Clearview National August 2017 - Issue 189 | Page 74

OUTDOORLIVING
Engineering
innovation gives glass
balustrades more
view, but less posts
» » A NEW LOOK IN GLASS-WALLED
balconies has arrived, with the release of
a leading-edge system designed by Surrey
balustrade specialists Balconette.
The new system is called HYBRID®. It
creates a new category of balustrade, to sit
in between the traditional alternatives of
post-supported and structural frameless glass.
HYBRID® balustrades offer the open views of
frameless glass at the cost and convenience of
the older post-supported styles.
It’s a unique, aesthetic and cost-effective
new category in balustrading design which
brings to the market the advantages of two
product styles in one system.
Sitting between the traditional alternatives
of post-supported balustrades and high-end
structural glass systems, HYBRID® provides
the open views of frameless glass but at a
fraction of the cost.
The HYBRID® category enables wide runs
of glass with no, or few, vertical posts. Its ease
of installation and lower cost bring the very
high-end look into range for many projects for
the first time.
“People buy a glass balcony to enjoy
the view, not look at a row of metal posts.
Fully frameless glass gives great views,
but is expensive and requires complex
structural fittings” says Balco nette’s CEO Effi
Wolff. “The HYBRID® category offers the
uninterrupted views of structural glass but at
around half the cost”.
74 » AUG 2017 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
The innovative engineering design at the
heart of HYBRID® uses invisible bracing
within an elegant self-supporting handrail,
which achieves excellent structural integrity.
The design of the rail means few vertical
supports are required.
Up to 4-metre glass runs are now possible
without vertical supports – and where the
balcony turns a corner or is curved the post
less spans can be even longer. A three-
sided balustrade square can have 12 metres
without posts. In place of the extensive
footings usually required for structural glass,
HYBRID® balustrades use slim surface-
mounting which is easy for builders and even
DIYers to install.
“We went back to the drawing-board to
solve some long-standing problems with
balustrade design” continued Balconette’s
CEO and designer Effi Wolff. “The HYBRID®
category makes wide, open glass balustrades
possible at a cost similar to older style systems
requiring a metal post every metre”.
“Builders & developers tell us they love the
ease of installation, and architects say it gives
them a practical alternative to structural glass,
with the same clean lines. Homeowners are
effectively getting the most expensive style at
half price.
Handrails for the HYBRID® system come
in two styles: Orbit and Aerofoil. The Orbit
handrail has a circular profile and allows for
up to 3.3m runs without posts when attached
either side to a wall or structural element. The
Aerofoil handrail provides the longest post-
free spans of up to 4m without posts. Both
systems include panels of 10mm toughened
glass, which can be produced in a variety of
tint options including the standard clear, and
customised blue, grey, bronze, green, and
satinised (opaque).
Balconette is the trading name of
BALCONY SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS LTD,
based in Blindley Heath, Surrey. The company
was established in 2009 and manufactures
and supplies Glass Balustrades, Glass Juliet
balconies, Curved Glazing and Composite
Decking.
www.hybrid.balconette.co.uk