Glass Balustrades

If your balustrade protects a fall which is greater than 600mm you should either use a handrail or a laminate glass. A laminate glass is two pieces of glass that have been bonded together. One of the panels is designed to remain in place if the other fails.

Much of the cost of any balustrade is in the cost of the glass. Usually, the thicker the glass the more expensive the balustrade will be. Generally our stainless steel post systems tend to be cheaper than frameless channel or spigots as they usually use thinner glass.

The glass thickness that you need will vary depending on the use and occupancy of the building concerned. You will need to ensure that once secured, your glass is not able to move more than 25mm once a certain amount of force is applied to it. For domestic properties, the force that your balustrade is required to withstand is usually less for internal balustrades (stairs, landings etc) than it is for external balustrades (Juliette balconies/edges of roofs).

The majority of our stainless products are sold in either grade 304 or grade 316. Both grades of stainless steel look the same to the naked eye but grade 316 is extra resistant to corrosion. You should subsequently use grade 304 stainless steel for internal balustrades and grade 316 stainless steel for external balustrades. If your stainless steel balustrade is next to a swimming pool or near to the sea, you should in addition have the stainless steel 316 mirror polished to protect it against chlorine/salt water.

For the majority of domestic applications, 42mm posts/handrail will suffice. If you are supporting balustrades that are over 1.1m in height (for instance a privacy screen) it may be that 48mm posts/handrail are required.

The majority of our balustrade systems are tested to a required line load test and we can provide you with a test certificate on request. A line load test is where pressure is applied to the balustrade. Once force is applied it cannot move more than 25mm within its fixing. The key determinants in the strength of a balustrade are what you are fixing to and the thickness of the glass.

If the area is accessible or frequented by children, a sphere of 100mm should not be able to pass through the gaps between each structural glass panel of the guarding. For structural channel we usually recommend a gap of 10mm between each panel.

Each glass panel should ideally not be more than a 1m wide or 1.1m high. This is to meet the test requirements for the balustrade and to ensure that it is easy to install. It may be that the dimensions of your glass panel vary slightly to meet the overall dimensions of your balustrade.

The height of your balustrade should be calculated from finished floor level. For internal balustrades (stairs, landings, ramps, edges of internal floors), the requirement for a private residential building is 900mm. For external balustrades (balconies, edges of roofs, external stairs), the requirement for a private residential building is 1100mm.

Unfortunately not. We have recommended installers across the country, whose details we can send to you. It is usually relatively straightforward to measure your balustrade. If you can give us rough measurements together with some pictures that is usually enough for us to give you a pretty accurate price.

In our experience the vast majority of balustrades that we supply do not require planning permission. This may not always be the case (for instance if you live in a conservation area). If you have any concerns, we would recommend that you check the position with you local planning authority.

Any glass balustrade is only as good as the material that you are fixing to. Much like a lever, a small movement at the bottom of the fixing leads to a far greater movement at the top of the glass. We most commonly have issues when fixing balustrades to timber or brickwork. When fixing to timber you should ensure that the timber is solid, structural timber. When fixing to brickwork, you should not fix to close to the edge of the brick to avoid the brick blowing. No balustrade is tested when fixed to timber or brickwork.

Our frameless channel has pre drilled holes in the bottom of the profile. This allows water to drain away rather than collecting within the profile. If the frameless balustrade is at the bottom of a slope, we can also supply drainage blocks. These drainage blocks are secured with every fixing. This lifts the profile from the ground and allows the water to drain away.

All of our glass panels are bespoke and are made to fit your balustrade. We can supply glass to any dimensions. The following are things to think about when deciding on your glass dimensions: You need to ensure that your glass can be properly secured with whichever system you have ordered. Our technical team can advise you on this. We can supply shaped panels for instance when you are going down stairs. While we have software that can theoretically calculate the shape of the panels, it is better to receive your metal work first and then produce templates. You can then either supply those templates to us (or drawings of the templates). We will then produce panels that match those templates.

We can powder coat your balustrade to any colour that you want provided that it is on the RAL chart. If you let our sales team know the RAL that you require, they can provide you with a quote.

Both the glass and metal work are very durable products and are designed to last for many years. Depending on the type of product that you have, it is important that you properly maintain your balustrade. In particular, stainless steel products should be cleaned from time to time with a stainless steel cleaner. While structurally they will always be secure, residue can build up on the metal work which can cause it to discolour. The regularity with which you should maintain your stainless steel products depends on the environment that your balustrade is in. If you are next to the sea, we would recommend wiping down the stainless steel products every two months. If you are in a sheltered area which is not next to the sea (or a swimming pool), we would recommend cleaning the stainless steel twice a year.

At Origin Architectural, customer satisfaction is our top priority and we strive to provide competitive, affordable, and cost-effective glass balustrade solutions for our customers. Our detailed order / quoting service helps ensure that you are not overcharged for your glass balustrade. The cost depends on a number of factors such as the style of balustrade you choose and the size. Please use our online Balustrade Calculator to get a tailored quote.

We take the safety of our customers seriously, which is why all our products undergo thorough testing to ensure their quality and suitability. Our toughened glass, in particular, undergoes rigorous testing to ensure that it is safe for elevated areas, such as staircases, where indoor glass balustrades are commonly used. This gives you peace of mind knowing that you can trust the safety of our products. See our test data for further information or speak to our team who will be happy to help.