Balcony railing is important, not only because it beautifies your home, but also because it helps provide you with a safe environment. If you want to hire the best balcony railing installation contractor in Toronto, look no further because Art Metal can certainly provide you with the quality service that you deserve.

Options for Balcony Railing Material

There are different types of material that you can use for your balcony railing. There’s wood, which is affordable and easy to design. If you want easy-to-maintain options, then aluminum and vinyl are ideal materials. There are other metal options, such as wrought iron, which can be easily customized, though it requires maintenance. Whichever you choose, you can rest assured that our railings are made with high-quality material.  You can consult with our experts to know the best option to suit your property and your preferences.

balcony

• Balcony Railing
• French Balcony
• Juliet Balcony
• Iron Balcony
• Installation

Balcony railing installations require a certain degree of experience and a knowledge of regulations. From choosing the right material to finishing the installation process with railings extensions – everything needs extra attention if you want the construction to be safe.

Balcony Railings Regulations

At Art Metal Workshop, we strictly follow all the regulations to ensure our clients’ safety. The most important of them is related to the size, which is regulated by the balcony railing height code.

Balcony Railing Code

Any platform that is at least 24’’ above the ground has to be secured by a railing. The width between and under the railings doesn’t have to be more than 4’’. But how high should a balcony railing be? In Torontothe balcony railing height should be no less than 42’’ (about 107 cm). This is considered to be the minimum safe height, so the railings don’t seem climbable for kids and seem secure for adults.

Balcony Railing Height Extension

An extension of the railing height will provide you with better security from falls. This is the most suitable for families with little kids who can climb over the railings. Extensions can be made of additional glass railings, plexiglass, or an additional balcony railing installation.

Free Estimate and the Best Quality Railings in Toronto

Call us at 416-848-4588to schedule a free estimate, on-site consultation, and a balcony railing installation of the best quality. We at Art Metal Workshop Inc. have already done over 8000 projects, and our experienced specialists are ready to work on your ideas.

Balcony Railings – Installation

Wood is the most popular material for the balcony railing because it’s a timeless classic. You can never go wrong with wood, especially with the multiple design choices, finishes, and wood types. From traditional houses to modern homes, you can install a wooden railing and expect an elegant finish. The only drawback is that the short lifespan as opposed to aluminum or steel, for instance, because being exposed to the elements like that is bound to have some consequences.

The good news is that if you are looking for balcony railing, there are other choices for the material you can choose as well, like the following:

Steel

A typical balcony railing system doesn’t really use steel. It may be durable and will last a long time, it will eventually rust and corrode as steel is wont to do. On the upside, the heavy-duty material can withstand strong winds and most damage. Steel is also easily fabricated and works well with other materials for your balcony. With that said, as far as railings go, steel is best suited for indoor use.

Glass

Glass railing is best suited for contemporary homes. One advantage of using this material is you get an unhampered view of the sight on the horizon.  Glass can be laminated or tempered, which will guarantee the safety of the inhabitants, particularly small kids or pets. One drawback is that it’s quite expensive compared to the other materials. The building code has specific rules on the thickness of the glass, as well as its load capacity. At the minimum, the thickness should be 10mm.

Cast Iron

Steel and cast iron share the same DNA, although with a small difference. Steel is composed mostly of iron alloy with a specific amount of carbon by weight (between 0.02% and 1.7%). If the amount exceeded those values, is known as cast iron. Steel trumps cast iron in terms of durability and hardiness. If maintained well, cast iron will last a long time. Because it has a lower melting point than steel, it’s also easier to fabricate according to your design choice. It’s also a cheaper choice. There’s a bit of an argument on whether steel is stronger than cast iron but really, you won’t notice the difference much when each material is installed as a balcony railing.

Aluminum

Finally, you have the aluminum balcony railing. This type of material is extremely light and will typically last a lifetime even without maintenance. Aluminum is resistant to rust, corrosion, and extreme weather conditions. You are probably going to repaint it once or twice during its lifespan in order to maintain its polished color but that’s about it. It can also be customized according to your required design. In essence, there are things you can do with aluminum that you can never do with steel. This is why it’s a perfect material for outdoor applications. The best thing about all this is that it’s more affordable compared to steel or wrought iron without compromising durability.

Balcony Railing and the Value of Your Home

A balcony will immediately increase the square footage of your home, in addition to the curb appeal which, in turn boosts the property’s value. While there are other variables as well, such as the location of your home, the landscaping, the total square footage, the high finish of the materials, interior design, building a balcony has its value.

For instance, a balcony will immediately add 12% of the total value of your home, according to a property magazine in the UK. Say for example, your home is listed at $300,000, you can easily add $36,000 to the listing price. A second-story balcony will cost you somewhere between $15 and $40 per square foot to build. But that excludes the railing.

The standard size for a condo is enough to put on some chairs or coffee table. Condos and upper-story apartments have the disadvantage of having no yard. Basically, the owners will be constrained in the four corners of their homes, which is why a balcony is a sought-after addition because it offers the opportunity to sit outside and get some fresh air.

For homes, the minimum size is bigger but still subject to the provisions of the building and fire codes. A Juliet balcony is another thing, altogether, because it’s a very shallow construction so you might not even need a permit to install it.

The deck is another way to increase square footage and adding value to your home. You can recoup as much as 80% of the cost of the deck when you list your home on the market. The building code requires that a railing should be installed if the ramp exceeds two feet from the ground.

The Ontario Building Code

Any commercial and residential construction will have to comply with the provisions stated in the Ontario Building Code. Sec. 3.4.7.6 covers the rules on the guards and railings.

For example, the balcony railing and guard should not be less than 920mm high from the nosing. The top rail will serve also as the handrail.

Single Family Homes

• A guardrail should 36 inches high if installed on a raised platform with a drop of under 5-feet-9-inches
• For a drop of more than 5-feet-9-inches, the height of the guardrail should be 42 inches from the platform nosing

Commercial buildings

• There’s no required drop height for multi-dwelling units or commercial buildings. They all follow the guideline of a guardrail that is 42 inches high
• For stair rails, the height should be at least 36 inches high

The load of the guards:

The building code also sets the requirements for the load factor of the guardrails, which is only sensible for safety reasons. What good is the guardrail when it couldn’t even resist the weight of a small kid when leaning against the construction?

For exterior railings that serve no more than two dwelling units:

• A concentrated load of 1.0 Kilo-newton per meter (kN/m), the unit that measures the pressure that is applied to an unmoving object

For exterior guards for contiguous stairs, access walkways, and platforms:

• A concentrated load of at least 1.0 kN/m at any point of the guard

All other guards:

• A concentrated load of at least 0.75 kN/m

It’s not easy to imagine the type of force generated by a Kilo-newton per meter. The measurements are quite technical although companies like Art-Metal, by virtue of their experience, expertise, and number of years in the industry, know the requirements by heart.  

The rules of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration on top rails of the railings guards are easier to envision.  The OSHA says that the guards should be able to resist at least 150 pounds of force that is applied to the construction at any given point. The operational term here is “at least.”

Minimizing Accidents Caused by Faulty Balcony Railing and Guardrails

Most of the accidents involving guardrails, stairway railings, and balcony railing are preventable. Unfortunately, some of them are due to the faulty installation in addition to substandard materials. If the construction is not up to the code, the fabricator is bound to face a lawsuit.

According to the 2015 study, more than 50,000 of the total emergency visits in Ontario that year was due to falls from stairs. The figure represented about 12% of the total visits. In terms of age, the most vulnerable are the elderly and toddlers and young children. Those aged 75 years and older had the most visits to the emergency room followed by 65-74-year-olds.

There are no data on balcony fall, and for good reason, considering that people are typically more careful when dealing with those heights.

The only point is that stair railings and guard railings are crucial for safety. This is the main reason why the guidelines outlined in black and white in the Ontario Building Code.

Of course, parental guidance is the key to making sure the kids are safe. They have to be vigilant, especially if they observe their kids getting tall enough to climb over the top rail. In which case, it’s time to change the height of the railings. It should also be instilled in the children’s minds to steer clear of any raised platform or the stairway without adult supervision.

If you are looking to install railings, it’s crucial that you deal only with a reputable company that fabricates high-quality deck, stairways, and balcony railing systems for your safety and those of your loved ones.

Art-Metal actually errs on the side of caution every time when it comes to the height of the railing as well as the minimum load of the guard rail. It’s much better to double the force resistance required by the building code because any accident involving our projects may come back to haunt us in the future. You can also call us to inspect your railings, regardless of the materials used, to make sure they are still structurally sound and will last a long time.