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A balustrade or Juliet balcony must be assessed as a complete guarding system. The glass thickness, fittings and wall or floor structure work together. A drawing or price from an online tool does not replace that assessment.
Describe the site and use
Provide the overall opening or run, finished levels, changes of direction and the height of the drop. Say whether the location is a home, workplace, public area or somewhere people can crowd together. The use affects the design requirements.
For a Juliet balcony, include the door opening, proposed fixing positions and the structure around the opening. A photograph of the outer finish does not establish what is behind it. Brick facing, insulation and the structural support are not interchangeable fixing substrates.
Assemble the design information
- Dimensioned plan and elevation with all units shown.
- Substrate details and available fixing zones.
- The intended glass construction and exact system or fitting model.
- Handrail arrangement and what happens if a pane breaks.
- Any engineer's calculations, supplier evidence and building-control requirements.
- Access constraints for delivery and installation.
BS 6180 concerns barriers in and about buildings. Our guide to balustrade loads and BS 6180 explains how the building's use sets the line load and the height. Ask the designer to identify the requirements and evidence for this system and location. A load figure is what the barrier must resist, not a certified capacity for any pane.
Review changes as a system
A longer span, different base shoe or changed substrate can invalidate an earlier selection. So can removing a handrail or changing the glass build-up. Keep the design revision, component schedule and fixing information together.
If a replacement pane is needed, identify the existing system and obtain the original specification where possible. Matching the visible thickness is not enough to establish the construction or post-breakage behaviour.
Start in the balustrade designer or the Juliet balcony designer, and send these details with your design. Read balustrades or Juliet balconies to choose the correct starting point. Do not order glass for guarding from a generic shelf or table-top option. For help with this task, contact the team with the relevant reference and the outcome you need.
Questions we get asked
Can I choose the glass thickness before the support system?
Treat them as one design. Pane size, fixing arrangement, substrate, loads and breakage behaviour affect the specification. A familiar thickness from another job does not establish suitability here.
Is a product test report enough for my balcony?
Check that the report covers the complete arrangement proposed, including pane dimensions and fixings. Changed components or an unknown substrate require assessment rather than an assumption that the rating transfers.
What happens if the site measurements change?
Refer the change back to the designer before ordering or fitting. A revised span or fixing position can affect capacity and require updated drawings or evidence, even when the difference looks small.
Contact the team with your order reference and the step you need help with, or search all help topics.