Designing Balconies with Glass Panels

It has become a popular choice for those who want to be able to fence off noise or heavy winds, as well as those who want to be encased with a clear wall of protection or railing. They provide a modern touch to any building and an architectural statement in one.

What does it take to put up a glass balcony or a balustrade? Is it easy to install as it is nice to look at? Does it cost a lot?

Let’s illustrate the steps.

Browse magazines that specialize in home designs and architecture.

You want to see the designs and selection of glass railings that you could choose from. The internet supplies many websites that talk about glass balconies so start a clipping of your favorite designs. The purpose is to have an easy reference once you explain to your designer or contractor what you want.

Get your balcony’s measurements and note it down.

You can use a measuring tape, or get a family member or friend to do this for you. Typically, the length, height and width are the essentials to note, but if you want to make sure you got everything covered, refer to balcony measuring tips from magazines or websites. If you could illustrate, that’s even better.

Decide on the height that you want for your railing.

Best to take into mind the area where you want this to be and how it could be helpful for you. Specifically: is there noise in your area that needs to be addressed? Does it get particularly windy? These are factors that could help you determine how you want your glass deck railing to look and what kind of design you would follow.

Pick a few systems that you want to implement into your glass deck railings.

Do you want to use glass panels or pre-slotted? How do you want the finish- frosted, bronze, smoked or clear? Would you be willing to DIY or need an installer? How about the posts- do you want them picket-style or otherwise? Do you want the glass to be tempered?

The connectors– do you want the heavy duty aluminum or clipped? Colonial or contemporary look? So many questions to answer and so many choices in the market. Your research in step 1 should help you trim down your options with the help of your partner or designer.

Once you have your selections trimmed down, sample them to see them live so you could touch and examine if you really want that particular material. This is the best time to ask any additional questions you may have, put the samples against your existing house flooring or exteriors so you could visualize how the railings would look and blend well. After this you either make the decision or spend a little bit more time coming down to your preferences.

Final Thoughts

The important takeaway is that knowing what you want, exploring your options and sticking with it is the best set of guidelines for your glass deck railings design project. It will take some time, a lot of hard work doing your homework and countless decisions to make but in the end everything will be worth it. You are in charge and with the help of the experts, you are on your way to installing that perfect glass deck railing in your home.