Replacing Glass Units in a Curtain Wall at Height: Repair After a Strike on Shevchenka Avenue, Odesa
Author: Illia Kaprishanskyi, owner of VIKNODIM (OKNODOM), installation expert. Updated: November 2026.
Summary
- Site: an apartment in a high-rise at 33b Shevchenka Avenue, Odesa. A Russian missile strike nearby broke the glass units in the building’s curtain wall, damaged the aluminium profiles and tore off the aluminium guide rails.
- We replaced 6 glass units, 26 mm thick: a solar-control outer pane tinted bronze, a 4 mm tempered inner pane, argon in the cavity.
- The work was done by industrial climbers on ropes from the roof, with no scaffolding and no aerial platform.
- The job was paid through Ukraine’s state compensation programme єВідновлення (eVidnovlennia). We prepared the documents for the inspection commission and the owner’s report in the Diia app.
- The client left a 5-star review on Google Maps.
In a curtain wall a broken glass unit cannot be swapped from inside the flat the way it is in an ordinary window. The façade is continuous, the glass is held by external pressure plates, and those can only be reached from outside. After a strike the owner needs three things done quickly: close the opening against wind and rain, match the new glass to the colour of the rest of the façade, and pay for the job with state compensation. Below I explain how we did it on Shevchenka Avenue and what to know before ordering. For the general guide to replacing glass at height, see facade glass unit replacement in Odesa. This page is one specific job: the glass build-up, the work sequence and the client’s review.
Video from the site on VIKNODIM social media: YouTube Shorts · TikTok · Instagram · Facebook.
What happened on site
After the strike, the façade at 33b Shevchenka Avenue was left with shattered glass units and open gaps.
Debris punched straight through the aluminium profile, glass fell out of several façade sections, and some openings had to be boarded up with plywood. Aluminium guide rails were torn off and the curtain wall lost its seal. Inside the flat there was broken glass on the floor.
The client found us through the residents’ chat group and came to us directly. He needed every damaged glass unit replaced under the єВідновлення programme.
How curtain wall glazing differs from an ordinary window
In an ordinary window a glass unit replacement takes about an hour from inside. In a curtain wall the glass is fixed from outside, so you cannot reach it without access to the façade.
A curtain wall is a grid of vertical and horizontal aluminium mullions and transoms with glass units set into it. On the outside, pressure plates with gaskets hold the glass in place. To take out a broken unit you remove those plates from the street side, then fit the new unit from outside and seal the joint.
Scaffolding a high-rise is slow and expensive, and an aerial platform does not reach the upper floors. That is why this work is done by industrial climbers: they anchor safety lines on the roof, abseil to the right floor and work from a bosun’s chair.
Which glass unit we installed
We chose a glass build-up that matches the rest of the façade and copes with the loads at height.
| Layer | What is installed | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Outer pane | solar-control (multifunctional) glass, bronze tint | same colour as neighbouring façade sections, the room heats up less in summer |
| Cavity | argon | conducts heat worse than air |
| Inner pane | tempered, 4 mm | on impact it breaks into small blunt pieces instead of sharp shards |
| Total thickness | 26 mm | fits the glazing pocket of the existing curtain wall |
| Quantity | 6 units | every damaged section of the flat |
Tempered glass cannot be cut after toughening, so each unit was made to the exact size taken on site. We cut and edge glass to size in our own workshop; see glass sales in Odesa. Production took almost four weeks, which the client also mentioned in his review.
How the installation went
- We measured every opening and checked which unit thickness would fit the system’s glazing pocket.
- We ordered tempered glass units with tinted glass to match the façade.
- Safety and working ropes were anchored on the roof.
- The climbers abseiled to the flat, removed the pressure plates and took out what was left of the broken glass.
- They fitted the new units, refixed the pressure plates and sealed the joints.
- We cleared the broken glass and handed the client the documents for his report.
A fitter inside the flat backed up the climbers: he took the shards and passed tools through an open sash.
Replacing glass units under the єВідновлення programme
Glass in a curtain wall is replaced under the same state programme as ordinary windows.
The process:
- The owner applies for compensation in the Diia app.
- A commission inspects the home and sets the amount.
- The money arrives on a dedicated єВідновлення card.
- The owner chooses a contractor from the programme’s list of participants and pays with that card.
- After the repair the owner files a report in Diia.
On Shevchenka Avenue we prepared the full document package for the commission before the money arrived and started production as soon as it was credited. Details for Odesa and Mykolaiv are on the page windows under the єВідновлення programme in Odesa, and for Kyiv on windows under єВідновлення in Kyiv.
What affects the price
We price the job after the survey, because every building has its own curtain wall system and height.
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Size and number of units | each unit is made individually for its opening |
| Glass type | tempered, tinted and solar-control glass costs more than standard float |
| Floor and access | the higher the floor and the harder the roof access, the longer the climbers work |
| Profile condition | if the aluminium profile is punctured, it is repaired or replaced separately |
| Lead time | tempered glass takes longer to make than standard glass |
Client review
Sky Sky left a 5-star Google Maps review with seven photos from the site. The review was written in Ukrainian; here is our translation:
VIKNODIM was recommended to us in our building’s chat group when we needed urgent window repair in Odesa. After another strike, at 33b Shevchenka Avenue in our area, glass units were knocked out, profiles were damaged, aluminium guide rails flew off and the façade system completely lost its seal. We brought in VIKNODIM’s specialists to fix all this damage. They quickly prepared the full document package for the єВідновлення programme and helped us pass the commission. As soon as the money arrived through the Diia app, we ordered the full job of making and installing the new glass units. Special thanks to manager Illia for constant contact, clear coordination and control of every step from measuring to the finish. Because the glass is tempered, production took almost four weeks, …
★★★★★ Sky Sky, Google Maps, November 2026
How to order curtain wall glass replacement
Send photos of the damaged façade from inside and outside, or book a survey. We work with apartment owners, housing associations (OSBB), offices and business centres in Odesa, Odesa region up to and including Koblevo, and in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Every client gets a written contract.
If the glass survived the blast but the sash is warped and will not close properly, window repair and adjustment is enough, with no need to replace the glass unit.
VIKNODIM showrooms in Odesa:
- 4a Vladyslava Dombrovskoho St (formerly Zheliabova), head office, on the map;
- 2 Vladyslava Buvalkina St, Kotovskoho settlement, tel. +380 66 690 9696, on the map;
- 31 Akademika Filatova St, tel. +380 99 518 4932, on the map.
Phone: 0 800 33 10 30 (free within Ukraine), +380 96 533 34 30.
FAQ
Can a glass unit in a curtain wall be replaced from inside the flat? Usually not. External pressure plates hold the glass, so the unit is removed and fitted from outside, from scaffolding, an aerial platform or by industrial climbers.
Who replaces glass units on the upper floors of a high-rise? Industrial climbers. They anchor safety lines on the roof and abseil to the right floor. That is how 6 units were replaced on Shevchenka Avenue without scaffolding.
Why use tempered glass in a façade? It is stronger than standard glass, and when it breaks it falls apart into small blunt pieces. At height that is safer for people below and inside the flat.
How long does a tempered glass unit take to make? Longer than a standard one, because the glass is toughened after cutting. On Shevchenka Avenue production took almost four weeks.
Can the glass be matched to the colour of the façade? Yes. On this site the outer pane is solar-control glass tinted bronze, like the neighbouring sections.
Can curtain wall glass be replaced under єВідновлення? Yes. The owner receives the money on an єВідновлення card and pays a contractor taking part in the programme with it.
