Imagine yourself on your newly refurbished balcony holding a coffee and peeping at the physical land lying in front of you. However, what is that transparent division between you and the rest of the view? A glass balustrade, an elegant, almost invisible, see-through sort of protection that allows you to not only be secure but also get the best visual experience.
As a person who has set up countless glass balustrades during my career, I can confidently tell you that this modern architectural characteristic is not only safety oriented; above all, it brings in style, light, and spacious appearance. I hope to pass along the knowledge of installation so you can also be the one who does it.
Planning and Preparation: The Foundation of Success
Before we look into the installation process details, we need to understand the importance of the planning stage of the move. Here’s the magic:
- Make sure you aren’t missing a single square inch. It is very wise to “measure twice and cut once” than risk losing time and material.
- Decide on the kind of glass material you are going to use. Tempered or Laminated? What are the pros and cons of each?
- Choose your method for mounting it. Is the drilled hole method or base spacing a better option?
- Consult with a local building contractor. Their rules differ largely from one to another and mistakes could be costly.
Get your tools in one place. You will definitely need more than a screwdriver and a good feeling, if you have the latter one at all.
Marking and Drilling: Precision is Key
Armed with a plan, it’s now time for you to embark on your quest:
- Buffet a laser level so that your markings are straight. Your eyes could play tricks on you but a laser would seldom lie.
- Put pointers for your fixing points. Besides, the spatial relationship must be in both safety for fall protection, and keeping proper clearances for aesthetics.
- To make the task easier in future, it’s important to drill pilot holes. This is one of the points where you can do something now that can save you a lot more time in the future.
- If you’re installing through concrete, use a hammer drill and masonry bit. For wood, any standard drill will work just fine.
The common condition I’ve seen with DIYers is that some of them will bypass this phase and they will later see the cracks on the surfaces of different areas. Get informed with their mistakes, but don’t do the actual harmful things.
Installing the Fixings: The Backbone of Your Balustrade
Now it’s time for the real deal to be felt:
- In the case of the installation of spigots, see to it that they are level in orientation and the vertical line is shown. A cant spigot means a cantilevered trash.
- Concerning channel systems, the straightness of the channel is actually a key factor. There’ll certainly be some obvious blunders once the glass is set in if there’s any deviation.
- Standoff fittings need to be precisely aligned. This is the time to be very loud about it as your punctuality could turn you away later.
- Embed high-end fixings. Here isn’t the place to take shortcuts or be stingy.
Preparing the Glass: Handle with Care
Glass is not one of the things you can play with; it needs respect:
- Only the most satisfying product goes! All glass panels have to be checked for chips or cracks, even if they are otherwise small ones.
- Meticulously make the glass clean. All sorts of dirt, as well as impurities, can affect the sealants’ efficiency.
- If you need to drill holes for thigh fitting, use glass drill bits, and do not forget a lot of water aka coolant.
- Always dress up as a safeguard for yourself when coming into contact with glass. Eyewear and hand wear are a must because that’s when the accidents may occur.
Installing the Glass: The Moment of Truth
Then, your setup becomes true in the most magnificent way:
- For spigot systems, the glass being seated in a spigot would be a bit hard if the manufactory used rubber gaskets for the purpose of not letting the metal to hit the glass.
- For the glass channel systems, simply tell the glass to enter the channel node; having a little help of dish soap may get it done smoother at minimal cost.
- For standoff fittings, set the glass balustrade at the position of the connection and afterward, the nuts can be turned to tighten. Correct your measures before the final tightening.
- Smash line each panel with a level and make sure it is half a bubble off center at most.
