Value v’s Cost Considerations for Installing a Glass Balustrade
A balustrade is often an essential safety feature for outdoor spaces such as decking areas, roof terraces, and balconies. Due to the aesthetically pleasing look they provide, it seems that demand for the glass balustrade is forever increasing; well over those manufactured from concrete, iron, or timber. For this reason, there have been many new businesses enter the glass balustrade market having seen the opportunity it offers. However, there is evidence to suggest that many of these are selling balustrades manufactured from cheaper materials in order to offer a lower price to the customer. It is extremely important that buyers do not become romanced by the price alone, or become complacent about the materials used for a glass balustrade. Cheaper materials that are unfit for purpose can present significant health and safety risks, including severe injury or death. Furthermore, the glass balustrade may look great to begin with, but due to low resistance to corrosion, will soon become an eyesore for any property. From this, buyers need to consider the following question: Am I really getting value from a low cost balustrade manufactured from cheap, unreliable, and inferior materials? Here we will list some considerations for making better judgement of the cost versus the value of a glass balustrade installation.
What industry experience does the balustrade supplier have?
It is essential that your chosen company has a wealth of experience in the manufacture, supply, and installation of glass balustrade systems. Without sufficient knowledge and experience, a host of problems can occur. For example, incorrect or inadequate fixings may be used for the surfaces or facades the balustrade needs to be fixed on to. Wrong glass thicknesses or glass types may be specified resulting in an unsafe system that doesn’t meet building regulations. Another example is lower grade stainless steel being used for glass clamps, posts, and rails, that are insufficient in strength for the environment where the glass balustrade is to be installed. These are just a few examples of what could go wrong. With over ten years working with architects, builders, and home renovators, Elite Balustrade Systems are able to offer customers the knowledge, experience, and reassurance that the perfect solution is created whilst taking all design, safety, and durability factors in to consideration.
Can your chosen company help you to visualise how your chosen design will look in reality?
This is crucial as it helps to eliminate the risk of choosing the wrong system both against your own preferences and architectural outcomes. How would you feel after installation, if the glass balustrade doesn’t match your expected outcome? If anything, the end result should have a wow factor that surpasses your expectations. Some companies only provide their customers with an architect’s 2D drawings which many find difficult to interpret. Others may get as far as providing a sketch. Elite Balustrade Systems create 3D rendered images for our customers to visualise their project before committing, which is also an extremely useful tool for aligning our competencies with their requirements. This enables the creation of truly bespoke solutions, and real value for our customers, as their uncertainties are reduced and they get exactly what they signed up for.
Are testimonials or references readily available?
Testimonials from previous customers enable existing ones to read honest evaluations and better understand how the glass balustrade supplier can meet their needs. This isn’t just at the level of the product, but also about the whole service experience. Customers may differ in their expectations, but things to look out for on top of product quality could include how dependable, flexible, efficient, and considerate the company appears in light of testimonials. At Elite Balustrade Systems, we take all these factors in to consideration in order to build trust with our customers, and offer them superior products and services that provide superior value.
Has the glass balustrade supplier completed projects of a similar scope with successful outcomes?
Glass balustrades are suitable for both commercial and domestic applications of varying sizes and types. When choosing a glass balustrade supplier, ask them about their involvement in previous projects that have had a similar installation scenario. For example, if your outdoor space is on two levels, you might want to ask about glass balustrade designs that incorporated staircases to enable continuity in the overall look. From here, you can ask for, or search for relevant case studies that document this work with relevant information and images. Again, it’s about making certain that the company has the resources capable of offering the value needed to ensure successful design, manufacture, supply, and installation of your glass balustrade system.
Does the balustrade company stand out from the rest in any way?
At first glance, glass balustrade companies may appear to offer the same products and services, but it is important that customers delve a little deeper into what makes one a better fit with their own needs and wants. For some, this may be wholly about price (as mentioned, extra diligence should be taken if this is the case), whereas others may seek out a certain design that is unique, or maybe systems that offer the greatest durability. At Elite Balustrade Systems, we believe our Mini-Post frameless glass balustrades offer superior value. Whilst economical in cost, they offer the greatest durability of any glass balustrade system as the Mini-Posts themselves are manufactured from Marine Grade 2205 Duplex stainless steel, (the kind of steel used on oil rigs and ship propellers). The Mini-Post system is also extremely versatile with four fixing profiles, (base, side, core, and edge mounted), that offer greater flexibility in meeting a variety of installation scenarios. In other words, we are able to offer a superior quality frameless glass balustrade at a lower cost than other systems on the market. This has resulted in a superior value glass balustrade solution for our customers.
To Conclude…
We hope this blog post will help you to make a well-informed choice for your glass balustrade requirements. Most importantly, we hope it will prevent you from falling foul to companies that try to sell to you on the premise of low costs alone. In these cases, there are often unexpected, and certainly unwanted, surprises just around the corner.
If you would like information on any of our glass balustrade systems, and how they can provide you with superior value, please do not hesitate to contact the team on 01254 825594, or via email: sales@elitebalustrade.com . Alternatively, complete an online enquiry and one of our team members will be in contact shortly.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn!
Published: 19th October 2017
