Self-installed by John Sharp, this stunning glass balcony supplied by Balcony Systems does full justice to fabulous south-facing views from his East Ayrshire bungalow.
John, a retired valuation surveyor, found fitting the 17 metre-long curved and straight balustrade at his extensively-renovated 1930s Newmilns property was a relatively straightforward job. “It’s a technically competent design and what’s great about the Balcony Systems’ balustrade is that you can’t see any fixings,” continues John. “Once the posts were welded in position, the Chrome handrail fitted well and I am absolutely delighted with the result. The balcony is much admired – and the Wow factor is a major part of it!” Far-reaching viewsGlass was essential to keep the far-reaching views over the Irvine Valley from the quarter-acre plot, with the added benefit of not needing any time-consuming painting or maintenance. “To have put a wooden balustrade would have been nuts!” I would not have wanted anything to disrupt the view,” he says. Curved balcony designJohn opted for a curved balcony, having changed his original rectangular concept as it had ‘no architectural feel whatsoever’. A former neighbour told him about Balcony Systems’, having installed one of their Juliet balconies on a similar property to his. He explains: “Having seen the case studies on the website, I designed my balcony round the Balcony Systems’ products and asked my architect to send the drawings to them. This required overcoming major changes, including shaping the deck’s structural steel beam into a curve.” The installationJohn installed his balustrade gradually, enlisting the help of a friend to weld the posts to the steel and timber joists of the cantilevered deck built onto the property. The straight and curved sections were easy to do, using just three lengths of handrail to cover the 17 metre length. Measuring over 8.0m wide and 3.0 metres deep at the centre point , narrowing to 1.5 metres at each end, the balcony area provides a flexible area for entertaining and is accessed from two sets of sliding patio doors from the main living rooms as well as a set of stairs giving access to a patio. |
Refurbishment of the former six-bedroomed bungalow included demolishing internal walls to create larger rooms and open-plan living areas, flooding the interior with light.
Design, ordering and logistics throughout the project progressed smoothly, according to John, who adds: “Delivery and service from Balcony Systems was absolutely first-class and I would recommend the company wholeheartedly. The quality is there to be seen and I’m confident the balcony will deliver what I want.”
Three-climate views
As for their new balcony, John and his wife Kath, who downsized from a much larger property, are looking forward to enjoying what is undoubtedly a unique feature of their hillside home.
How? “With a bottle of wine enjoying watching the birds, clouds and constantly-changing scenery,” concludes John. “Here we can get three climates in one day – and a clear glass balcony provides the perfect vantage point from which to take it all in.”
Balcony Systems
Balcony Systems is a specialist in sophisticated glass and aluminium balustrading solutions and stunning curved patio doors, supplying straight or curved external and Juliet balconies to exact client specifications.
From a single balustrade to multi-apartment developments, the company works with architects, designers, developers and specifiers to deliver the most cost-effective, stylish and durable balustrade solution.