface treatment and is not as durable as the original baked coating.

The anodized aluminum mesh curtain wall frame cannot be "re-anodized" in place, but it can be cleaned and protected with a proprietary transparent coating to improve appearance and durability.

Exposed glass sealing strips and gaskets need to be inspected and maintained to minimize water penetration, limit the exposure of the frame sealing strips and protect the insulating glass sealing strips from wetting.

Aluminum mesh curtain walls are typically recycled at the end of their service life. Salvage and demolition contractors generally require a minimum of 1,000 sq ft or more of window/curtain wall to make material recycling economical.