Stylish, robust Barriers that are compliant with NZ Building Regulations.Glass balustrades are safety barriers and handrails designed to prevent people from falling from heights. Compulsory for areas with drops over one meter, such as balconies, decks, and stairways,

With a great range of glass balustrades, along with handrails that can be incorporated into the barrier or as a standalone rail.A glass balustrade is the perfect way to keep raised areas safe while adding a contemporary edge. It can also shut out wind and weather to make outdoor areas cosy and usable more often.We offer an on-site consultation service to discuss your needs and ideas, as well as offering advice on available shapes and sizes of glass balustrades and glass fences

Modern hardwearing materials have long surpassed the limited choice of bygone eras and are highly recommended over the painted timber finishes of the past. Budget always plays a huge part in the choice of materials, but for good value and longevity you should consider finishes such as powder coated aluminium handrails and toughened safety glass infills. Initially they could be more costly, but they prove to be good value in the long run, not only wearing better and lasting longer, they are also virtually maintenance free and don’t need regular painting or touch ups.

It really depends on your personal preference and what is the best for your situation. This is particularly true if you have a nice view and don’t want anything to block it, which is where glass balustrades are ideal – keeping the view unobstructed whilst still providing a barrier.

An all-important consideration is what style of Balustrade you want for your home? For many customers and architects, the choice of balustrade is easy, they stick to what they know which are the original aluminium post and glass balustrades for their range of styles that suit both modern and older style homes. However, the stunning modern looks of the frameless and semi-frameless glass balustrades are in demand particularly for the design statement they make on homes they are installed on.

It would be easy to be overwhelmed choosing a final balustrade style, but there is one simple trick that can help narrow down your choices. Step back and really identify your homes style; pick out the features or theme you gravitate towards when making design decisions and the style you favour will become obvious. Whether you like a minimalist look, or an industrial finish, or perhaps a softer country style the décor you have chosen will reflect your preference. Based on this you can quickly eliminate which balustrade or handrail style is not suitable, for example if you have a traditional/classic home then a minimalist finish would not work. Similarly, for modern or restrained designs, a traditional baluster balustrade or larger round handrail could look out of place, compared to say a classic home. Pick a style feature and then pick a balustrade that replicates this style, focusing on the type of fixing and of course the final colour.

The size of the area you need to cover can really influence the type of balustrade you choose, especially when it is a large outdoor area. This is where experienced installers can help you to work out what is best for your project, often suggesting fitting a mixture of balustrade styles for the most cost effective solution. For example glass balustrades are perfect for areas where you want to keep the view clear

The most standard is 12mm toughened clear glass, we do have other glass options available, please talk to us to find out more.

Balustrades and Hand Rails
To comply with the Building Code, a balustrade needs to be

900mm in height for stairs or ramps,
1 metre high (from finished floor level) for decks, and must be installed on all decks above
1 metre in height on residential properties
1.1 metres high for commercial properties and all other locations.
The balustrade must not be climbable.
For more detail see Clause F4 of the Building Code.

Glass balustrades are increasingly popular because of their minimalist appeal. Framed glass ones are the most affordable and feature a frame around each piece of glass. Semi-framed versions are a bit more stylish and as they are only partially framed, block less of your view. Frameless glass balustrades are the costliest and are usually fixed together with high grade stainless steel channels.

These top rails are designed as a backup in case of glass breakages, offering a continous handrail or support barrier instead of the glass barrier in the extremely unlike event of glass failure. A special slim top rail 25*21mm has been designed for frameless glass balustrade range, to blend in as seamlessly as possible into the overall finished look,Available in a round or square profile, the top rail can be replicated in the handrail so it completely matches and blends in. Experience has shown that when these top rails are finished in a dark colour they blend in even more.

Fully frameless glass balustrades (without top rails), use special laminated glasses which are designed to hold the glass barrier up if there is any breakage.Customers and designers alike adore the uninterrupted frameless glass finish, so with this in mind, a slim, low profile top rail has been introduced, for minimal impact on the finished look, more readily available for a completely frameless glass balustrade finish. This option is very popular with customers who have an amazing view that they want to enjoy without any obstructions such as a top rail. 

Laminated Glass is a composite material consisting of two or more sheets of glass permanently bonded together by a plastic interlayer. When subjected to impact, the bond between the glass and interlayer adhere any broken fragments, keeping the glass intact and resisting penetration.

This important breakage characteristic significantly reduces the likelihood of serious injury, qualifying laminated glass as a Grade A safety glass in accordance with AS/NZ 2208 and other international standards. In addition, the glass will not fall out if used in sloped or overhead glazing applications providing environmental protection.

Laminated glass offers greater protection for people and property by providing an effective barrier from attack. Although the glass will break if hit with a hammer, brick or similar object, the interlayer can resist penetration, ensuring any attempt to enter a premises will be slow and noisy.

Absolutely, so long as it complies with the NZ Building Code Clause F9/AS1 & section 162C, restricting access to unsupervised children around swimming pools (or other bodies of water) over 400mm deep.

NZ building regulations relate to the height, depth and pitch of the stairs, along with the safety barriers (balustrades) and handrails, which are compulsory on all stairs in NZ.
Heights: Balustrades (stair barriers) have a minimum height set at 900mm, differing from the 1000mm minimum height anywhere else in the house, including stair landings*.
Handrails need to be a minimum of 900mmm high from the stair pitch, up to 1000mm high, running continuously along one side of any stairway in a residential home.

This is just an overview of the regulations, but any experienced balustrade installer should be well versed in the regulations and able to suggest solutions that are fully compliant and to a style of your liking.

With a choice Dulux powder coating color chart access to many more colours, most of our hardware products can be finished in a colour that essentially matches a house’s joinery, cladding, or roof colour.

Glass balustrades and windows have the same properties, so they gather dirt and have the same cleaning requirements as well. Balustrade glass can be added to your general cleaning schedule or included in your regular maintenance programme, which has to be undertaken as part of warranty requirements. The glass can be cleaned with soapy water or specialist glass cleaners that you would use for your home’s windows.Specialist coatings, provided by businesses throughout NZ, are available to protect the glass from the worst of the dirt.

At the most basic level stairs are a way to connect a lower and upper floor, but being such a large part of a home, they are a huge influence on the style of the home. Choosing the balustrade (barrier) and handrail is a chance to ‘dress’ the stairway and reinforce the style you love and want for your home.

Of course safety is the number one concern for any balustrade and handrail being fitted. It has to be stable and strong enough to stop falls, or support people grabbing or leaning on them. Secondly they need to add style to what is a very functional addition to your home.
Glass balustrades are a great modern solution for stair barriers, proving to be very popular for their clean, clear finish that lets natural light flood in, opening up the stair area. Glass panels are fixed in place using a balustrade fitting in a style of your choice.
Choose from minimalist round discs or mini posts or an enclosed channel finish for a frameless glass balustrade finish. Or you could consider the more traditional aluminium balustrade post and glass or baluster look, which can be styled in a range of finishes such as semi-frameless, framed, or with a choice of handrails which can also be used in other areas of the house for consistent styling.

No, all our balustrades are custom made for each individual customer’s project, they are measured, manufactured, colour coated, and installed to fit the area and so are suitable for most building applications. This flexibility means customers can work with the balustrade dealer to get the look they really want for their individual home
Sometimes customers choose a mixture of balustrade styles to cover their bases, with a frameless glass balustrade on the deck where they look out onto a view and an aluminium post and glass balustrade on the side decks where the view is not so important.