Frameless Glass Balustrades Sevenoaks

The channel system uses a structural aluminium or stainless steel channel fixed continuously into the floor or deck surface. Glass panels slot into the channel and are secured with wedge packers or a structural sealant compound. Because the channel supports the glass along its entire base edge, individual panels can be wider and the system has a very clean appearance.

Glass specification for channel-fixed systems: 21.5mm toughened laminated glass as standard. Two panes of 10mm toughened glass bonded with a 1.5mm interlayer. Laminated glass is mandatory for channel-fixed frameless systems where the glass is the structural element. If one pane cracks, the interlayer holds both panes together. This meets the requirements of BS 6180 for structural barrier glazing.

Spigot systems use individual stainless steel point-fixing clamps fixed into the deck or floor at regular intervals. Each spigot receives a single glass panel, gripped at the base. This approach gives more flexibility for complex geometries: sloped terraces, staircase rakes, and surfaces that cannot easily accommodate a continuous channel.

Spigot-mounted systems suit Sevenoaks’ many sloped and stepped gardens particularly well. The spigots are visible and, in a brushed stainless finish, complement the glass cleanly. Glass specification: 15mm to 21.5mm toughened laminated depending on panel dimensions.

Frameless glass balustrades require a handrail at the top edge. Options include: glass-mounted stainless steel handrail (the most common pairing, clean and maintenance-free); solid oak handrail (popular in period properties across The Vine and Kippington, where the warmth of oak complements original features); black powder-coated steel handrail (increasingly popular in Sevenoaks’ renovation market); and wall-fixed stainless steel handrail (where the glass run is adjacent to a wall).

Building Regulations Part K requires a handrail on all staircase guarding at 900mm to 1,000mm above the pitch line, and at landings and balconies at 1,100mm above floor level.

Frameless glass balustrades are the best choice where the view matters (elevated gardens, countryside views from TN14 village properties), where the aesthetic is contemporary (open-plan executive homes in Riverhead and Seal, renovated period properties), where the staircase is a feature (wide Victorian stairwells in Kippington and The Vine), and where budget allows.

For projects where budget is the primary constraint, a post-mounted system with thinner glass infill panels delivers compliance and a clean look at a lower price point. We will always advise honestly which system is appropriate for your project.