Would you recommend outside glass railings?

Accomodation, House and Garden
1
We are building a new terrace and need to put in a railing system of some kind. The question is glass or metal? A light weight metal one does not need cleaning and one can see through it. BUT we may not get planning permission for this.

So, does anyone have glass railings? Do they get really dirty, do you need to clean them or does the rain do that for you . Perhaps you live close by (Richterswil) and wouldn't mind me popping over to have a look?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

2
Would something on one of the following links be what you're looking for..?

http://www.metall-bau.ch/site/index.php?id=9

http://www.astorino-metallbau.ch/gal...glasgelaender/

http://www.baudokumentation.ch/7/pdc...9/index_7.html

http://www.schlosser-ulrich.ch/cms/f...t.php?idcat=14

http://www.kilag.ch/index.php?sectio...ils&newsid=197

http://www.reichmuth-rueegg.ch/produ...der/index.html

http://www.kellerglas.ch/bilder/bild...=43307&id=4226

http://www.weber-metall.ch/metallbau...eispiele1.html

http://www.alphaglas.ch/wDeutsch/bil...eren/index.php

http://www.safiz.ch/gelàˆnder.htm

3
When you say glass railings, I guess you mean glass panels to border a balcony or terrace. Glass is extremely hard wearing and weather resistant but will need cleaning, you will get streaks from rain and organic matter but it is very easy to clean, once a month or less I'm sure will be fine.

The glass you will be supplied with will be toughened, it doesn't mean it won't break, but when it does break (pretty rare unless you drive into it), it will break cleanly with smooth (not sharp) edges and no splinters.

4
IMO there is nothing better than a railing that you can lean on and admire your view - so get something with a metal frame. Family in Sydney made a railing and side panel from glass and it seems odd standing on the terrace and not being able to lean on it.

We have metal railings that you can see through. Having more glass means something else to clean too. The rain doesn't clean my windows.

5
Or get this stuff.... http://www.pilkingtonselfcleaningglass.co.uk/ I almost fell off my chair when I first heard about it.

6
If you have a great view, then glass is the way to go. However, if you're looking into someone else's space, then perhaps a frosted glass might be a good idea as there's an element of privacy there, but still enough light for growing things in the area (that's what we have on our balcony & the plants still grow, but if we're sunbathing, we're not as open as railings).

As for the metal variety, my father's business used to do a line in these & the variations were vast! You can let your imagination run riot with designs (as long as the railings are close enough to make sure that children can't get stuck or hang themselves in them - it's a max. 4 inch rule in UK, but I don't know what it is here in CH). There's certainly no shortage of skilled craftsmen here in CH, but I don't know what sort of budget you might have.

7
Wow, thanks all of you for taking the time to respond.

Grumpygrapefruit - yes, glass panels was what I meant. Thank you. A monthly clean, I can live with that ...but I shouldn't believe the "no clean" adverts at any rate! Do you have first hand experience with glass railings ...and cleaning them?

Nelly_Da_Hefferlump, great product, never seen this before but it does not recommend it for glass railings - only windows. Mind you, I'll ask - it's going to be out of my price range though ..the easy clean, good stuff always is.

I do have good idea of what I want, sourcing it and costs are more my constrictions. Gillian -we are fortunate to have a good view from this terrace and it is reasonably secluded for sunbathing . I was thinking of horizontal lines wires ..the ones with the 25cm gap or so. (I know, a child can climb these, hence they are partially banned in certain areas) but they hardly impede the view. Oh, and it's cheaper than glass.

So the dilema is glass: cleaning, reduced view, high cost, very safe vs wire: no cleaning, good view, lower cost, possibly unsafe for small kids, may not be allowed. Ummm...

Anybody have one (clear glass) that I could see? Cheeky I know.

Thanks

8
We had clear glass panel type railings on the terrace of the house we rented. While it was easy care, I would not want one again - largely because I used the terrace for gardening.

The terrace was a full sun exposure, and I found that the the glass made it too hot to grow anything - several of my plants quickly fried to a crisp when placed near the railing.

If you anticipate creating a terrace garden (and if you have a lot of direct sun) you might want to think about a frosted glass. Or go with more heat-tolerant plants.

9

Good point, thanks, never even occurred to me.

10
Non-glass railings don't block any views from our terrace because I am normally sitting on a chair and my head is high enough to see over them

Most summer days it is too warm to sit on our terrace, so what meloncollie says about it being even warmer would put me off. I have a roof wintergarden with a proper insulated roof but with glass walls and this gets really warm and the glass gets real dirty - mostly from pollen and birds...and not just bird muck but birds fly into it and kill themselves leaving a splat mark The next time I didn't clean the glass so well and the birds could see it.