Our Installation Process

Send Photos & Rough Measurements

Contact us by phone, email, or using the form on our contact page. Give us a description of the project, approximate dimensions, and a few photos if you have them. You do not need precise measurements at this stage — phone photos and rough sizes are usually enough to get started.

Receive a Budget Estimate

In most cases we can provide a tight price range from your photos and approximate dimensions, without a site visit. This gives you a realistic budget figure to work with before making any commitment. If the estimate suits your budget, we can then move forward to survey. If it is not the right fit, there is no obligation to proceed.
For supply-only orders, precise customer measurements usually replace the survey stage.

Site Survey — Dimensions & Specification Confirmed

Once you are happy with the budget estimate, we arrange a site survey at a time that suits you. We take all precise measurements, assess the substrate and fixing conditions, confirm the glass specification, and resolve any site-specific details. The survey is the stage where dimensions and technical requirements are confirmed before manufacture.
Most surveys take around 30–60 minutes depending on the size and complexity of the project.

Fixed-Price Quotation Issued

Following the survey, we issue a clear, itemised, fixed-price quotation. This covers glass specification, fixing components, installation labour, and any specialist work such as diamond drilling. All costs are confirmed in writing before any glass is ordered.

Deposit & Order Confirmed

Once you accept the quotation, we take a deposit of 30–50% to place the glass order and secure your installation date. As all glass is manufactured to your exact measurements, a deposit is required before production begins. This is explained clearly on your quotation before you commit.
Typical lead time from order to installation is around 2–4 weeks, depending on specification and workload.

Manufacture & Delivery

Your glass is cut and toughened (or laminated) to the exact survey dimensions by our glass suppliers. All panels are manufactured to precise tolerances and delivered to us ahead of installation. We confirm the delivery schedule and your installation day window in advance.

Installation

Our own installation team arrives with all materials, fixings, and equipment. For most domestic projects, installation takes one to two days on site. Larger or more complex projects — such as commercial staircases, multi-run balustrades, or partitions — are programmed individually and agreed with you in advance. We leave the installation area clean and tidy on completion.

Sign-Off & Balance Due on Completion

Before we leave, we check fixings, guarding heights, finish quality, and the overall installation, and walk you through the completed work. The remaining balance is due on completion once the installation has been finished. Compliance documentation — such as fixing details, test reports, and BS6180 reference information — is provided where required for Building Control or planning purposes.

Frameless Channel & Spigot

The channel or spigot fixings are installed first and checked for alignment. Glass panels are lifted in individually — typically two people per panel for anything over 1.2m. Channel systems require the glass to be set accurately in the channel bed with the correct setting blocks and rubber gasket. Final panel alignment is adjusted before the channel fill is applied. Spigot systems are aligned panel by panel and torqued to specification.

Framed Post & Handrail

Posts are set out, drilled, and chemically anchored first. Core filling of hollow blockwork with structural resin is carried out where required. Once the resin has cured sufficiently, base plates are fixed and posts set plumb. Glass infill panels are glazed in next, followed by the handrail, which is cut, bent (where required), and polished on-site to suit the required curve or angle.

Substrate Considerations

Fixing into concrete, blockwork, or timber is usually straightforward. Porcelain and hard stone surfaces require diamond drilling, which we carry out on-site using specialist core drill bits designed to leave a clean hole with minimal surface damage. Composite decking is always fixed through to the structural joist below — composite boards alone are not treated as a structural fixing substrate.

Typical Duration

A straight run of around 5–8 metres often takes one day on site. L-shape or U-shape configurations, or runs with multiple changes in level, often take two days. Larger residential or commercial projects are programmed individually. You do not normally need to be present throughout the day, but access to the installation area is required.

New Staircase Builds

For a full staircase build — new treads, new structure, and glass panels — we typically programme two to three days depending on the staircase height and the amount of joinery involved. The stringer and tread structure is installed first. Glass panels are then manufactured to suit the measured rise-and-going of your specific staircase rather than taken from standard sizes.

Spindle Replacement

The most cost-effective renovation option. Existing spindles are removed, the existing handrail and base rail are retained, and glass panels are cut to drop in between the existing rails. Clamped or grooved fixing to the rail allows panels to be set without major structural alteration to the staircase. A typical 13-step staircase with spindle replacement is often completed in one day on site. See our dedicated spindle replacement page for more detail.

Glass Fixing to Stairs

Two main methods are typically used. Clamped systems use stainless steel or timber clamps that grip the glass panel along the bottom and side edges, so the glass itself is not drilled. Grooved systems use a routed channel cut into the handrail and base rail into which the glass panel slots, creating a cleaner finish but requiring the rail to be structurally suitable for routing. We advise on the best method for your staircase at survey stage.

Handrail & Balustrade Height

Internal residential staircase balustrading must be at least 900mm above the pitch line of the stair and 1000mm on landings. These are the minimum requirements under UK Building Regulations (Approved Document K). We check and confirm compliance as part of the specification process before manufacture.

Face-Mounted Installation

Juliet balconies are fixed to the wall or window reveal on either side of the door opening rather than to the floor. A common system uses standoff buttons fixed into the masonry that pass through pre-drilled holes in the glass panel, holding the glass at a set distance from the face behind. This creates a clean frameless appearance. Stainless steel angle brackets or aluminium channel systems may be used where a more substantial support system is required.

Structural Considerations

The wall fixings on a Juliet balcony carry the imposed load from the glass. We always fix into the structural masonry on either side of the opening, never into plasterboard or render alone. Where the wall finish is render over blockwork, we drill through to solid masonry and use resin-anchored fixings. EIFS or EWI systems require more careful detailing, which we assess at survey stage.

Building Regulations

Glass Juliet balconies are classified as guarding under Approved Document K. External guarding to a door must be at least 1100mm from finished floor level. The glass must be toughened or laminated safety glass. Our Juliet balcony specifications are prepared with these requirements in mind, and documentation can be provided for Building Control where needed.

Typical Duration

A single Juliet balcony installation typically takes around half a day to a full day on site. Multiple openings completed on the same visit are more efficient. If an old barrier is being removed, we make good the immediate fixing points before installing the new system. Specialist access equipment is not usually needed for straightforward first- and second-floor openings, though some sites may vary.

Minimal-Frame & Structural-Look Systems

Glass partition systems with a minimal appearance are usually fixed using discreet head and base channels, with glass panels spanning between floor and ceiling. Panels are commonly 10mm, 12mm or 15mm toughened glass depending on the specification. The channels must be fixed to a suitable structural floor and ceiling. Door openings may use frameless pivot doors or framed door sets depending on appearance and acoustic requirements.

Aluminium-Framed Systems

Aluminium-framed partition systems are more flexible and are often preferred for office and commercial fit-outs. The frame is assembled in sections, glass panels are installed into it, and the system can be configured to suit doors, handles, locks and acoustic requirements. Available in silver, black, or a RAL powder-coated finish.

Acoustic Performance

Standard toughened glass partitions provide visual separation and a moderate level of sound reduction. Where better acoustic performance is needed, we can specify acoustic laminated glass, improved perimeter seals, or more enclosed framed door options. The overall acoustic result depends on the full system, not just the glass itself.

Typical Duration

A straight partition run of around 4–6 metres with a single door often takes one to two days to install. More complex layouts — such as L-shapes, U-shapes, multiple rooms, or systems requiring additional structural fixing — take longer and are programmed individually. We can work from a floor plan or sketch to agree the layout before materials are ordered.

3.0 kN/m Loading

Commercial balustrades are specified to higher horizontal loading requirements than standard residential systems. This usually means a different fixing specification, base plate design, and glass thickness. We can provide test data, fixing details, and supporting information for Building Control submission where required.

Compliance Documentation

For commercial projects, we can supply a compliance pack including glass specification certificates, fixing design details, and relevant supporting information where required. We also work with architects and project managers where documentation is needed as part of the wider scheme.

Installation Method

Glass splashbacks are fixed to the wall using a specialist neutral-cure silicone adhesive rather than mechanical fixings through the glass. The wall surface must be flat, clean, and suitably stable. For splashbacks behind a hob, the glass specification must also take account of the heat source. We advise on this at quotation stage.

Glass Preparation

Each panel is cut to the exact dimensions of your wall space, including socket cut-outs, switch cut-outs, or curved details where required. All edges are polished. Back-painted glass panels are factory-coated and cured before delivery. Panels are usually installed the same day they arrive on site.

Structure & Fixing

Glass canopies use a powder-coated steel or aluminium bracket structure fixed to the wall above the opening, with laminated glass panels supported within the framework. The fixings are selected to suit the span and the wall construction. Laminated glass is used for overhead glazing applications so that, in the event of breakage, the panel remains held by the interlayer.

Waterproofing & Drainage

The junction between the back of the canopy and the wall is sealed to help prevent water ingress. Glass panels are pitched slightly forward to encourage drainage away from the opening below. Where required, a fascia or drip detail can be incorporated to direct runoff more cleanly.