Toughened Glass Balustrades

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Toughened glass balustrades have become an increasingly integral part of contemporary building design. With their sleek looks and practical features, glass balustrades complement a building’s architecture and let occupants enjoy natural light and expansive views.

Toughened Glass Balustrade Safety

UK safety guidelines require all glass used for railings and balustrades to be safety glass – either toughened glass or laminated glass. These two glass types differ in that they are constructed differently and behave differently if broken.

Toughened glass has gone through a process called tempering where the glass is heated to around 700°C and then quenched - cooled quickly. Quenching creates a strong layer on both sides of the glass while locking tension inside the core of the glass.

The result is glass that’s approximately four times stronger to impact than regular float glass.

If toughened glass does break, it doesn’t break into large shards, but instead shatters into smaller, less dangerous pieces.

Laminated glass is made by sandwiching an interlayer of plastic or resin between glass panels. Laminated glass varies depending on the manufacturer – it can be made with regular float glass, with toughened glass or a combination of regular glass and toughened glass.

Laminated glass is allowed to break under impact, but the central panel must not be penetrated.

Toughened glass is predominantly used in the UK although laminated glass is growing in popularity on high rise buildings. In contrast, laminated glass dominates the European balustrade market for the simple reason that single pane toughened glass is not permitted in a number of European countries.

Toughened Glass Balustrade Options

We supply toughened glass on our two handrail balustrades – the Orbit and Aerofoil handrails. Both options are supplied with 10mm clear toughened glass or 10.8mm toughened and laminated glass.

Our two Frameless balustrades are supplied with thicker 21.5mm toughened and laminated glass to account for the greater structural demands placed on the glass.

Toughened Glass Balustrade Finishes

All Balconette glass balustrades are available in a choice of glass finishes. As well as the traditional clear toughened glass balustrade option, you can choose from tinted glass – green, grey, bronze or blue. An opaque satin finish gives you the option of extra privacy – perfect if part of your balcony or terrace overlooks a neighbouring property or public area.

Many of our customers are delighted to hear that our toughened glass balustrades can be treated with a double-sided self-cleaning coating – BalcoNano® to keep your glass sparkling clean without visits from a window cleaner.