Glass Fencing

Glass Fencing

UK Leading Manufacturer Of Glass Fencing Systems
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Glass Fencing

Having a glass fence is the perfect solution for your deck, garden, swimming pool, or patio. It combines safety and security with the elegance and transparency that a glass balustrade offers!

What are the different types of glass fencing?

There are many different types of glass fencing. Our most popular lines are either post and rail or frameless glass balustrade. There are so many different ways of securing your glass fencing. The starting point should always be which system you most like the look of. Have a look at the inspiration section of our website to help you decide!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Elegant and stylish. Our glass fencing really add that wow factor to your outside space. All of our glass fencing systems are fully tested and comply with Building Regulations.

  • Safety is and always will be our number one priority. All of our glass fences are fully tested and comply with Building Regulations. We can advise you on which system and glass thickness is best for you.

  • This depends on your application. For a domestic glass fence that is protecting a fall of 600mm or more you should either have a handrail or a laminate glass.

  • We can supply glass that is obscured to ensure that your glass fence provides you with privacy from neighbours. In addition we can supply fixings that allow you to fix your balustrade at a greater height than the standard 1100mm. If you do want your glass fence to be higher than the standard 1100mm that you should ensure that it is securely fixed.

  • Not as great as you may think! We can advise you on how to limit the cost of your glass fence. To keep costs to a minimum we would recommend installing the balustrade yourself. We would also recommend using systems that use thinner glass such as stainless steel posts.

  • We are not aware of any insurance considerations when installing glass fencing. You should always take care that your balustrade is safe and fully complies with all building regulations.

  • There are a number of things that you can do to ensure that your glass balustrade stands up to extreme conditions. We would recommend considering using thicker glass and or specialist structural glass such as sentry glass. You should also consider having a handrail.

  • All balustrades should be 1100mm from finished floor level to the top of the glass fence. If your glass fence sits on top of a parapet wall then the height of the glass fence itself can usually in be the difference of the parapet wall and 1100mm.

  • No they are not! The corners of the panels are dubbed and polished to ensure that they are not sharp to touch.

  • If your glass balustrade is made from stainless steel and is close to either salt water or chlorine, we would recommend having a mirror polished stainless steel finish. This helps protect the stainless from discolouring. The stainless steel should be regularly wiped down with a stainless steel cleaner. All of our aluminium products are anodised and do not need any additional protection.

  • The fixings themselves (be it stainless steel or aluminium channel) are not heavy and are simple to install. Structural laminate glass can be heavy. We would recommend installing using suction pads and having two people on site to lift the panels into position.

Frameless Glass Balustrade
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Balustrade Technical Support

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Building Regulations

The building regulations that apply to your balustrade will vary depending on the use of the balustrade and the how the building in which the balustrade is used is occupied.We set our below the most commonly asked questions to help you to ensure that your balustrade meets building regulations. You can call our technical team who can answer any questions that you may have.

How high should my balustrade be?

In a domestic single occupancy house, the height of a balustrade for a landing, ramp, edge of internal floor or stairs should be 900 mm from floor level. For external balconies(including Juliet balconies), decking and edges of roofs, the height of the balustrade should be 1100 mm from floor level. The height of the balustrade is measured from finished floor level to the top of the balustrade.

Do I need a handrail?

You will need a handrail if the balustrade protects a fall that is 600 mm or more unless laminated glass is used.Laminated glass is two pieces of glass that are bonded together with an interlayer. If one panel fails, the other panel will remain in place.It is considered to be safer than toughened glass. If a handrail is used, it should be properly secured to the glass.

What is a line load test?

A line load test is the pressure per meter that the balustrade can withstand before it starts to move within the fixing.Once that pressure is applied it should not move more than 25 mm. The amount of pressure is usually expressed in kilo newtons per meter.

Will my balustrade meet the required line load test?

A number of our balustrade systems are tested.Our technical team can advise you on whether or not your balustrade is tested to the required line load test and provide you with a test certificate on request. Whether or not your balustrade is tested will usually depend on the type of balustrade used and which material you are fixing to.

What line load test will my balustrade be required to meet?

The line load test that your balustrade will be required to meet will depend on type of building and the level of occupancy of that building. There follows a table which sets out the line load test that your balustrade will be required to meet.

How to Measure for your Balustrade

Stainless steel posts – Metalwork

You should start by setting out the centre line measurement for your posts. We would recommend setting out your posts 75mm in from the edge of the reveal. This excludes any overhang.

The space between each post (and therefore the width between each panel) depends on wind factor, glass type and glass thickness. If the panel is too wide, it will put too much pressure on the glass clamp and could cause the balustrade to fail. For most applications, we suggest having a gap of around a meter between each post. This may be slightly more or less depending on the configuration of your balustrade.

Stainless steel posts – Glass Width

When measuring the width of your glass panel, you should measure from inside of one post to the inside of the next post. You should then deduct from that measurement the width of the metal section at the back of the clamp that sits between the outside edge of the glass and the inside edge of the post. This deduction should be made for each post.

For a 10mm glass clamp, this measurement is usually 20mm as per the drawing below. The total deduction to be made from the measurement of inside of post to inside of post to calculate your glass width would subsequently be 40mm. By way of example, if you were using a 10mm glass clamp as per the drawing below and the measurement from inside of post to inside of post was 1000mm, the width of the panel would be 960mm.

The thickness of the meal section at the back of the clamp may vary depending on the spec of the clamp that you have been supplied. If you have any concerns as to what that measurement is, please speak to our technical team.

Stainless Steel posts – Glass Height

The height of the glass panel will depend on a number of factors such as glass thickness, whether or not you have a handrail, the thickness of the tube that has been used to manufacture the posts and the line load test that the posts are required to meet.

For a 42mm diameter post with an end cap, where the height of the post is 1100mm from bottom of post to the top of the end cap, we would usually recommend the height the panel being 1010mm, leaving a 900mm gap from the bottom of the glass to the floor. This may vary depending on the application of your balustrade.

For a 42mm diameter post with a handrail bracket and 42mm diameter handrail, where the height of the post is 1100mm from the bottom of the base plate to the top of the handrail we would recommend the height of the panel as 898mm. This leaves an 80mm gap from the finished floor level to bottom of glass and an 80mm gap from top of post to bottom of handrail.

Stainless Steel Posts – Safety Pins

All of our glass clamps are supplied with safety pins. The purpose of the pin is to provide an additional safety measure to prevent the glass from slipping through the clamp once the glass clamp is tightened. We can supply the glass with a hole through which the safety pin will sit if specified at point of ordering.

There are three measurements which need to be taken into account:

Firstly, the distance from the right/left side of the glass needs to the centre of the hole should reflect the mould of the glass clamp. For the clamp below this would be 28mm.

Secondly, the distance from the top/bottom of the panel should match the distance from the top/bottom of the post.

Thirdly, the diameter of the hole should be slightly larger than the pin. For a standard 10mm glass clamp, we would usually recommend a diameter of 9mm.

Glass

Laminated Glass

Laminated glass is two or more thicknesses of glass bonded together by an interlayer. At Origin we supply toughened laminated glass. This is two pieces of toughened glass that are laminated together. We use what is called a PVB laminate as an interlayer which is at least 1.52mm thick and creates a considerable barrier to penetration. When broken the pieces are retained by the interlayer and if well supported the glass has an increased likelihood of staying in place. If you are using laminated glass in your balustrade you usually will not require a handrail although having a handrail will greatly improve the structural integrity of the balustrade. Laminated glass is usually more expensive than toughened glass.

Toughened Glass

This is glass that has been heat treated after it has been formed to a particular shape. The glass is heated to approximately 700 degrees centigrade and then rapidly cooled. If it is ever broken, toughened glass fractures into small relatively harmless fragments and will no longer support a load.

If you are using toughened glass in your balustrade and you are protecting a fall of 600mm or more, you will require a handrail.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why Choose Origin Architectural

For Your Glass Fencing System

Customise your glass fencing to match your style with premium powder coating, ensuring a perfect match to your color scheme. Explore our diverse range of systems tailored to your preferences: choose contemporary frameless designs, classic post and rail systems, or modern spigot, glass button, and glass balustrades with a top handrail.