In this system the glass sits inside a slim aluminium frame. It is not clamped at the corners. The frame is what makes it different. It handles walls that are not quite straight. It can be powder coated in any colour. And it can be unbolted and put back up somewhere else. So it is a good choice for older buildings, and for layouts that will change. Prices start at ₹850 per sq ft.
Who should choose a frame over frameless
Three kinds of customer, and each one has a real reason.
First, anyone in an older building where the walls are clearly not straight and the floor is not level. The frame has room in the channel to take that up. Frameless means glass with no frame, and it has very little room. So any gap shows at the joins.
Second, anyone whose layout will change. You can unbolt a framed partition and put it up again in a new opening. Frameless toughened glass only fits an opening of exactly the same size. It cannot be cut again once it is made.
Third, anyone who wants a colour. Aluminium can be powder coated in black, white, grey or bronze. That is how the black-framed look is built.
The frame, the coating and the glass inside it
Aluminium sections run around the opening at the floor, the top and both sides. On a long run, upright posts join one panel to the next.
They are powder coated, not painted. That gives a hard, even finish that stands up to knocks. White, black, grey and brown are stock colours. Other colours can be matched to order, and the coating adds a few days.
The frame holds some of the weight. So the glass inside can be thinner than a frameless build needs. That is a real saving. Clear, frosted, or a mix across panels is all possible.
Rubber gaskets sit between the glass and the metal at every edge. These gaskets stop the rattle that badly built framed partitions are known for. Ask about them in any quote you compare.
How the fitting works
The frame goes up first and we level it with care. This is the step that matters most on a framed job. Glass made for a frame that was set carelessly will not fit. Putting that right costs days, not minutes.
Once the frame is straight, the glass drops into it on packers and gaskets. The beading holds it in place.
The door is hung last. A framed door closes onto a gasket stop, which is quieter than glass meeting glass. It takes a handle set, and a lock if you want one.
We fix the frame before the glass arrives. So a framed job also works better than frameless when a site is not quite finished.
Where the money goes
Three lines: the aluminium, the glass, and the fitting work.
We charge the aluminium by the running foot. So a partition split into several small panes has a lot of frame for its area, and it costs more than two large panes. Powder coating in a non-stock colour adds cost and a few days.
The glass is usually thinner than a frameless build, which brings that line down.
Overall, a framed system lands a little below frameless on a simple straight run, and a little above it on a hard one. We are happy to price both side by side, so you can see the difference for your own opening.
