The most contemporary and streamlined system

Director of Pallot Windows Paul Bourke, explains: “Choosing Balcony’s balustrade for this project was easy. The product is superior to others as it uses fewer posts and it doesn’t rely on unsightly tabs or clips to hold the glass in place. It is simply the most contemporary and streamlined system on the market. And we know we can rely on Balcony’s staff for technical support if needed.

“The developer, Premier Contracting Ltd, is delighted with the stylish design and most of the apartments are already sold,” says Paul.

The confidence to experiment

TV programmes such as Grand Designs have also encouraged homeowners to be more creative and adventurous. They encouraged people to look at the possibilities in properties, and to look for products that add value, style and uniqueness. These programmes and their counterparts in printed media have opened homeowners’ eyes and imagination. They’ve given homeowners the confidence to look for products that can make their property stand out from the rest, and for products that are able to transform a building. They are more confident about experimenting with the shape, size and look of their property. Suppliers and installers – enablers – that can help homeowners achieve their vision and transform their properties will be the winners.

The upsurge in demand

Since the start of the year we have been pedalling fast to keep up with the demand for our balconies, balustrades and curved patio doors. The upsurge in demand in the midst of a deep recession may surprise some, but architects, developers, self builders and homeowners want to make properties look different, better and more stylish, and when offered the means to do so are quick to find a way to do it. A stylish balustrade, or stunning curved patio doors really do transform a building and you don’t need to be an architect to see their potential.

Many window and door companies are discovering they have the skills and experience that can help them take advantage of this opportunity. A number have already been selected to become Balcony dealers and distributors and are helping transform their customers’ properties and their own prospects.

Aesthetically however tea staining is not ideal, and so the information herein is in an attempt to help identify the causes and suggest possible solutions.

Stainless Steel

The term “stainless” steel derives from the development of the speciality steels for modern cutlery industry. It has now been adopted as a generic name for steels developed for any corrosion or oxidation (rust) resistant applications.

The corrosion resistant characteristics of stainless steels are a result of chromium-rich oxide film that forms naturally on the metal surface. Although this film is extremely thin, it is chemically stable and ‘self-repairing’.

Other types of steel such as mild steel suffer from general corrosion where large areas of the surface are affected, but stainless steels, due to their oxide film, are normally resistant to this form of attack.

Common stainless steels used in the enclosure industry are 304 and 316. Both are iron alloys with additional chromium, and nickel. The nickel content in 316 grades is slightly higher than with 304 grades, and the chromium content is slightly lower. However, the most important difference is that the 316 grades have molybdenum as an additive, to improve its resistance to pitting corrosion, which is usually the result of chloride or saline attack. 316 stainless is preferred by balcony and handrail manufacturers due to this superior corrosion resistance, even though it is a higher cost material.

Tea Staining of balcony handrails

Tea staining can be defined as the “discolouration of the surface of stainless steel mainly as a result of chloride attack”

As a first step it is useful to try to understand why, and in what circumstances tea staining can occur. Tea staining of stainless steels is a phenomenon that occurs where water with significant chloride content is in regular contact with the metal surface. This is a common occurrence along the coastal areas of the United Kingdom.

How is tea staining caused?

Although research on the root cause of tea staining has been limited, there seems to be little research on the root cause of tea staining. However the mechanisms involved can be inferred by the pattern of the corrosion, and known factors that can help counter the effect. One of the most common factors linked with tea staining is the surface finish of the material. Smoother, polished surfaces often do not show any signs of staining, so from this it can be said that grooves or troughs in the material are a root cause of the problem. Surface roughness (Ra) is measured in units of micrometers (µm), and is defined as the average deviation of the height of the surface from the mean height. Higher Ra values or irregular profiles are often associated with increased tea staining.

It is reasonable to assume that the base cause of this corrosion is similar to that of many of the other common types of corrosion. The association of tea staining with proximity to salt water means that chloride attack is the most likely cause of the problem. However you would not normally expect the low level of chlorides present in sea water, for example, to have such a dramatic effect. The reasons why this occurs can be deduced by the locations and one of the solutions to tea staining problems.

Reducing the effect of tea staining on stainless steel balconies

One of the most common ways to prevent problems associated with tea staining on stainless steel balconies is to ensure that the surface is washed regularly with fresh, clean water. This would infer that the corrosion is being caused not by the initial contact with salt water, but with deposits of salt building up on the surface and pours of the handrails. Though microscopic the chloride concentration would build up in any surface troughs. As the water evaporates it leaves a deposit of salt in the trough, and the next time the surface becomes wet this deposit concentrates the chlorides naturally present, and increases the corrosive effects. Over time therefore the chloride concentration in these troughs can become high enough to cause corrosion. Note that this would be consistent with the effect that an increasing surface roughness will have on the tea staining effect, i.e. a deeper groove will trap more salty water, which will give a higher chloride concentration.

The location of particular areas prone to tea staining also implies that higher temperatures and humidity have an effect, as does intermittent exposure (for example, spray from rough seas). High temperatures increase the rate of corrosion, but elevated humidity will increase the time taken for the water on the surface to evaporate, and hence increase the time that the higher concentration chloride solution will be in contact with the metal, and it is this contact with the solution that causes corrosion rather than with the resultant solids.

When ordering stainless steel balconies and handrails, the following is a list of factors that should be considered in particular in areas close to the ocean, or where high levels of chlorides occur naturally, or are found in wash waters.

This starts with basic initial material selections, and proceeds into maintenance of the balustrades to ensure a long life, and therefore maximum value for the balcony.

Material Selection – Initial material selection for the enclosure is of critical importance to the longevity of the balustrades. Stainless steel of grade 316 or above should be used as minimum, as lower grades such as 304 are significantly less resistant to chloride attack due to the absence of molybdenum.

Surface Finish – The rule of thumb for surface finishes is that the smoother the finish, the better will be the resistance to tea staining.

Cleaning stainless steel handrails – Regular washing with clean, fresh water or even rain water has a significant effect on reducing the incidence of tea staining in the environments that can cause concern. Where tea staining still occurs despite regular washing, additional protection can be provided by a special coating procedure using a bespoke polymeric resin

Conclusion

Tea staining of stainless steel handrails, balconies and surfaces can be a problem where there are significant levels of chlorides in water that comes into contact with the metal surface. This can be around the coastal locations, or in the interior where ground water contains significant chlorides. Although it does not look very pleasant it tends to be a surface phenomenon only, and does not affect the structural integrity or longevity of the balcony. The cause of tea staining has been examined in some details to help evaluate the potential remedies for the condition. Recommendations to help prevent tea staining include correct specification of the grade of stainless steel to be used, surface finishes to help reduce the problem as well as maintenance procedures, and preventative coating treatments.

This is the traditional and frequently seen solution for balustrades, glass or not.

Resisting the loads

The glass balustrades supplied by balcony systems has broken this routine and introduced a refreshingly innovative approach to resisting the loads. Rather than cantilevering the load and thus needing to design a very rigid base the handrail is designed to take loads direct at the design height.

Fixing the handrail to the falls allow the handrail to work as a rigid element which resists the loads. When corners are introduced the special way the handrail parts are connected and the way the glass is continuously silicone sealed to the glass along the long edge of the glass uses the shearing load of the glass from the handrail right down to the base rail. Again this “out of the box” approach allows for clean glass corners and for cornered balconies to require less posts than ever.

Spreading the resistance across the curve

To top these designs some curved balconies, depending on the radii, are amazingly strong without posts! The curved glass railing is a very stable element to the greater ability of the curve to resist a load by way of spreading the resistance across the curve, similar to a brick arch. In addition the glass itself lends additional horizontal support in a fashion that each curved glass panel cannot bend along the vertical side.

Glass balustrades are also available from stock or custom made to suit the style and size of property. Available in curved, stepped or straight designs, balustrades add great character and style to homes. And with our systems there are no clamps between each pane of glass to disturb the view and the glass reaches top to bottom to give an uninterrupted, clearer view. Using the same minimal hand rail as the Juliette balcony and available in easy maintenance anodised aluminium, Balcony’s Juliettes and balustrades are easy to install and offer instant improvement to the look of any property.

Balcony is the UK’s leading supplier of curved patio doors and our stunning range is described by homeowners, builders, installers and architects as giving properties the ‘wow’ factor. Each door comes with high weather rating, thermally broken aluminium profiles, multi-point locking, 28mm double curved glazing with safety glass on both sides and a choice of RAL powder coat colours. A special low maintenance coating is available for the external surface of the glass to minimise the need for cleaning.

We have been researching this area for almost two years and at present a new line is being constructed at the factory:

A patented system

A new and patented system using a specially constructed chamber using CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition – where a chemical coating is applied in a closed chamber by vaporizing it). This special chamber or room measuring 4.0m X 4.0m X 3.0m in height is almost completed and will be tested and licensed in the next month.

A significant value

We believe that this new coating system to the glass offers a significant VALUE with an easy-to-clean feature, more like the Teflon® concept on a cooking pan, plus all other benefits of our coating such as:

• added brilliance
• impact and scratch resistance

As we have realized through our research we do not believe in the concept of SELF-CLEANING as it is clearly misleading and unrealistic and its marketing has been actually a failure.

There’s no such thing as truly  self-cleaning since the required “sheeting effect” of the hydrophilic (water attracting) coatings, as opposed to the “hydrophobic” (water repellent) coatings, works under a completely controlled environment and not as such in real life applications when you have the different variables of precipitation intensity and gravity, sunlight effects, etc.

Used  by advanced glass companies

This coating system is already in use by some of the most advanced glass companies in Europe and has been used on some large projects;

• Barcelona convention center (Spain)
• New York 40 Bond st project (USA)
• Montreal convention center (Canada)
• Guadalajara shopping center (Mexico)

Not a traditional CVD

An important point on the CVD chamber process is that it is NOT a traditional CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) as it does NOT require Vacuum, which makes it that much more efficient and cost-effective. Our system then has:

• NO vacuum
• NO curing time (the reaction is instantaneous, under 2 seconds)
• NO special cleaning other than removing grease or oily residues
• A coating on BOTH sides of the glass at the same process!

More for our customers money

This is a significant investment for the company but we believe that this aligns with giving the customer more for their money and the reduced cleaning requirement is “greener” in the fact that less chemicals will need to be used in the cleaning process.

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If it isn’t convenient to do that, full-length windows in the bedrooms add space and light. Of course they should be energy efficient and secure but they need to look good too. What could be better than to sit gazing at the beautiful view, basking in sunshine and enjoying the gentle breeze? Okay, the last two might be hard to come by in the UK but at least it is easy to make the most of the view.

Enhancing buildings

Floor to ceiling patio, French  doors are an increasingly popular fixture in both old and new properties. But doors are meant to open and offering safe enjoyment of the view on the first floor and above, the light and fresh air, Balcony’s versatile clear glass Juliette balconies are the perfect solution for self-builders, developers and home-improvers.  Whether it’s one balcony in a private house or apartment or a combination of balconies, balustrades and patio doors in a new development, Balcony’s easy to fit products enhance buildings.

Constantly reviewing its designs to keep ahead of trends, Balcony now offers new style end caps and mitre joints. The new end caps, which cover and protect the end of the handrail, are slimmer to create a sleeker and more subtle finish. Angled mitre joints have also had a make-over.

The new design has been introduced to improve the look of handrail corner joints while preventing rough edges. This product is available with the Balcony 2 balustrade system, but it will soon be standard across the range.

Both new products reinforce Balcony’s reputation for supplying easy to fit, aesthetically stunning products at sensible prices.

1930s style

Nigel was initially attracted by Balcony’s stunning curved windows and curved patio doors. “They were the only company to offer exactly what we were looking for”, he says. “I wanted curves, in keeping with the 1930s style of the building and its setting on the coast.”

In the end Nigel ordered two sets of curved patio doors, two sets of curved windows, curved curtain walling and curved balustrades. The patio doors are fitted in the living room and dining room on the ground floor, with the curved windows going in the master bedroom and bedroom three.

Excellent service

Nigel appreciated the excellent service from Balcony: “My architect and I could tell from the website we were ordering a high quality product, but we didn’t know what service to expect. Balcony’s regular phone calls and a site visit meant the local builder I used had no difficulty with the installation and the house was completed in fifteen months.”

Nigel is delighted with the end result. Pleased that the products lived up to his expectations, he will recommend Balcony and will use them again for future developments.