Towers and offices · Mississauga
Replacing glass in curtain wall and window-wall
One unit on a tower face has gone hazy, or a pane has cracked high on the building. On a glass building, that's usually a job for the property manager or the condo board, not the suite owner. We connect managers and boards with independent local glass professionals who work on commercial glazing. Not every pro works at height. We check first, and if no one we work with covers your building, we say so.
- One failed unit, not the whole facade
- Glass matched to the existing building
- A separate lane for managers and boards
Know the system
Curtain wall vs window-wall: why it matters for repairs
Outside downtown Toronto, no city core in Ontario has as many high-rises as Mississauga's City Centre, and more towers are planned there and on the Lakeview waterfront. Knowing which system your building uses, and who made it, is the first thing a pro will ask. Look in the building's drawings or the reserve fund study.
Curtain wall
Hangs on the outside of the building and runs past the floor slabs in one continuous skin. Common on office towers. Units are often glazed from outside, so replacing one can mean a swing stage or a lift.
Window-wall
Sits between the slabs, floor by floor, with a concrete or metal band showing at each floor. Typical on condo towers. Depending on the design, some units can be replaced from inside the suite.
At height
Fogged or broken units at height: access and scheduling
A fogged unit
The seal has failed and moisture is inside. It isn't a safety issue, so it can be scheduled and grouped with other units. See foggy sealed units for what the fog means.
A cracked or broken unit
Treat it as urgent. Keep people clear of the area below, and keep the suite's occupants away from the glass. The pro may tape, film or cover it from inside until the new unit is made.
Getting to the glass
From inside the suite, from a swing stage, or from a lift at lower floors. Management arranges suite entry, roof access and any closure of the ground below. Lobby doors and ground-floor glass are covered under commercial glass.
Uniform facade
Matching glass so the facade stays uniform
A new unit that's a shade different shows from the street. Condo boards typically enforce a uniform exterior appearance for that reason.
Tint and coating
The colour and reflectivity come from the glass and its coatings. The pro matches them from a sample or the unit's markings.
Build of the unit
Thickness, the spacer colour, and whether it's laminated or tempered all need to match, and fit the frame's pocket.
The markings
Many sealed units carry a stamp on the spacer or the corner of the glass. Photograph it; it can help identify the original glass.
Glare and heat
Film and retrofit options for glare and heat
West-facing suites and offices can take strong afternoon sun. Film applied to the inside of the glass can cut glare and heat without replacing units. Film alters the building's outside appearance and can affect the glass warranty, so a condo board or landlord has to agree first.
Where many units are failing at once, a board may compare replacing units with newer, better-performing glass as part of a larger program. The window film page covers film types; condo glass covers how boards plan the larger work.
For managers
Information a manager should send for a quote
A quote for work at height depends on details the pro can't see from the street. Send these with the request:
- The building address and the number of storeys
- Elevation photos showing where the failed units are
- How many units are fogged or broken, and on which floors
- Any drawings, the glazing system's maker, or the reserve fund study
- Photos of the spacer stamp, if one is visible
- Roof and suite access arrangements, and any work-hour rules
The price turns on access, the number of units, the glass build and the matching needed.
Questions
Curtain wall and window-wall questions
Explore your options
For managers and boards
Pros who take tower and office glazing work in areas including City Centre, Cooksville, Port Credit and Lakeview.
Managers: send the address, elevation photos and the number of failed units
The details go to a local glass pro who works on towers and offices. If no one we work with covers your building, you'll hear that from us too.