Landlord’s self-installed Balconette balustrade delights tenants and brings roof terrace back to life

Private landlord Philip Holland has brought an old, unsafe balcony back into use by self-installing this smart Balconette clear glass balustrade on his rental property in North Yorkshire. And his tenants are delighted with their refurbished outdoor space too!

“The people who rent the top floor flat are cock-a-hoop,” he says. “It’s improved their flat no end, and probably added 20% extra living space. It’s got fabulous views from the top and gets the sun all day long.”

Philip says the Balconette Aerofoil System was ‘easy to install myself’. Measuring just over 8 metres in total, the wing-shaped handrail, base track and posts have a matching Silver Anodised finish.

The roof terrace at the large Victorian semi-detached property in Scarborough, which is sub-divided into five flats, had been closed off due to safety concerns over an existing low steel handrail.

“The old railings had big gaps between them, so we couldn’t allow anyone to use the terrace. That’s why I decided to upgrade the balustrade so it could be used again,” says Phil, now retired after a career in commercial construction. What started off as a ‘feasibility study’ led him to Balconette and starting the project.

“I wasn’t under any time constraints, so I could take my time. From the feasibility study, we started talking about specifics, then built up a design and from there, we went to manufacture. All the way along that process, I was getting more and more confident with the people I was dealing with.

“The point here is, ‘can I do this myself? Yes, of course I can!’ And their technical team was very helpful,” he continues.

Philip was also impressed with Balconette’s swift response to a missing custom-made bracket, explaining: “About 2pm on a Friday afternoon I called them to say I couldn’t find this particular bracket. They said they would make a new one and send it to me. Sure enough, it arrived the next morning by first-class post. The way they dealt with it was fabulous!”

Praising the “very good” quality of the Balconette balustrade’s glass and handrail, Philip adds: “I am very pleased with the balustrade; what I got was worth what I paid, it looks fantastic and makes the terrace look very modern.”