Vintage Vinyl

Mid-century through 1980’s buildings with lock-strip or “zipper-gasket” glazing systems are an ever present part of the urban landscape in many cities across North America. Although these systems are considered outdated by many and seldom used in new construction, the systems have performance attributes that should merit respect.

For many in the facade community, lock-strip gasket facades are often dismissed as a system to be removed and replaced with modern aluminum curtain wall. While this may be practical in certain situations, it is far from the only option available and not always the right option for the owner’s budget or maintaining the original architecture of a building.

Lock-strip facades continue to endure but age has taken its toll on the functionality of what was once a revolutionary glazing system. By maintaining the lock-strip gasket facade and upgrading glazing when possible, building performance can be restored or even increased as retrofit technology improves.

Remedial options are available for a lock-strip gasket facades that focus on preserving and maintaining the primary elements and appearance of the system from simple remediation efforts such as the installation of exterior “wet-seals” to limit air and water infiltration, to complete replacement and reglazing.

Improved curtain wall performance (reduced air infiltration, lowered solar heat gain and improved acoustical performance) are achieved by introducing modern insulating glass with a low-e coating and emerging technologies, such as vacuum insulating glass (VIG), present possibilities for replacement of an original monolithic glazed system for increased energy performance. Reglazing also provides the opportunity to increase spandrel insulation, or change the aesthetic of the facade by introducing (or removing) existing spandrel panels.

While the benefits of the above are appealing, lock-strip gasket replacement projects are not immune to challenges. As with most remediation projects there are technical considerations to address.