An independent house means internal stairs, balconies and a terrace, and that is a great deal more railing than a flat has. Railings are the item most often left until they are unsafe rather than merely tired, so a fair amount of what we do here is assessing what is actually sound.
Internal staircase railings, and the fixing at the tread
An internal railing looks permanent and is usually fixed into the edge of a stone or tile tread, which is the weakest place available.
Over years the fixing works in its hole, and the tread edge around it begins to break away.
A railing that moves at the bottom of a baluster is telling you that has happened. Re-setting it properly with a resin anchor is straightforward. Tightening it and leaving it enlarges the hole further, which is the usual response and makes it worse.
Glass balustrades on an internal stair
Glass is a popular replacement for a tired metal stair railing, and it genuinely transforms a dark stairwell.
The specification is not the same as an external balustrade, though — internal glass still has to stop somebody falling, so it needs to be laminated rather than plain toughened.
The fixing method matters more than the glass. A slot-in channel along the stair string spreads the load properly; individual clamps concentrate it. On a stair we would always use the channel, and we price it that way rather than offering the cheaper option.
Terrace doors that are only used half the year
The door onto a terrace gets heavy use in winter and almost none in summer, and things that sit unused seize up.
So the usual complaint is a terrace door that will not open at the start of the season, which is a stiff mechanism rather than a broken one.
Working the lock and hinges a few times a month through the unused season prevents it entirely. Where one has already seized we free and service it, and we would rather do that than replace a door that is mechanically sound.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
