Glass balconies

It's got to be safe because of Building Regulations. They HAVE to stick to the rules. Buildings have to be built to certain standards. It's the rules!

I can understand you not liking the look of it. I have vertigo and a fear of heights so would hate it.

its got to be safe because of building regulations
Grenfell Tower ?

I dislike heights and couldn't go near a glass balcony. I have seen some glass walkways and no way would I walk one. I suppose we think of glass as being a breakable substance, whereas a younger person might not do that.

What about these pools? Anyone fancy a swim?

MerylStreep

^its got to be safe because of building regulations^
Grenfell Tower ?

OP asked for REASSURANCE.

I lived on the top floor of a tower block for a number of years. The balcony had a metal framework with glass panels. I am sure it was structurally sound but hated it and it made me feel very insecure. I stuck sticky backed plastic onto the panels so they were no longer transparent.

Chestnut

What about these pools? Anyone fancy a swim?

Yes, exactly. There is a lot of physics involved when a building is designed, lots of equations and lots of rules at the design stage. Then at each stage the Building inspector has to make sure it's safe before the next level can be worked on.

I do not like heights but a building cannot be sold without safety checks. No idea about how Grenfel was so bad but many council blocks are not adequately maintained- and also with Grenfell the problem was the flammable but probably cosmetic coating that the council had added, rather than the structure of the building.

Agreed, the tall tower blocks all had a cosmetic makeover because they were rather ugly, only problem was they used flammable panels to cover these buildings. Utterly stupid and unnecessary.

I have a glass balcony, its great. Only problem is how dirty it gets.

I m afraid it would suit me at all I nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to walk on glass at Aucklands sky tower
As others have said it will be safety checked but I m with you and my heart would be firmly in my mouth every time I thought of little kids on one
I don’t actually like kids on high balconies at all glass or not We were 8th floor when my eldest was a baby and it was horrible

Chestnut
Kensington & Chelsea council stated in the enquiry that the cladding of Grenfell was part of the plan to cut Carbon Emissions.

Just reading these posts has made me anxious again, I’m just going to have to not think about it or I’ll be in a permanent state of anxiety. I know it’s been properly safety checked as they’ve waited months for this to be completed but that’s not helped my fear. Thanks for trying everyone.

They're a pain to keep clean - and you feel very exposed - so my friend has Ikea canvas 'shades' on hers. Building regulations? Do check the windows - please. My granddaughter (just four at the time) was found leaning, dangerouslly, out of a fifth floor window - having undone the 'safety catch' in less than a minute - while viewing a brand new flat. It all complied with 'regs' but they added robust stays before moving in. There was no furniture on the balcony either, as kids will climb up!

Tanith I am completely with you. I am terrified of heights and would have exactly the same worries despite logic telling me otherwise 🤗
I can’t go out onto balconies of any type! As for the swimming pool ones ……😱😱

We have a balcony which leads down to our garden - it’s more of a deck as it’s just over 1m off the ground but building regs are that it has to have railings of some kind. We had glass panels put in so we maintain a view of the garden, they are extra toughened glass like car windscreens so they would not shatter but just craze over if something hit them. They look great and our lovely window cleaner gives them a wipe over every time he comes so no extra cleaning.

The OP is not clear. Is she talking about balconies with glass panels at the sides or balconies where the floor is glass as well.

If the floor is concrete/wood, whatever with glass sides, I would be quite happy with that. It wouldn't bother me at all. I wouldn't want a balcony with a glass floor because the people in the flats below and above you would be able to watch you, from a very odd angle when you were using the balcony, so you would have no privacy.

No Monica the floor isn’t glass, I’ve only ever seen that used as a tourist attraction. It’s all the panels around the balcony that are glass.

It looks like this but without the step bit at the bottom and is way up high.

My previous home had them - we were 5 stories up. Never bothered me . The glass is strong and doesn't shatter if you bang up against it. Very safe.

Thankyou Stella

Tanith I think your concern is the see-through element of it being glass. But if the glass is high enough then that is actually much safer than a wall or railings which may be shorter.

Think about it, children can climb on a wall or railings and there have been rare cases of children falling from balconies. But there is no way they can climb up a sheet of glass, so if the glass is higher than the child then that is very safe.

What is freaking you out is seeing a child apparently standing next to a sheer drop with nothing solid between them and the drop. But there is actually very strong glass there. It is an optical illusion in our brains that sees danger, because we are not used to seeing that. Maybe some people's brains register this more than others, which could explain why some people don't mind glass balconies.

I'm with you on seeing the perceived danger, but I think you'll get used to it. Go there and touch the glass, feel how strong it is and teach your brain to accept it!

We have one at home on our roof terrace. It sits on quite a high wall and I wanted one because I was worried about my cat jumping on to the wall and going over.

The glass panels are very thick and heavy so there's no need to worry tanith.

Chestnut and Smileless thank you you are spot on it’s exactly that, seeing my lovely GC on the edge of a very long drop. I hope to visit in the New Year as they live abroad and as you suggest I will gradually try and teach my brain it’s not that scary. My son assures me the children won’t be out there without an adult for a long while. I need desensitising I guess.

Tanith how many news stories have you read about these glass walls shattering and people being catpaulted out? I do not think I have ever heard of even one a case these barriers shattering and anyone of any age being injured or killed.

Then think about children drownng in garden ponds. There are several cases every year, but conidering the number of garden ponds and parents and grand parents with garden ponds, the number of deaths is infinitismal. The accident you fear is even less frequent.

Personally, these balconies cause me no concern at all.