You lose the beauty of the window if you don’t go for a glass balustrade

This clear glass Balconette Aerofoil Juliet Balcony with a Royal Chrome Anodised handrail pairs up beautifully with floor to ceiling sliding doors on a newly built loft extension that provides additional space for a family in Caterham, Surrey.

The project involved in a hip to gable loft extension on the large semi-detached house to create a new master bedroom, bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. The 3.5-metre-wide floor to ceiling sliding doors flood the interior with natural light while allowing uninterrupted views over the garden.

For homeowner Don Hutchinson, finding a glass balustrade to provide the required safety barrier was important. He says: “With sliding doors that size, it would have been a shame if we had the standard metal railing blocking the view because we didn’t want to spoil the view of the garden.

“So, we decided to see if we could find a glass balustrade. We came across Balconette, and they were able to match the size of the aperture. We got the maximum size of four metres in width that would fit.”

Don found the ordering process was ‘very easy and straightforward’ with Balconette and the balustrade was subsequently fitted by Paul Frampton of Timbertech Southern Ltd, a Balconette Registered Partner.

Paul, who installs a number of Balconette’s products, explains: “Don had bought the balustrade direct from Balconette and when it was delivered, he had no one to fit it. Fortunately, we got up there quickly and were able to install it in a day.”

Don continues: “I didn’t get a survey beforehand, but maybe in hindsight I could have done. However, Timbertech were really good, they knew what they were doing and also my own builder was here as well, so I just left them and my builder to talk and they sorted out the installation between the two of them.”

There are two things he would do differently next time. “In the future I would probably get a survey first, though fortunately my builder was very good and helped with the measurements. Plus, I would order the balustrade with Balconette’s BalcoNano^® self-cleaning glass coating already factory-applied to the glass.”

Don had applied the coating himself using the BalcoNano sachets supplied by Balconette. “When the rain falls onto the glass, the coating protects the panels and keeps them cleaner as mineral deposits and rainwater are repelled much more quickly. I think it does keep the glass cleaner. If I have another balcony in the future, I would have the coating put on at the time of ordering the balustrade.”

On the final result, Don is delighted with what the glass Juliet balcony brings to the project, adding: “I love the balustrade. It is more expensive than iron railings; but you lose the beauty of having the window in the first place if you don’t go for the glass, in my opinion. It’s just great to stand and admire the view over the garden.”