Inside glazed storefront offers solution for three Louisiana projects
When installing a storefront system, particularly on a multilevel building, there are certain challenges presented to the installer. Jay Dunnell, chief estimator, and Chris Bruce, project manager, with Zinsel Glass, Terrytown, La., install storefront on a regular basis, and are well-versed in the challenges of storefront systems.
Located in an area of the U.S. that is regularly impacted by hurricanes, it is vital that the storefront be hurricane impact-resistant, meeting the regional codes. The majority of impact-resistant storefront is outside glazed, which presents challenges when used above ground level. “Outside glazed is fine if you are working on a retail strip center or single-story building, but when you get above the first floor you start to have problems,” says Dunnell.
The primary issue with outside glazed storefronts is the equipment required to install it. Not only is rental equipment, like a personnel lift or a crane, expensive, but depending on the location of the job or the terrain, can be almost impossible to use. The recent emergence of inside glazed storefront, like Austell, Ga.-based YKK AP America Inc.‘s YHS 50 FI Inside Glazed storefront, removes the challenges installers once faced. Zinsel Glass has used the inside glazed system on three challenging storefront projects, addressing concerns they faced with budget and designs.
Located in Belle Chasse, La., Belle Chasse Elementary presented an interesting challenge for Zinsel Glass. Despite it being a single-story building, the site of the building limited the type of equipment that could be used. “Belle Chasse was located on an extremely muddy site, which would have required us to use tracked vehicles, which are almost twice as expensive as the usual wheeled equipment,” says Dunnell. “After speaking with the school officials, we decided to use an inside glazed system so money and resources could be better spent.”
Like Belle Chasse Elementary, Bottom Line Rental Equipment, located in St. Rose, La., was limited by the site conditions, needing the more expensive tracked equipment. However, they were also limited by the design of the building. “The exterior of the three-story building featured steel fins that would have slowed down the outside glazing process,” says Bruce. “We would have needed equipment with a longer boom that could easily reach between the fins, making the project more complicated.” By using an inside glazed system, Zinsel Glass completed the project faster than expected, finishing the installation in one month and not spending as much money as projected. “It’s always good when you are able to beat the budget,” adds Bruce.
Sometimes projects are limited by the location, as with Zinsel’s International Shipholding project. Located adjacent to the French Quarter in New Orleans’ art rich Warehouse District, the high-traffic area limited Zinsel’s options for installation. “Located in the downtown area, it is nearly impossible to secure approval to shut down a road for installation,” explains Bruce. Additionally, the building, which is five stories tall, would require a rather large crane or manlift, which would cost thousands of dollars. The inside glazed system eliminated the need for a crane, saving Zinsel Glass time and money. The project, which began March 2015, wrapped up in April 2016.
As exemplified with the three projects, inside glazed storefronts offer a solution for buildings where outside glazing isn’t practical. Material cost is much less than inside glazed curtainwall, which typically has been developed for higher design pressures and larger sizes. Inside glazed systems eliminate additional labor costs, helping to keep the project within budget. When determining whether you should use outside glazed versus interior glazed, evaluate your project, the budget, any site challenges, as well as the structure of the building. “An inside glazed system does cost more than a traditional outside glazed storefront,” says Bruce. “However, what you save on the equipment side, it more than makes up the difference in the long run.”
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Greg Galloway is the ProTek brand manager for YKK AP America Inc., Austell, Ga. To learn more, visit
www.ykkap.com.