glass on balconies

Balcony Systems’ products fully exploit Isle of Man views Owners Philip and Jillian Routledge specified Balcony’s four-panel curved patio door, with two sliding panels, that forms the stunning centrepiece of the domed guest lounge at The Arches overlooking Port Erin. Either side of the curved white aluminium powder-coated doors are two further straight patio doors allowing additional access to the outside space. Measuring 5.2 metres across and maximising the 180-degree views, the curved door has double glazed units with Low E glass and a 16mm air space that achieve a 1.8W/m2K U-value. It opens onto a square terrace with a structural glazed balustrade, also supplied by Balcony Systems. This balustrading style was chosen specifically to fulfil safety requirements with low-maintenance minimum visual impact, plus the added benefit of protection from prevailing winds. The curved patio doors and balustrading elements were installed by Chris Wedgwood, Managing Director of Jurby-based Hamilton Project Management Ltd and incorporated as part of extensive remodelling to the substantial 1920s building, perched on a steep site in Tower Road. Five years of construction work included rebuilding and extending the southern elevation and roofing over what was an outdoor swimming pool.

Frameless Glass Balustrade Curved Patio Doors Curved Glass Balustrade

Following the shape of a second lower terrace next to the swimming pool are nearly 40 metres of Balcony’s curved and straight balustrading, topped with an anodised silver handrail. Above this terrace, three glass Juliet balconies supplied by Balcony Systems maintain clear views from guest rooms on two upper floors.

Having holidayed on the Isle of Man for many years, the couple moved there from the UK in 2006 having fallen in love with The Arches’ spectacular coastal location. The B&B opened for business in 2011.

Philip, from Liverpool, explained: “The incredible views inspired all the glass as the whole point was to maximise the pleasure from them. It’s unusual to have 180 degrees of such splendour – and the curved patio door from Balcony Systems really does it justice. Everyone is stunned when they see it and it adds so much to the value and enjoyment of the property.

Top quality products that are built to last.

Phil also commented on the quality of the materials:

“As the house is located near to the sea, that’s great for the views but a real challenge to the materials used to enable us to enjoy them to the full. After four or five years of installation, the finishes on our Balcony products are like new.

“The curved patio door performs well; it’s thermally-efficient, air and watertight, even during the wild weather we get sometimes. It’s so central to what we wanted to achieve. There’s no product like it and it really brings the outside in!”

Project architect John Cryer, of Marshall Cryer Architects said an initial triangular design for the lounge was adapted into a more space-efficient curve after consultation with Balcony Systems.

He said: “The curved door is a remarkable product, making the most of the space and views while turning an ordinary room into something much better. This site is so suited to this product. So many sites on the island have good views that would benefit from products like those from Balcony Systems. I would definitely use their products again.”

According to Chris Wedgwood, it’s the combination of Balcony’s three different products that work really well at The Arches. “The curved patio door undoubtedly gives the house its ‘Wow’ factor and makes the most of the views. The structural glass balustrade is a fantastic answer for uninterrupted views. They’re all good quality, well-thought out products.”

Balcony Systems is a specialist in sophisticated glass and aluminium balustrading solutions and stunning curved patio doors, supplying straight or curved external and Juliet balconies to exact client specifications.

From single balustrades to multi-apartment developments, the company works with architects, designers and specifiers to deliver the most cost-effective, stylish and durable balustrade solution.

The Arches Port Erin.

The house is a lovely and unique B & B and well worth a visit www.arches-porterin.com

Balcony Systems celebrated another successful Grand Designs Live 2013 at London’s Excel by presenting the winners of its annual Photo Competition, Rob and Jane Hollingworth, with their top £1,000 cash prize.

Curved balcony wins the competition >> The couple, from Silverdale, Lancashire, received their prize from Managing Director Effi Wolff on Balcony’s stand, having impressed the judges with their stylish shot of a curved balcony enjoying splendid views to the sea. Their 20-metre long curved balustrading, above a ground-floor lounge, features Balcony’s proprietary Royal Chrome anodised handrail and BalcoNano® self-cleaning glass coating on the panels, which dramatically reduces cleaning cycles. The Hollingworths, who built their four-bedroomed contemporary home overlooking Morecambe Bay on the site of a former 1920s property, said: “We’re delighted with our curved balcony and winning such a marvellous prize in Balcony’s Photo Competition. It looks brilliant, was easy to install and keeps our wonderful views while withstanding the worst of our coastal weather. Visitors always admire it and having the most exquisite view out to the sea does help!

Balcony competition winners Competition winner – Curved balcony from Silverdale, Lancashire

Rob added: “We fell in love with the Balcony Systems’ product when we saw it on their website and ordered our balcony at Grand Designs Live two years ago. Their service was excellent too; everything arrived on time, including the two Juliet balconies we ordered for the bedrooms.”

Choosing a winner was difficult

Commenting on the photo competition entries, Effi said: “Choosing a winner from so many fabulous photos was difficult, however we felt Rob and Jane’s stunning entry really captured the elegance of the balustrade in its rural setting. We were impressed by the amazing response and great variety of pictures we received from our customers all over the UK. We’d like to say a very big thank you to all our entrants who put a lot of thought, effort and high standards of creativity into their photos. Many photos showed customers enjoying their balconies and making the most of the uninterrupted views provided by our clear glass system that uses minimal posts and no clamps. From al fresco dining to family groups with their pets, everyone joined in the fun of making the most of their outdoor spaces, whatever the weather!” Runners up Worthy runners up were David Partington of Nether Alderley enjoying a family picnic; Phil Routledge with a stunning shot of the view through his curved patio doors on the Isle of Man and Ken McNeil for his photo of a peaceful garden balustrade in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Also commended were Jonathan Battle with his ‘patriotic’ picture of Union Jacks draped over his extensive Worcestershire balcony, along with Joanne Tarrant of Castle Donington and Alison Field of Berkswell for injecting a touch of humour into their first-floor Juliet balcony photos with kids in fancy dress and a clever basketball throw respectively. For more details, contact Balcony www.balconette.co.uk on 01342 410411 or email enquiries@balconette.co.uk.

Curved Glass – Isle of Man runner up Nether Alderley balustrade runner up Newcastle-under-Lyme balcony runner up Worcestershire balcony

Curved balcony wins Balcony Systems’ Photo Competition. An amazing response and great variety of balustrading pictures we received from all over the UK.

Animals, humour, picnics and even patriotism were among the many creative subjects submitted by homeowners in Balcony Systems’ 2012 Photo Competition. But it was a stylish shot of a curved balcony with splendid views that clinched Rob and Jane Hollingworth the top £1,000 cash prize.

Competition Winner – Curved balcony from Silverdale, Lancashire

Curved balustrade from Silverdale The couple, from Silverdale, Lancashire will receive their prize from Managing Director Effi Wolff on Balcony Systems’ stand at London’s Grand Designs Live in May. Their 20-metre long curved balustrading, above a ground-floor lounge, features Balcony’s proprietary Royal Chrome anodised handrail and BalcoNano® self-cleaning glass coating on the panels, which dramatically reduces cleaning cycles.

Creative shots

Worthy runners up were David Partington of Nether Alderley enjoying a seafood picnic with good company, chilled champagne and an equally chilled-out dog; Phil Routledge with a stunning shot of the view through his curved patio doors on the Isle of Man and Ken McNeil for his photo of a peaceful garden balustrade in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Also commended were Jonathan Battle with his ‘patriotic’ picture of Union Jacks draped over his extensive Worcestershire balcony, along with Joanne Tarrant of Castle Donington and Alison Field of Berkswell for injecting a touch of humour into their first-floor Juliet balcony photos with kids in fancy dress and a clever basketball throw respectively. Well done to you. Commenting on the photo competition entries, Effi said: “Choosing a winner from so many fabulous photos was difficult, however we felt Rob and Jane’s stunning entry really captured the elegance of the balustrade in its rural setting.“ Making the most of the outdoor spaces We were impressed by the amazing response and great variety of pictures we received from our customers all over the UK. We’d like to say a very big thank you to all our entrants who put a lot of thought and effort into their photos. “The high standards of creativity that were clearly evident in the photographs, made judging a difficult, but hugely enjoyable process. “Many of the photos showed customers enjoying their balconies and making the most of the uninterrupted views provided by our clear glass system that uses minimal posts and no clamps. From al fresco dining to family groups with their pets – and we particularly liked the animals – everyone joined in the fun of making the most of their outdoor spaces, whatever the weather!” The winners – delighted with their balcony As for the winners, whose self-built home overlooks Morecambe Bay, they said: “We’re delighted with our balcony – and with the news that it has won such a marvellous prize in Balcony’s Photo Competition. Our curved balcony looks brilliant and is so admired by visitors; it also helps that we have the most exquisite view out to the sea.“ We fell in love with the Balcony Systems’ product when we saw it on their website and ordered our balcony at Grand Designs Live two years ago. Having installed it ourselves, we are very happy with Balcony’s product that keeps our wonderful views. Their service was excellent too; everything arrived on time, including the two Juliet balconies we ordered for the bedrooms.” Three years ago, the couple completed their four-bedroomed contemporary home on the site of a former 1920s property, whose last two remaining two-metre high walls are incorporated into the new building. “Our house could be regarded as an ‘extension’ although it’s 99% new. We’d lived in older buildings, so with this project we wanted a completely modern, open-plan style of living – complemented, of course, with our lovely balcony,” added Rob, who established his company Paul Homes Ltd in 1968. A further press release will follow after the presentation, so watch this space! For more details, contact Balcony www.balconette.co.uk on 01342 410411 or email enquiries@balconette.co.uk.

Nether Alderley balustrade runner up Curved Glass – Isle of Man runner up Newcastle-under-Lyme balcony runner up Worcestershire balcony Inner staircase balustrade Juliette – Castle Donington

Backyard balcony

Juliet balcony – Berkswell

Picnic on the balcony

Tea staining of stainless steels is a relatively common occurrence in coastal locations. Visually, it is a discolouration of the metal surface, which tends to follow the ‘grain’ of any surface finish. Although unpleasant to look at, it is not a serious form of corrosion, and in general does not affect the structural integrity, or longevity of the balcony.

Aesthetically however tea staining is not ideal, and so the information herein is in an attempt to help identify the causes and suggest possible solutions.

Stainless Steel

The term “stainless” steel derives from the development of the speciality steels for modern cutlery industry. It has now been adopted as a generic name for steels developed for any corrosion or oxidation (rust) resistant applications.

The corrosion resistant characteristics of stainless steels are a result of chromium-rich oxide film that forms naturally on the metal surface. Although this film is extremely thin, it is chemically stable and ‘self-repairing’.

Other types of steel such as mild steel suffer from general corrosion where large areas of the surface are affected, but stainless steels, due to their oxide film, are normally resistant to this form of attack.

Common stainless steels used in the enclosure industry are 304 and 316. Both are iron alloys with additional chromium, and nickel. The nickel content in 316 grades is slightly higher than with 304 grades, and the chromium content is slightly lower. However, the most important difference is that the 316 grades have molybdenum as an additive, to improve its resistance to pitting corrosion, which is usually the result of chloride or saline attack. 316 stainless is preferred by balcony and handrail manufacturers due to this superior corrosion resistance, even though it is a higher cost material.

Tea Staining of balcony handrails

Tea staining can be defined as the “discolouration of the surface of stainless steel mainly as a result of chloride attack”

As a first step it is useful to try to understand why, and in what circumstances tea staining can occur. Tea staining of stainless steels is a phenomenon that occurs where water with significant chloride content is in regular contact with the metal surface. This is a common occurrence along the coastal areas of the United Kingdom.

How is tea staining caused?

Although research on the root cause of tea staining has been limited, there seems to be little research on the root cause of tea staining. However the mechanisms involved can be inferred by the pattern of the corrosion, and known factors that can help counter the effect. One of the most common factors linked with tea staining is the surface finish of the material. Smoother, polished surfaces often do not show any signs of staining, so from this it can be said that grooves or troughs in the material are a root cause of the problem. Surface roughness (Ra) is measured in units of micrometers (µm), and is defined as the average deviation of the height of the surface from the mean height. Higher Ra values or irregular profiles are often associated with increased tea staining.

It is reasonable to assume that the base cause of this corrosion is similar to that of many of the other common types of corrosion. The association of tea staining with proximity to salt water means that chloride attack is the most likely cause of the problem. However you would not normally expect the low level of chlorides present in sea water, for example, to have such a dramatic effect. The reasons why this occurs can be deduced by the locations and one of the solutions to tea staining problems.

Reducing the effect of tea staining on stainless steel balconies

One of the most common ways to prevent problems associated with tea staining on stainless steel balconies is to ensure that the surface is washed regularly with fresh, clean water. This would infer that the corrosion is being caused not by the initial contact with salt water, but with deposits of salt building up on the surface and pours of the handrails. Though microscopic the chloride concentration would build up in any surface troughs. As the water evaporates it leaves a deposit of salt in the trough, and the next time the surface becomes wet this deposit concentrates the chlorides naturally present, and increases the corrosive effects. Over time therefore the chloride concentration in these troughs can become high enough to cause corrosion. Note that this would be consistent with the effect that an increasing surface roughness will have on the tea staining effect, i.e. a deeper groove will trap more salty water, which will give a higher chloride concentration.

The location of particular areas prone to tea staining also implies that higher temperatures and humidity have an effect, as does intermittent exposure (for example, spray from rough seas). High temperatures increase the rate of corrosion, but elevated humidity will increase the time taken for the water on the surface to evaporate, and hence increase the time that the higher concentration chloride solution will be in contact with the metal, and it is this contact with the solution that causes corrosion rather than with the resultant solids.

When ordering stainless steel balconies and handrails, the following is a list of factors that should be considered in particular in areas close to the ocean, or where high levels of chlorides occur naturally, or are found in wash waters.

This starts with basic initial material selections, and proceeds into maintenance of the balustrades to ensure a long life, and therefore maximum value for the balcony.

Material Selection – Initial material selection for the enclosure is of critical importance to the longevity of the balustrades. Stainless steel of grade 316 or above should be used as minimum, as lower grades such as 304 are significantly less resistant to chloride attack due to the absence of molybdenum.

Surface Finish – The rule of thumb for surface finishes is that the smoother the finish, the better will be the resistance to tea staining.

Cleaning stainless steel handrails – Regular washing with clean, fresh water or even rain water has a significant effect on reducing the incidence of tea staining in the environments that can cause concern. Where tea staining still occurs despite regular washing, additional protection can be provided by a special coating procedure using a bespoke polymeric resin

Conclusion

Tea staining of stainless steel handrails, balconies and surfaces can be a problem where there are significant levels of chlorides in water that comes into contact with the metal surface. This can be around the coastal locations, or in the interior where ground water contains significant chlorides. Although it does not look very pleasant it tends to be a surface phenomenon only, and does not affect the structural integrity or longevity of the balcony. The cause of tea staining has been examined in some details to help evaluate the potential remedies for the condition. Recommendations to help prevent tea staining include correct specification of the grade of stainless steel to be used, surface finishes to help reduce the problem as well as maintenance procedures, and preventative coating treatments.

How to measure the water-repellency or “hydrophobicity”

The measurement that defines how water-repellent a surface is after being treated with a hydrophobic coating is called “contact angle”, also called ‘wetting angle’, which is the angle formed by the material’s surface and the tangent of the interface between the fluid (i.e.: water) and the environment at the point of contact (the glass surface for example).

Visit this Wikipedia webpage or further “contact angle” information

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