STICK BUILT SYSTEM

A stick-built curtain wall refers to the method of construction by which the curtain wall is assembled on-site, piece by piece. The manufacturer delivers each individual component; glass, mullion, spandrel; and glaziers assemble the curtain wall directly on the structure.

The stick built system requires installation by highly skilled laborers on site, increasing the installation cost and causing some quality control issues. However, the on-site installation allows for easier detailing of connections and larger tolerances in the building structure.

The advantage of a stick-built system comes from its cost savings over a unitized system. On a small project, the scale is too small to make it economical to prefabricate panels, so the added on-site time and cost is worth the higher unit cost associated with a small scale unitized system. For this reason, stick-built systems are typically used on small to mid-sized projects.