Our Frameless Glass Balcony Gives us an Uninterrupted View

This beautiful Balconette Frameless Glass Balustrade has helped to completely transform an original narrow balcony into a much wider, more welcoming and practical outdoor space at Portishead overlooking the Bristol Channel.

“The original balcony was very narrow and only about a metre wide. You could sit on there, but your knees would rub against the galvanised metal railings,” says homeowner Chris Armitage. “My wife and I are nearly six foot tall, so it wasn’t very comfortable.”

Having decided to extend the ground-floor balcony, Chris researched glass balustrade options and found Balconette through internet research, saying: “I wanted an idea of price. The Balconette website has a very good calculator so I could get an idea of the cost, which was great. I also checked out Feefo and other reviews, and Balconette came out very well.

“I thought that if I could extend the balcony over the path, it would make a much more useable space. So, why not go the whole hog with composite decking and a glass balustrade.”

With help from his son, Chris fitted the new decking, which has doubled the balcony’s width. Sitting on top of the composite decking are just over seven metres of Balconette’s SG12 Fully Frameless System fitted above finished floor level with a silver anodised base rail.

All the 21.5mm thick glass panels are treated with Balconette’s BalcoNano^® self-cleaning glass coating that protects the glass and keeps it cleaner by repelling mineral deposits and rainwater. In coastal areas, particularly, the coating helps to reduce the amount of cleaning needed.

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Praising the balustrade installation by Rory Mostert of Arc Solutions, one of Balconette’s Registered Partners, Chris says “he has done a cracking job!”

Glass balustrading was an important requirement for the couple to keep their uninterrupted sea views, as Chris explains: “We live on the coast, so we get the benefit of sea views, but it can also be windy. As well as keeping a clear view, glass has the added benefit of protection from sea breezes. We are really pleased with our new balcony. It looks amazing!”

Having completed the project in mid-2021, Chris is planning to replace the galvanised railings of the first-floor balcony with Balconette’s Aerofoil Glass Balustrade System, which has a wing-shaped handrail.

He adds: “The idea is we use the top balcony in the summer, then in spring and autumn the lower balcony will be lovely because it is more sheltered. It’s nice to have a balcony spare!”