facts/benefits of weld-assembled storefront frames

• Welding holds framing components in their precise assembled position, permanently. Screws and internal bracket fastenings can, over time, work loose. For this reason, all leading aluminum entrance door manufacturers weld their doors’ top and bottom rails to the vertical stiles; doors are constantly in motion and without welds to “lock” the parts together, joints would eventually work their way out of alignment causing corners to sag, bottom rails to scrape against saddles, upper corners to rub against headers, etc..
• We recognize the forces in play which can cause framing components in fixed glass frames to move out of position. These can include:
  (a) wind pressure (especially true for framing that surrounds large panes of glass, or glass installed well above ground level, or facing a body of water)
  (b) internal building movement (as much an issue for newly constructed “unsettled” structures as it is for old, “creaky” ones)
  (c) sources of vibration, e.g.-  proximity to railroad tracks, a road with heavy truck traffic, an airport, a factory with large equipment, machinery, etc.               More...