Over time we have become accustomed without realizing it, to enjoy the outdoors, even in the winter season.
An example of this is that apartments with a terrace, as well as townhouses with garden areas, are more in demand and, therefore, better valued. Another example of this are bars. Rare is the bar that has not conditioned its terrace, installed on public roads, for the cold months.
But the weather means that these relaxation and recreation areas cannot be fully enjoyed during certain times throughout the year.
The system of specific glass enclosures for this type of area has evolved to one of the most demanded systems today: the glass curtains.
There are more and more enclosure companies that carry out these elegant, efficient and “invisible” installations.
These types of enclosures have many more advantages than disadvantages. But before going into the technical characteristics, let’s see what glass curtains are.
What are Glass Curtains and how do they work?
It is a transparent vertical glazing system that is very visible, practically imperceptible, as it does not have vertical profiles. Its aesthetic beauty lies precisely in this, being indisputable.
Its natural movement is that of a slider but, upon reaching one of the ends, the different glass panes fold like an accordion, that is, they turn swinging and some panes are stacked against each other, reducing the entire enclosure to the minimal expression.
Its main advantages, in addition to the acoustic and thermal insulation, is that it does not produce any negative visual impact, keeping the views practically intact and, on the other hand, it transforms the terrace into an open or closed area, in a second and without effort.
Although it must be said that the level of insulation, even though it is very good, does not reach the level of other types of closures that are more conventional but, at the same time, more cumbersome.
Technical aspects
The different panes of glass that make up the folding enclosures move independently, sliding along the lower rail. Said sliding can be in both directions and, upon reaching either of its two ends, they can be opened swinging.
The sliding rollers that they incorporate are made of high-resistance plastics that withstand atmospheric phenomena, resist friction and are also very quiet.
Likewise, the upper and lower rails, which are made of aluminium, are designed to optimally cope with the total weight of the glass curtain.
The connection to the wall is made by flexible rubber joints that guarantee watertightness.
These types of closures are designed so that erroneous manipulations do not pose a risk to the user, nor to any passerby who might pass by at this time.
The type of glass used in these closures is tempered safety glass, available in different thicknesses. The greater the thickness, the greater the insulation achieved. The behavior of this type of glass against shocks is similar to that of car windshields. It disintegrates into small pieces which do not produce cuts. Likewise, the treatment that tempered glass receives in its manufacture, makes its own resistance of normal glass multiply by three against impacts.
This system allows the glass panes to slide even at 90ยบ angles, which makes it possible to carry out polygonal, round installations and even those with the most complicated geometries.
Of course, this system has a single limitation: that the maximum height of the glass panels does not exceed 3 meters. This aspect, which in terms of housing has no impact.
Advantages of Glass Curtains
- The installation has hardly any work, and is done cleanly. The only condition to be able to install it is that the terrace or area to be glazed has a roof, in order to be able to fix the upper rail.
- Its cleaning is comfortable and safe, since both sides of the glass are cleaned from the inside, without any exposure.
- This glazing system does not require maintenance.
- It is not necessary to close completely, since we could only close the necessary area depending on the direction of the wind and the rain. And of course it can also be completely closed hermetically.
- They do not reduce vision from the terrace, solarium, porch, or area where they are installed.
- They are designed for unequivocally safe use.
- They allow the use and enjoyment of the outdoor area 365 days a year.
Other types of enclosures
Soon we will talk about another type of completely different enclosures, but that are also very interesting in businesses, industries, even in the domestic sphere. I am referring to fireproof plasterboard.
In this case, its importance lies in safety, and not in comfort, as was the case with the glass curtains.
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