The necessary height of a balustrade depends on where it’s installed. According to UK Building Regulations, balconies and most situations require a glass balustrade height of at least 1100mm from the floor. Stairs, ramps, and landings require a balustrade at least 900mm high. Balustrades around a seating area must be at least 800mm high (when up to 530mm away from fixed seating).
This height is from the finished floor level to the top of the handrail or frameless panel, not including recessed channel systems. Glass partitions that aren’t balustrades can be any height. Ideally, each glass panel in a balustrade shouldn’t be more than 1m to 1.2m wide, to allow for adequate testing. If there are gaps between the panels, we recommend these to be no more than 10mm wide.
When it comes to glass balustrade thickness, the thinnest toughened glass is 10mm thick. This is usually only suitable when steel posts and handrails are also used. For frameless balustrades, the glass should be at least 15mm thick. The required thickness generally depends on the fall height (more or less than 600mm) and the presence or absence of a handrail. At Glass Interiors, we offer toughened glass in 10, 12, and 15mm, plus laminated glass in 13.5, 17.5, and 21.5mm thicknesses.