A newly decked raised balcony in Oughtibridge, Sheffield, guarded with stainless steel and glass fixed to the side of the deck rather than the top of it, with frosted screens where it faces the neighbours. It is our System 1 stainless steel glass balustrade, side mounted.
Designed, made in our Sheffield workshop and installed by us.
Project overview
- Client type: Residential
- Location: Oughtibridge, Sheffield
- Scope: Design, manufacture and installation
- Product: System 1 stainless steel glass balustrade, side mounted
- Glass: Clear toughened to the front, frosted sandblasted to the side panels
- Screens: Raised to 1.8m where the balcony faces the neighbouring property
- Material: Grade 316 brushed stainless steel posts and handrail
- Substrate: Composite decking on a raised structure
- Fabrication: BS EN 1090-2, execution class EXC2, declaration method 3b
Get a price for something similar
This is our System 1 stainless steel glass balustrade, priced by the metre, top fixed or side fixed to suit your own deck or balcony.
Two problems at once
The client wanted the balcony guarded without losing the view across the valley, and some privacy from a neighbouring property that sits close by.
Those pull against each other, so the glass does two different jobs in one run. Clear toughened glass to the front elevation keeps the view. Frosted sandblasted glass to the side panels, raised to 1.8m, stops the overlooking while still letting light through, which a solid screen or a close boarded fence does not.
It is the same frame throughout, so mixing the glass costs very little more than doing it all in one. It does have to be decided before the glass is cut.
Why side fixing, and what it costs structurally
The posts are fixed to the face of the deck structure rather than standing on top of the decking.
The gain is floor area. A top mounted post takes up deck, and on a balcony that is not large every post base is somewhere you cannot put a chair. Side fixing moves the whole balustrade line outside the deck and leaves the surface clear.
The cost is leverage. A side mounted post is cantilevered off the face of the structure, so the turning force at the fixing is higher than it would be on the same post bolted down through a deck. That is not a reason to avoid side fixing; it is a reason to detail it properly.
So our side mount posts take an internal reinforcement at the base, where the stress is highest, and the fixings are specified with edge distances to suit what they are going into. On a timber structure the perimeter joists where the posts land normally want doubling up or blocking out, which is far easier while the deck is being built.
Why 316 on an exposed elevation
Posts and handrail are grade 316 brushed stainless, not 304.
The difference between the two is molybdenum, which is what resists chloride pitting, and chlorides are not only a seaside problem. Road salt travels inland, and an exposed hillside elevation gets winter spray and wind driven damp all season. The two grades look identical the day they go in, and stop looking identical after about five winters.
316 is the standard on every external job we make rather than a coastal upgrade, and our product maintenance page explains what looking after it involves.
Privacy screens and planning
The frosted screens on this job were a condition of planning approval rather than purely a preference.
That is common on a raised deck or balcony close to a boundary, and it is worth knowing early, because a screen changes the structure as well as the look. A solid glass panel catches wind that an open railing would let through, so posts carrying raised screens are specified for the extra load.
Our balcony building regulations guide covers the ground. What your own project needs by way of planning or building control is for your local authority to confirm.
Get a price for something similar
Send a photograph of the deck or balcony, the length of each run, the height of the drop and a note of what the posts would be fixing to, to sales@diomet.co.uk, or call 0114 243 9009. Say whether you need screening, and whether the deck is built yet.
- System 1 stainless steel glass balustrade, the system on this job, priced online
- Raised glass wind screens and privacy screens, the 1.8m screens used here
- System 7 side fixed frameless glass balustrade, side fixed with no posts at all
- System 2 stainless steel glass balustrade, a different post and rail arrangement
- System 6 DIY glass decking railings, a lower cost posted system made for timber decks
- 10mm frosted toughened glass panels, if you only need privacy glass for a frame you have
If you are not sure which of those fits, our how to get a price page sets out exactly what we need from you.
Before you order
- Glass balustrade building regulations
- Balcony building regulations
- Material finishes
- Looking after stainless steel outdoors
- Installation
- Our certification and what it covers
Frequently asked questions
What is the advantage of side fixing a balustrade?
Floor area. The posts pick up the face of the structure instead of standing on the deck, so nothing eats into the usable surface. The trade is higher leverage at the fixing, which is why the posts and fixings are detailed for it.
Can part of the run be frosted?
Yes, and it is the usual request where a balcony faces a neighbour. Clear where the view is, frosted where the overlooking is. Same frame, so the extra cost is small, but it has to be decided before the glass is cut.
Does a privacy screen need taller posts?
It needs posts specified for the extra load, yes. A solid glass screen catches wind that an open railing lets through, and the taller the screen the more there is to catch.
Why 316 stainless rather than 304?
Because 316 resists chloride pitting and 304 does not, and chlorides are not only a coastal problem. Road salt and winter damp reach inland sites too. They look the same when new and do not after a few winters.
Can it be fitted to a deck that is already built?
Usually, but the fixing is the question. Side mounted posts load the perimeter structure hard, so we want to know what they are going into. On a new deck, doubling up or blocking out the perimeter joists while it is being built is the easy answer.