The original balcony railings on these homes are mild steel and most are now at the end of their lives. Replacing one is a decision about material as much as about the job, and the options behave differently enough that it is worth setting out before choosing.
Steel again, aluminium, or glass
Mild steel is cheapest, can be made to any pattern and will rust again, so it needs repainting on a cycle for the rest of its life.
Aluminium does not rust, needs no painting, and costs more; it is the low-maintenance answer.
Glass with metal fixings gives the most light and the best view from inside, costs the most, and needs its base fixings checked periodically because those are what fail. There is no wrong answer — it depends on whether you would rather spend money once or maintain something.
Height, which is not negotiable
A balcony railing is there to stop somebody falling, and the height it needs is set by that rather than by what was there before.
Older railings are frequently lower than anybody would fit today.
So when we replace one we set the height for safety rather than matching the original, and we check the gap below the bottom rail as well — a gap a small child can go under is the detail most often missed on an otherwise careful job. Where that changes the look, we would rather say so than fit something too low.
What the fixing goes into
A railing is only as good as what it is bolted to, and on an older balcony the edge slab may be weaker than it looks, particularly where the old railing has rusted into it.
Rust expands and cracks the concrete around a fixing, so the original positions are frequently the worst places to fix a new one.
So we cut out the old fixings properly, make good the concrete, and set the new ones clear of the damaged areas. It adds time to the job and it is what stops the new railing working loose.
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.
