Glass

The glass balustrade has arrived and been installed. Not only is this great to see in place, it has also meant one of the last bits of plastering can be completed as the glass 'dissappears' into the wall so the plastering couldn't be finished without the glass.

It could've been seen as more sustainable to use conventional timber balustrading instead of glass, after all think of all the embedded energy used to form and toughen the glass. However, aesthetics aside (with wood in plenty of other places yet more would probably have been too much), the glass plays an important role in letting light into the stairwell whilst meeting the safety requirements of the building regulations. Timber balustrading would've blocked out a significant amount of natural light, making the stairwell a dark space that would need far more artificial light.

As with many things we've done on this project it's been interesting to see how much the builder thinks he knows, when in fact he doesn't. A classic case in point is with the balustrade glass, and the glass in the sliding/folding doors. None of this glass has a kitemark etched onto it. As it should all be safety glass due to it's proximity to the floor the builder's view is that it should be kitemarked - that's what he's told us Building Control will look for before they sign it off. Many other people would be panicking as a result, but not us.

A quick Google and subsequent check with Architectural colleagues tells us that safety glass is required to be marked with the appropriate BS EN number and classification, in this case 12150 Class 1 - the kitemark applied to the previous British standard so no longer applies. So there was no need to panic as this number is exactly what is on the glass, but our builder, probably like many others, assumes he knows all there is to know about the trade when often we are as well if not better informed.