Home Improvement: Three Critical Issues to Address before Installing Balustrading
A balustrade can be a valuable addition to your home. This feature will form a barrier around your staircase, terrace or balcony, protecting against potential falling hazards. The balustrades will also increase the general appeal of the space by establishing a point of visual interest. Additionally, the vertical barrier can help you define different areas by serving as a partitioning wall. If you are planning on incorporating this element in your property, you must consider the common factors which can lead to project failure before commencing. Here are the most crucial issues that you should address when installing your residential balustrading.
Balustrading Safety
Balustrades are designed and fabricated to provide a safety barrier in elevated areas of the home from which one can fall. Unfortunately, numerous homeowners choose to focus only on the aesthetic appeal of the feature. If your balustrading is weak or not built to provide fall protection, you could experience accidents. Therefore, you should choose products which are specially manufactured for installation as balustrades. Whether you install steel, glass, wood or aluminium, the feature should be immovable and able to withstand heavy weight and mechanical stress. Also, the height of the barrier should be high enough to prevent people toppling over the balustrade. It is advisable to check the specifications on balustrading in your local region.
Professional or Self Installation
Balustrade installation, like other home improvement projects, can be an expensive process. Therefore, numerous property owners attempt to cut the total costs by performing DIY installation. In ideal circumstances, setting up your feature without professional assistance is possible. If you have had experience with construction work and can obtain balustrading kits which are designed for intuitive installation, the project should not be too complicated. However, you should note that your best option is still a licensed contractor. These professionals can handle diverse materials and will ensure that the setup process is free of mishaps. You will have to spend more money, but you will be guaranteed safety and visual appeal.
Maintenance Issues
Finally, you should evaluate the material options and their maintenance requirements before purchasing a balustrading system for your home. Often, people invest a lot of money on beautiful products which will increase home value. However, they do not understand the upkeep demands, so the feature deteriorates within a short period. If you cannot dedicate sufficient time to maintenance, you should choose low-maintenance materials like steel, aluminium and wrought iron. Alternatives like glass will require constant cleaning while wood will need periodic refinishing.