An internal staircase and landing in Derbyshire, where the existing balustrade had been cut and welded together in the hallway by a previous contractor and the customer had never been happy with it. We took it out and replaced it with our System 1 stainless steel and glass balustrade, drawn in full and approved before anything was made.
Stephen had already had a walk out balcony from us, so this was bringing the inside of the house up to the standard of the steelwork already on the outside of it.
Project overview
- Client type: Residential
- Location: Derbyshire, S44 area
- Product: System 1 stainless steel and glass balustrade
- Scope: Removal of an existing on site fabrication, survey, design, supply and installation
- Location in the house: Staircase flight and landing, internal
- Glass: Toughened clear, on clamps to the posts
- Material: Satin brushed stainless steel
- Drawings: Full AutoCAD general arrangement approved before manufacture
- 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, made to the flight and landing you already have, including replacing one you are not happy with.
Replacing a balustrade somebody else made
Replacement work is a decent part of what we do on balustrades, and it almost always comes down to the same three complaints: the posts are too thick, the glass is too small, and the gaps are not even.
The posts here were bulky, which is what eats the view. A balustrade on a staircase is in your eyeline every time you walk through the hall, so the difference between a chunky post and a slim one is the difference between seeing a metal frame and seeing through to the other side of the landing. Swapping to the System 1 profile put far more glass and far less metal in the same run.
Taking an old one out is usually straightforward. The fixing holes rarely line up with where the new posts want to be, so the old positions get made good and the new set out is drawn to suit the flight rather than to suit the holes that are there.
Drawings before anything is cut
The thing Stephen had missed first time round was a drawing. Nothing had been issued, so there was no way to see what he was getting until it was welded up in his hallway and too late to change.
Every balustrade we make gets a general arrangement drawing first, dimensioned, with post positions, panel sizes and fixing details on it. You approve that drawing and then we cut metal, not the other way round. It is the cheapest point in the job to change your mind.
It also makes the glass fit. Panels are cut to the dimensions on an approved drawing taken from a survey, so clamp positions line up and gaps come out even along the run. Cutting and fitting as you go in a hallway is what produces uneven gaps and panels that rattle.
Made in Sheffield, fitted by us
Surveyed on site. Every dimension came off the staircase as built.
Drawn and approved. Full AutoCAD general arrangement issued before manufacture.
Made in our own workshop to BS EN 1090-2, rather than fabricated in the house.
Installed by our own fitters.
Get a price for something similar
If you have a balustrade you are not happy with, send a photograph and a rough length to sales@diomet.co.uk, or call 0114 243 9009, and we will tell you what we would put in its place.
- System 1 stainless steel glass balustrade, the system used here, priced online
- System 2 stainless steel glass balustrade, the same family with a different post and rail arrangement
- System 4 frameless glass balustrade, if you want no posts in the run at all
- System 5 powdercoated steel glass balustrade with wooden handrail, for a painted frame and a timber rail to match the stairs
- Mirror polished stainless steel glass balustrade, where you want a brighter finish than satin
- Shaped stair glass panels, if you only need the glass replacing in a frame you are keeping
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
- Our certification and what it covers
- Material finishes
- Installation
- Product maintenance
- Bespoke and made to measure
Frequently asked questions
Can you replace a balustrade somebody else fitted?
Yes, and we do it regularly. We survey what is there, take it out, make good the old fixing positions where we can and set the new posts out to suit the staircase. Send a photograph and a length for a price.
Why does a drawing matter on a balustrade?
Because it is the only point in the job where changing your mind is free. A dimensioned general arrangement shows post positions, panel sizes and fixings before anything is cut, so what arrives is what you agreed to.
Will slimmer posts be as strong?
Strength comes from the section, the fixings and what they are fixed into, not from how chunky a post looks. Our systems are made to BS EN 1090-2 and the specification is set from the loading the run has to carry. Whether a particular staircase needs anything specific is a question for your building control officer, and our glass balustrade building regulations guide explains what they will be looking at.
Does the glass have to come out if I only want new posts?
Usually yes, because clamp positions and panel sizes are tied to the post set out. If the existing glass is a size we can work with we will say so, but it is rarely worth building a new run around old panels.
How long does a replacement take on site?
A domestic flight and landing is normally a day, sometimes two if the old fixings need making good. All the making happens in Sheffield beforehand.