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HOW TO AVOID THE HALLOWEEN HORRORS

Preparing pumpkins and stocking up for trick-or-treaters is harrowing enough, but the curse of the relentless costumed kiddies ringing your doorbell this October is not the only horror specifiers need to avoid.

There are plenty of balustrade nightmares that could also keep you awake, if you don’t work with a high quality balustrade specialist to avoid them.

Here are our top three Halloween Horrors and how to avoid them:

1. Insecure panels that slip and smash, crackle and crash

If glass infill panels are not correctly secured to the steel supports in compliance with BS6180, there is a danger that the panel will slip.;. This could present a health and safety risk, delays to the project and added expense. Avoiding this nightmare scenario is simple: by working with an accredited and experienced balustrade supplier like Delta, which only supplies systems using BS6180-compliant bolt-through glass lugs, specifiers can be certain that their completed installation will be robust, safe and deliver its designed loading requirements.

2. The ‘green slime’ of handrails, aka tea-staining

While stainless steel doesn’t tarnish, continuous use can result in a phenomenon known as ‘tea staining’ due to the collection of chloride deposits that can result in unsightly discolouration. There’s no need to get spooked about the long-term appearance of your balustrades, however.  Delta Balustrades offers an innovative ‘nTechnology’ process that reduces maintenance requirements and helps prevents tea staining. And, as an added treat, it can be specified at no extra cost.

3. Spontaneous shattering of glass infill panels by phantom forces

There have been several horror stories recorded recently of toughened glass infill panels shattering spontaneously several years after installation. Surprisingly, due to its material composition, glass (particularly toughened glass) is at risk of spontaneous breakage. In these instances, to protect users from potentially lethal falling shards, safety glass is designed to shatter in small pieces. Nevertheless, the phenomenon still presents a potential health and safety risk to the building’s occupants. By working with a balustrade specialist, like Delta, specifiers can ensure that they understand the risk factors and we can introduce processes in the manufacture of the panels to reduce the risk.