What do you do when you need a curved one however?

Well Balcony systems, being experts in the field of both Juliet balconies and curved rails and glass have a perfect solution.

A curved glass Juliet balcony!

Balcony Systems have recently supplied this solution to 4 different sites in the UK with stunning results.

The curved glass Juliet allows uninterrupted views and a clean curved look, both features going well with the architects vision of aesthetics.

The interesting fact about these doors is that balcony was required to make rails which were over 10 meters in length in one unit so as to maintain a continuous frame around the opening. This required some modification of the standard door system but the results are marvellous.

The curved doors replaced a facetted system originally designed. The curves complement the property and have allowed larger spans of glass than any facetted option could have allowed.

The curved doors were RAL powder coated and the curved glass used was 28mm Low-E double glazing with safety glass on both sides.

Also incorporated into the first floor doors were two sets of curved Juliet Balconies to protect the users from a fall when the doors are open.

A beautiful apartment block with over four hundred meter of glass balustrades were supplied and installed in this project.

The developer, Hamlet Homes, had previously encountered problems with staining and corrosion on stainless steel balconies they had manufactured on a different project that was also in a marine location nearby.

They chose Balcony Systems Royal Chrome handrail system for the glass balustrades after seeing the advantages both in the look and also in the long term resistance to the salty air environment.

Many complex curves and “S” type bends on the top level terraces required some experienced surveying and precision manufacturing.

The results are delightful and parties are well pleased.

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.

The project

The project is a luxury gated development of three mews houses in the centre of the town. Set back from the main street in a secluded position, each three bedroom house has a large (2.84m) standard Juliette balcony on the master bedroom at the rear of the property and a bespoke 15sq metre balcony with hand rails at the front to the second bedroom, which could also be used as a study or dining room.

Keeping the clean lines and modern look

The houses are a contemporary design, described by Paul Nash as ‘modern and funky’. Local planners praised the development, as they are ‘a bit different’ from the norm. The properties look out onto the local church and Paul wanted to take advantage of the views in safety while keeping the clean lines and modern look. He found the Juliette balcony met his requirements and added to the appeal. Using clear glass with no vertical posts or clamps gives an uninterrupted view from the patio doors.  Most importantly for this project the un-cluttered glass balcony looks good from inside and out.

The commercial angle

The development is nearing completion and installations have gone smoothly. The first house is already sold, for £325,000. Although Paul chose Juliette balconies primarily for the look he also had to consider the commercial angle, looking for high quality, a competitive price and a short lead time. Balcony’s products fitted into this criteria and Paul feels they have added value to his development. Pleased with the service and products from Balcony, he will use them again in future projects.

It is important to note and be prepared for the following when dealing with curved balustrades:

1. On some radii the removal of the glazing bead from the handrail is not possible and the balustrade will need to be installed with the top glazing bead in place. This may require an adaption to the standard installation procedure to accommodate for this; this procedure can be obtained from us upon request.
2. On the handrail the glazing gap may become smaller than on straight runs and a smaller glazing rubber may need to be supplied, it may also become necessary as part of the changed procedure to remove the external fixed rubber and replace it with a different kind that can be inserted line the internal rubber.
3. It is important to realize that the tolerance on curved toughened glass is great and the curved glass panels will have “straight” ends of approximately 100mm on each side. This will be more noticeable on small radii. Curved glass may therefore require more manipulation, experience and patience in installation.
4. It is important to note that all bending of profile sections is performed after any anodizing or painting process, therefore surface cracking, whether visible or not, will always be present on curved sections, stretch marks may also be present and will depend on tightness of the radius. These cracking and stretch marks in addition to any other results from the bending are not considered defects.
5. Manufacturing limitations with respect to curved glass and balustrades exist and on occasion new limitations are realized that were previously unbeknownst.

Challenging is the only way to describe the project undertaken by Princeton Homes at Bowden Hill, Lacock, Wiltshire. The brief was to build a high–spec detached home on a plot previously occupied by an old four bedroom house which had been extended at different times in a mixture of stone, brick and block. The old house was to be demolished and replaced with a timber-framed property, constructed using eco-friendly technology and the latest materials acceptable to planners in a conservation area. The client wanted the property to make the most of the spectacular 180° views over the Wiltshire countryside. On a clear day you can see as far as Bath and the Mendip Hills to the South and Wales in the West, so Andrew Turner, Owner and Managing Director of Princeton Homes, drew up a concept design.

Looking over the National Trust village of Lacock

The design called for a lot of glass – never popular with Conservation Officers in planning offices. Although the property is in open countryside, with only one near neighbour, it is in a conservation area. The land in front belongs to The National Trust and the house overlooks the National Trust village of Lacock; all factors to be considered when applying for planning permission. After several months permission was granted to build a traditional stone front with slate roof, and to the rear an ultra-modern expanse of glass, with four curved patio doors and two curved Juliette balconies from Balcony Systems, set into a stone faced timber frame construction.

Combining the traditional with the sustainable

Once the concept design was approved Andrew had detailed plans drawn up by an architect (who?). The project was given the go-ahead and work commenced in March 2009. It was recently completed in March 2010. The finished design is complex as it makes use of both traditional building methods and the latest energy saving techniques. Rainwater harvesting, solar panels and air-source heat pumps have to fit comfortably with both traditional and the modern. The curves of the patio doors have to blend into the square slate roof.

Balcony’s curved patio doors are a key feature of the build. Two are set on the ground floor in the living room/kitchen and the snug, and two are upstairs in the master bedroom and second bedroom where they transform the rooms with the changing light and panoramic view. The Juliette balconies are installed on the first floor doors for safety when the doors are open.

Stunning curved patio doors

When it came to choosing the stunning curved patio doors Andrew turned to the internet. He asked for quotes from eight companies, but Balcony was the only one to respond, presumably because of the complexity of the project. Impressed by Balcony’s response as well as their products, Andrew Turner visited Effi Wolff, Managing Director of Balcony, and with his help ordered two curved 10 metre and two curved 5.8 metre VisioGlide 100 patio doors, with two Juliette balconies for the bedrooms (see the technical panel for details). The handrails are in Balcony’s own Royal Chrome anodised aluminium. The doors are 28mm double-glazed toughened Low-E glass, with a high weather rating (essential in an exposed location), their energy efficiency fitting in well with the eco-friendly ethos of the project. The living room/kitchen door has six curved panels, four sliding and two fixed, while each of the others has two sliding and two fixed curved panels. Specially made for this project, the order was delivered on time and fitted in alignment with the required time table.

Rising to the challenge of a complex project

VBS Ltd, Balcony’s sister company specialising in balcony and balustrade glass installations for large projects, fitted the curved patio doors and Juliette balconies. As it was a complex project – “a leap of faith for all parties” as Andrew puts it – an engineer from Balcony was on hand to advise on the installation. The timber frame company Allwood Buildings Ltd was extremely helpful, cutting and fitting the necessary steelwork into the wooden frame. The roofers, A L King, also rose to the challenge, bringing together the curves of the patio doors with the square traditional slate roof. Although the architectural features made the installation more complicated than usual Balcony products are designed to be easy to install. Everything went smoothly and Andrew is delighted with the end result.

Curved patio doors for clear uninterrupted views

The curved patio doors allow uninterrupted panoramic views from the house. They make a stunning statement from outside and inside the home. The curved Juliette balconies fitted on the first floor mean that the patio doors in the bedrooms can be opened and the views enjoyed in safety. The minimal hand rail, with glass reaching from top to bottom and no clamps between panes mean there is nothing to distract the eye. Both floors of the property benefit and the overall effect is one of original use of light and space. Careful planning and co-operation between the contractors and Balcony meant the project came in within budget and on schedule. The property is valued at around £1.5 million.

It seems since the decline of new housing projects that public doing up their own house rather than moving has created a demand in the market for innovative door solutions.

It looks like architects have taken a particular liking to  the curved patio doors that Balcony supply.  Balcony’s managing director comments that Balcony have been thoroughly promoting the curved glass doors product in over thirty consumer and proffesional shows and exibitions over the last seven years. This, he continues, has been a key factor in getting the architects, specifiers and designers to learn about the availability of curved glass doors. Coupled with the affordability of Balcony’s glass doors this he believes has created this surge in interest.

In 2009 Balcony had an increase in sales of curved doors and forcasts a further 30% increase this year.

Curved glass sliding patio doors are available in many options of sliding and fixed combinations with virtually no limit on radii.