The Specifiers Guide to Frameless Glass Balustrades

Where do I start with frameless glass balustrades?

The trend of frameless glass started in Australia and has slowly gained popularity in the UK. With swimming pools now gaining considerable appeal in this country due to the warmer climate we experience, glass balustrades and guarding around pools have become popular, and for that reason, the number of systems available and the styles you can choose from are now much larger than they have ever been.

Determine your Requirements

So with many styles, options and prices it is good to really drill down on what you key requirements are around :

• Aesthetics – What do you want the glass balustrade to look like? There are so many different materials that can be used, wood, steel and all work well with glass.
• Functionality – Should there be a handrail or does the job require a seamless frameless glass balustrade?
• Fixings – What can the frameless glass balustrade fix to?

Often fixing is not considered at an early enough stage and at 1100mm height, if the glass balustrade is not securely fixed, it will not meet the requirements of the building control minimum deflection.

What glass should I use?

There is a simply way to look at the glass that’s needed for a frameless glass balustrade. If the glass is broken, is there a visable barrier which will remain intact and prevent injury. If a glass balustrade has a handrail which is securely fixed, so not just a cap rail which has no fixing at the end, often 10mm Toughened glass can be used as if it were broken, there would still be a barrier. For a frameless glass balustrade however, if the glass used is only 10mm Toughened glass, then this will disipate and collapse leaving open areas and the potential for a fall if over 1000mm high.

Therefore, Toughened laminated glass is the correct choice for frameless glass balustrades and the thickness should only be decided with the manufacturer of the system against testing documents. There are lots of bottom rail systems on the market which now use 17.52mm Toughened Laminated, keeping the weight and thickness down also gives a more cost effective solution.

Understanding the Maintenance needed for balustrades

Another important factor to consider when specifying a frameless glass balustrade is how it will perform over time. Glass itself is relatively low maintenance, but the surrounding hardware will require periodic inspection to ensure they remain secure. Regular cleaning will keep the glass looking clear, while also allowing early identification of any issues such as movement in the fixing system or wear on gaskets.

Budget Planning when installing Glass Balustrades

Cost is usually one of the deciding factors when choosing a frameless glass balustrade, and it is worth understanding that pricing can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the installation. Factors such as accessibility when installing, bespoke glass shapes (if applicable to your project) and additional features like lighting or etching will all contribute to the final cost. Early engagement with a specialist supplier such as Go Glass can help to align your ambitions with your budget, ensuring that the final product meets both aesthetic and regulatory requirements.

Can a frameless glass balustrade have no handrail?

The answer is yes, and that’s what makes it frameless. This system is a fully tested bottom rail system which has been fitted down and with an extra glass clamp at the top to minimise any movement. The glass is a 17.52mm Toughened laminated glass, UK manufactured with minimal bow and distortion to the glass. In an Oak frame, the system does exactly what it says on the tin.

Can frameless glass balustrades be lit?

One of the great things about dealing with a glass design company is you get the full technical help you need, but you also get access to the R&D and innovation in the industry. This glass balustrade for the British Legion in Scotland, was etched all over with a wildflower design, RGB/Dual white LED strip was then placed in the bottom channel so that the light flooded through the design. Etched glass holds onto light and the result was a unique colour changing glass balustrade that is functional and bespoke.

LED lit glass balustrades are becoming more popular than ever and are easy to incorporate into your design. Staircase design can now include lighting so that main lights are not needed as the glass in the stairs allows for sufficient light to allow someone to walk down the stairs safely particularly at night

Where can I find specification help for frameless glass balustrades?

AI is a good source of documents and knowledge centres all aimed at helping you make the right decision, and while this is great to get the good designer or architect thinking, there is nothing better than meeting with a glass designer with years of expertise who can help to avoid any costly mistakes. Go Glass offer a service from only £150 to specify, provide all documents and testing information and to help specify the most suitable products for your application. This cost is then deducted from any future orders for the products, many of which are actually made in the go glass production centre.

Do I need a structural engineer when specifying?

The answer is yes and no, it should have been considered early in the build and as part of the structural engineers brief, but if that hasn’t happened then it might pay to use someone to calculate all of the structural details before spending money on systems that might not even work.

UK Building Regulations

It is vitally important to check that any system you specify will comform to UK building regulations. There has been a trend towards the importing of frameless glass balustrade systems from abroad. While there is nothing wrong with importing systems, other countries do not have the stringent regulations and testing that we do in the UK and just won’t pass any building control inspection. Add to this a low quality toughened glass and you will end up spending more to replace the system than had you specified a UK manufactured system in the first place.

A Simple guide is as follows :

There is no one size fits all, and each is determined by the application, system and requirements. This is where a good manufacturer comes in, they should share all technical information freely, and most systems have online downloads to allow you to correctly specify a frameless glass balustrade.

The best documents to consider are : Building Regulations Approved Document K which advises on heights for frameless glass balustrades, for example 900mm for internal stairs and landings, and 1100mm for balconies.

Other UK building regulations that should be considered are :

• BS 6180
• BS EN 12600
• BS EN 14449
• BS EN 12150
• BS EN ISO 12543