Commercial Storefronts and Entrances
A commercial storefront is the complete glazed front of a business premises: aluminum framing, glass, entrance doors, the frames and fixed panels around them, and the hardware that keeps everything working. Daltex Glass supplies, fabricates and installs the whole package, so you are not coordinating a glass company, an aluminum supplier and a hardware distributor separately.
Whether you are fitting out a shell space, replacing a pane after a break-in, or rebranding a restaurant front, the work below all sits under one point of contact. Call 214-865-9961 or email Orders@daltexglass.com to start a takeoff.
New Aluminum Storefront Systems
An aluminum storefront system is a non-load-bearing framed glass wall at ground level, typically spanning one or two storeys. Slim extruded aluminum members carry large glass panels and one or more entrance doors. Taller multi-floor facades use curtain wall instead.
We supply and install complete systems: head, sill and jamb framing, vertical and horizontal mullions, glass infill, anchors and sill pans, gaskets and sealant. Framing can be center-set, front-set or offset, thermally broken where energy performance matters, and finished in clear, dark bronze or black anodized aluminum or a powder-coated brand color.
Storefront Glass Installation and Replacement
Damaged storefront glass leaves premises insecure and often stops a business trading. We measure, fabricate and fit replacement panes into existing framing, and glaze new openings where the framing is already in place.
- Impact damage from vehicles, break-ins, vandalism or falling debris
- Cracks that have spread across a pane with temperature change
- Fogged insulated units where the perimeter seal has failed and moisture has entered the cavity
- Old single-pane glass being upgraded to an insulated unit
- Scratched, etched or graffitied glass
A fogged unit cannot be cleaned or repaired, because the condensation forms on the internal faces of the sealed cavity. Replacing the unit is the only durable fix, and the existing framing normally stays in place. Temporary board-up is available so premises stay secure while a custom pane is fabricated.
Commercial Glass Entrance Doors
Entrance doors take more abuse than anything else in a building. We supply both main types. Aluminum stile-and-rail doors hold glass inside an aluminum perimeter frame, giving solid fixing points for locks and closers; narrow stiles show more glass, while medium and wide stiles accept heavier hardware for high-traffic entrances. All-glass doors use thick tempered glass with slim patch fittings, suiting corporate lobbies and showrooms, though hardware cut-outs must be fixed before tempering and cannot be changed later.
Aluminum Doorframes and Sidelights
The frame carries the door and transfers daily loads into the building structure. A sidelight is the fixed glass panel beside the door; a transom is the fixed panel above it. Together they turn a single door into a full glazed entrance bay.
Most persistent door faults are actually frame faults, so frame condition is checked before any door is replaced. Frames, sidelights and transoms are fabricated to measured sizes, which matters in older buildings where openings are rarely standard. Damaged sidelight glass can usually be replaced on its own without disturbing the frame or the door.
Storefront Door Hardware
Hardware fails long before the aluminum or the glass does. We supply and fit closers, pivots, locks, pull handles, thresholds, sweeps and seals, and can supply components on their own for your own maintenance team.
- Door slams or closes too fast: closer sweep adjustment, or a closer losing hydraulic fluid
- Door drags on the threshold: worn bottom pivot letting the leaf sit low
- Door closes but will not latch: strike alignment, deadlatch wear or frame movement
- Draft or water at the base: worn sweep or a loose threshold
- Visible oil on the closer body: replace rather than adjust
Where panic or fire exit hardware is required, that is determined by occupancy classification and local code rather than preference, so confirm the requirement before ordering. Related fittings are stocked in the glass door locks and stops range.
Retail Storefront Renovations
A retail frontage does commercial work. Renovation usually means replacing heavy old framing with slimmer profiles that carry larger glass, so merchandise is visible from the street, and updating the finish to match a current brand standard. Where an existing frame is sound, reglazing and a hardware refresh deliver much of the visual improvement at a fraction of a full replacement.
Restaurant Storefront Renovations
Restaurants add requirements a retail unit does not have. Entrances run at very high cycle counts through service periods, so hardware is specified for durability rather than appearance alone. Solar control glass matters on west-facing elevations where a dining room bakes through the afternoon, and acoustic laminated glass is worth considering where a patio or a busy road sits close to seating.
Tenant-Improvement Storefront Installations
Shell space handed over by a developer usually has an opening and nothing else. We work from the landlord’s criteria and the tenant’s drawings to install a compliant, weathertight storefront within the fit-out programme. Because framing, glass and hardware come from one source, material is scheduled to the site programme instead of arriving in three uncoordinated deliveries.
Our Process
Enquiry, from drawings, photos or a description of the opening
Takeoff from drawings, or field measurement on site for replacement work
Written specification and quotation covering framing, glass and hardware
Submittals and shop drawings where the design team requires them
Fabrication and material procurement to approved sizes
Delivery scheduled to the site programme
Installation, glazing, and adjustment of doors and closers
Punch list, testing and closeout documentation
Supply-only is available. Many glazing contractors use Daltex Glass for fabricated material and install with their own crews.
Why Choose Daltex Glass
Daltex Glass has worked in glass, aluminum and window products for more than 25 years across commercial and residential projects. The business operates as a wholesaler with in-house insulated glass manufacturing, so storefront glass is made to your dimensions rather than ordered in and adapted on site. Background on the company is on the about Daltex Glass page, completed work is shown in the project gallery, and the wider glass and window services offered cover residential work alongside commercial glazing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a storefront and a curtain wall?
Storefront systems are ground-floor systems, usually installed between the floor slab and the structure above and rarely exceeding two storeys. Curtain wall spans multiple floors and hangs off the face of the building structure, carrying greater wind and structural loads. Storefront framing is lighter and less expensive, which is why it suits shopfronts and entrances.
Can you replace only the damaged part of a storefront?
Often yes. If the framing is square, sound and properly anchored and only the glass has failed, replacing the pane is the sensible route. Full replacement makes more sense when framing is corroded, bent, out of square or non-thermal, or when the whole facade is being updated as part of a rebrand.
How quickly can broken storefront glass be replaced?
It depends on the specification. A standard clear tempered pane in a common thickness turns around faster than a custom insulated unit with a coating or an unusual tint. Temporary board-up secures the premises in the meantime. Send a photo and an approximate size and the team will confirm realistic timing.
Do you work as a supplier only, without installing?
Yes. General contractors and glazing contractors regularly order aluminum, fabricated glass and hardware for their own crews to fit. Provide measured sizes and the specification you need and material can be prepared for collection or delivery.
What glass should a commercial storefront use?
Glazing at ground level in an entrance is safety glazing, so tempered glass is the usual baseline. Laminated glass is specified where security or sound reduction matters, and insulated units where thermal performance is a priority. The right make-up depends on the elevation, the exposure and how the space is used.
Can a storefront be renovated while the business stays open?
In most cases yes, with sequencing. Work is commonly phased bay by bay, or scheduled outside trading hours, with temporary weather protection and board-up between stages. Tell the team your trading hours at the enquiry stage so the programme is built around them rather than around them being discovered later.
Start Your Storefront Project
Send drawings, photographs or opening sizes and Daltex Glass will prepare a takeoff and a written quotation. Call 214-865-9961, email Orders@daltexglass.com, or send your storefront project details.
