A balustrade is an architectural feature that turns a handrail or stair rail into a source of beauty and grandeur. They are a great way to bring historical elegance to a property, but can also be reinterpreted for modern design.
In addition to the aesthetic element, balustrades also serve a safety purpose by helping people navigate stairs and avoid falling from high spaces. This makes GFRC the best material for providing exterior balustrades that are both attractive and reliably durable.
Installing GFRC Balustrades
A balustrade comprises several different elements. The individual balusters are the spindles that support the railing or banister. The balustrade also consists of posts that extend to the ground and can have decorative features like finials and post caps.
All of these different components can be constructed from GFRC. Glass fiber reinforced concrete is the leading option for banisters because it has reliable strength. If a visitor to your property were to collide with the balustrade, there would be a limited risk of the balustrade failing and injuries occurring. The handrails can also withstand many years of use and offer all the following benefits:
- Meet Safety Requirements – For easy customer mobility, it is simple to make balustrades with handrails at the appropriate height and balusters placed close enough together to avoid anyone slipping through.
- Range of Shapes – Traditional balustrades have ornamental vase-shaped balusters, which is completely possible with GFRC. But you can also incorporate many other standard and custom shapes including basic posts, twisting metal columns, and decorative panels. Posts can also come in a range of shapes and include features like bas relief or intricate carvings.
- Material Options – Although all GFRC balustrades use glass fiber reinforced concrete, this material has the flexibility to look like a range of other materials with the right manufacturing and finishing methods, so you would have a marble balustrade, wooden balustrade, limestone balustrade, and many other types with the affordability and durability of GFRC.
- Precision Crafting – GFRC architectural pieces are made and cured in a mold. This means that every baluster and post in the balustrade will look perfectly identical for an extremely professional look.
GFRC balustrades will work anywhere you need outdoor railings that are highly functional and one of the most attractive solutions available. They are suitable for stairs, patios, balconies, and more.
GC Products is an industry leader in GFRC design and production and our engineers can work with you to create the GFRC balustrade design that will work best on your property. Get in contact with our team to initiate the design process.