Balcony Systems

Six Important Points to Always Check When Purchasing Glass Balustrades

Here at Balconette we have too often had to replace balustrading products supplied by others which were not fit for purpose or compliant with building regulations. Regardless of whether you choose to purchase from us or not, we want to give you some important tips and pointers to use as a checklist when sourcing and purchasing a balustrading system for your home or development project.

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The Future is Here

Seeing the sun stream through your windows is one of the best ways to start your day. Unless of course your glass isn’t looking its best. Watermarks, dust and grime really show up in the sunshine. Instead of enjoying your day, you end up calling a window cleaner or getting out the ladder and cleaning the windows yourself.

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Balcony Systems Defined

Balcony systems is a term that is used a lot but can mean many things.

First of all, let’s define a balcony. This is “a platform enclosed by a wall or balustrade on the outside of a building, with access from an upper-floor window or door”. So, in simple words, it is the floor and the low wall sitting on that floor, sticking out from a building for people to walk out onto.

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Our Time-Saving Composite Decking Accessories

Our cool composite decking accessories can save you an enormous amount of time when you plan everything out in advance! For instance, if you buy our subframe, you’ll find that our decking and subframe will fit together rather like Lego pieces. Our proprietary drill with allow you to install the decking boards with no predrilling or filling afterwards. We have really thought of everything to ensure that you can save a ton of time when installing your deck; and as we all know, time is money!

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Back by Popular Demand

We’d like you to join us for our biggest ever Open House event on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th September 2018 from 10am – 4pm at our HQ in Surrey (full address below).

You can see and feel the products first-hand, view all the components of the products, chat with our friendly Sales Team and discuss your requirements, take a tour around our manufacturing areas and have a bite to eat on us!

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New Composite Decking? Think About These 6 Things First

So you’re planning on adding composite decking to your home? Great plan! You’ve probably done the research between wood and composite decking already, so don’t need us to tell you that:

1. Composite decking needs less maintenance than wood decking and
2.  Composite decking lasts longer than wood decking.

But you need to choose a composite decking to suit your needs, which can be a minefield in itself.  Picking your way through plasticky-looking decking that doesn’t match the colourway you’ve chosen, fittings that don’t quite… fit. How do you know when you’ve chosen a product that’s as much of a joy to install as it will be to relax on?

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Glass balcony systems are now hugely popular! What is all the fuss about? What is wrong with traditional wrought iron railings?

Glass balcony systems put Balcony Systems on the map! In the following Q & A Mr. Effi Wolff Managing Director of Balcony Systems Solutions Limited gives some insight into current trends of glass balustrades and balconies why Balcony Systems’ proprietary system ticks all the right boxes.

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Designing balustrades to meet wind load requirements is a crucial part of our job. Now, in BS6180:2011 it is required that wind loads are included when designing balustrades.

Where to Find the Relevant Data

There are various factors to take into account when designing for wind loads. In essence, this is covered in a Euro code BS EN 1991-1-4:2005 Actions on structures – Wind actions, its addendum and annex cover what you need to know.

The Euro code 1 itself is a highly scientific and theoretical document of 145 pages and an additional 42 pages in the UK National Annex, giving a total of 187 pages.

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Fixing Beneath FFL (finished floor level) to the Structure

The height of any finished external balustrade or railing needs to be a minimum of 1100mm above the finished floor level, or above where one can stand. This is according to BS6180:2011 – Barriers in and about buildings code of practice.

Not always is fixing balustrades a simple matter. This is because usually the finished floor level does not have a structural member to fit to. Structural members are often imbedded below the floor level, under insulation, screed, waterproofing etc.

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Let’s have a look at what happened at the Grenfell Tower that made it such a disaster.

What About the Paper Work?

Well, people or I should say company’s installed cladding and insulation and other components such as fire doors, all of which had pieces of paper to say that they were compliant and met all building regulations etc., etc.

But in reality, when it actually came to the real test, we all saw what happened, it went up like a box of matches.

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