Balaustre is a word of Greek origin [balaustion] that refers to a shape molded in stone or wood, and sometimes in ceramic or metal that holds the top of a parapet of a balcony or a terrace. The set of several balusters is known as a balustrade..
What is a balustrade?
Placing a balustrade is a technique widely used in renovations, not only to finish off the parapet of a terrace or balcony, but also to separate spaces or simply for decoration.
It is also very common to see them in staircases placed in the exterior of houses. For this purpose, there are balusters, bases and terminations with the appropriate inclination .
If you are interested in adding a patio, terrace or garden, we tell you how to do it in 6 easy steps. Let’s get started!
How to build a balustrade
Formwork: Preparing the ground
A good foundation is the beginning of great projects. We recommend digging a trench and placing a footing filled with concrete. This way you can rest assured that the structure will resist perfectly.
Depending on the type of balustrade you have you will need to insert corrugated rods to increase the strength of the balusters. For the ones we sell in our online storeyou will need to install one corrugated rod per baluster.
Placement of low bases
Once the formwork has dried, prepare a layer of bonding material. You can use the same concrete or cement that you used for the formwork. Insert the low bases through the corrugated rods. Place them in their correct position with the help of a level and a rubber mallet.
Close the joints of the bases with a mixture of cement glue once the horizontality of the bases has been ensured.
If you are going to place it on a wall, simply follow these steps, skipping the first one: formwork.
Placement of balusters
For the installation of the balusters, you have to apply a cookie of tile adhesive around the corrugated rod. It’s okay if you pour too much, we will clean up the excess later.
Make sure that all balusters are level with the help of the rubber mallet and the level.
Installation of high bases
It is highly recommended not to place the high bases until the adhesive in the lower area has set. This will prevent them from moving when we place the high bases.
Once you have cured what you have done so far, place again the cement glue cookies around the corrugated rods in the upper area of the balusters.
Place the high bases emulating what you did with the low bases. Pass all the corrugated rods through the pieces and use the rubber mallet to level them.
Handrails.
We are now close to completion. Place a corrugated rod transversally to the whole construction. To gain strength you can weld all the vertical rods to the longitudinal rod.
This rod should be anchored at the beginning and end of the balustrade. In this way you will achieve a solid structure that resists external forces.
Fill the entire hole in the high base with tile adhesive and finally place the handrail on the adhesive. Level the structure again with the help of the rubber mallet.
Waterproofing
Once the structure is finished, it must be protected against the weather. One option is to apply a water-repellent product to the entire balustrade to protect it from the rain. In this way we will avoid the appearance of mold and the fall of the paint.
Buy a complete balustrade
The time has come to buy it. In our online store we have optimized the purchase of balustrades by linear meters, although you can also buy the parts separately.
Parts for your balustrade
Buy balustrade by linear meter
Select the linear meters, the height and the type of baluster. It couldn’t be simpler.
See all the finishes, pillars and balusters and configure the best balustrade for you.
Materials and tools required
Here is a list of the materials you will need. All of them can be found in our online store.
All set! You are now ready.
If you are interested in maintaining your pool for the winter, we recommend you to read this article we uploaded a few days ago: Pools: 5 tips to maintain them in winter.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
[VIDEO] Wall with balustrade – Bricomania
