Metal Balustrade Systems

The Aluminium Balustrade System is engineered to provide a robust, attractive barrier solution that complements both traditional and contemporary outdoor spaces.

Manufactured from high-quality aluminium, the system delivers excellent strength while remaining lightweight and easy to install. The modular design allows sections to be configured to suit a wide range of layouts including patios, raised decking areas and external staircases.

Common applications include:

• Garden decking areas
• Leisure park lodges and holiday homes
• Raised patios
• External staircases and walkways

The sleek vertical railing design offers a timeless appearance while maintaining excellent safety performance.

Premium Performance & Compliance

Balustrade systems must be specified correctly for where they are fitted and for safe long-term performance.

Installations typically reference:

• Approved Document K (Protection from Falling, Collision & Impact)
• Our aluminium system is load tested to the domestic (Category A) barrier loads in BS 6180:2011 and PD 6688-1-1 (0.36 kN/m)
• Maximum opening guidance preventing passage of a 100mm sphere

Aluminium does not rust, which suits external installations. Our aluminium balustrade is for decking, patios, steps and stairs; it is not for balconies or roof terraces.

Powder-coated finishes provide long-term durability while requiring minimal maintenance compared with traditional timber or steel railing systems.

Fixing & Installation Options

The Aluminium Balustrade System is surface-mounted: each post stands on its own base plate, fixed down to a suitable structural surface. It is not available as a side-fixed (fascia) system.

Typical installation options include:

• Surface-mounted posts fixed to concrete or timber structures
• Stair installations using adjustable angle brackets
• Gate integration for controlled access points

Posts and rails are designed to install quickly using modular components, making the system suitable for both professional installers and competent DIY projects.

Is Aluminium Right for You?

This system is particularly well suited to projects where:

• A durable, low-maintenance solution is required
• A traditional railing appearance is preferred
• Budget considerations are important
• Installation speed and simplicity are beneficial
• The property features decking, patios or steps

For a low deck edge or garden terrace where the drop is under 600mm and you would rather keep the view, our Wire Balustrade System may suit better. For projects prioritising uninterrupted views, see our glass balustrade systems.

The Wire Balustrade System creates a modern architectural edge while keeping the view. Tensioned stainless cables between posts give a visually lightweight barrier that allows maximum visibility and airflow, which is why it is popular on properties with something worth looking at.

Where This System Belongs

This is a low-level system and we would rather say so plainly than have you find out after it is installed.

UK building regulations require guarding wherever there is a drop of more than 600mm, and guarding infill must prevent a 100mm sphere passing through any gap. The wires on this system sit at 132mm centres, so a 100mm sphere passes between them. It does not meet the infill requirement for guarding and must not be specified where guarding is required.

Suitable for:
- Deck edges close to ground level
- Garden terraces and patio edges
- Raised borders and planting edges
- Low steps where the drop is under 600mm
- Coastal and inland locations

Not suitable for:
- Balconies
- Raised decking or terraces with a drop over 600mm
- Stairs or landings where guarding is required
- Any location where children have access to a drop
- Commercial or public areas requiring guarding

Where guarding is required, our aluminium balustrade or glass balustrade systems are designed for the job.

Specification
- 316 marine-grade stainless steel throughout
- 48.3mm posts with welded base plates, bolt down
- 3mm wire rope, 7 wires per run at 132mm centres
- Finished height 1100mm with the stainless handrail tube
- Maximum post centres 1500mm — our own standard
- Maximum wire span 10m between tensioners

We hold no load test data for this system, and we do not quote a load rating we cannot evidence. Because it is supplied only for fall heights below 600mm, no guarding load case arises.

Fixing & Installation

- Posts bolt down to timber decking, concrete, paving, metal and brick
- Each base takes four fixings — ground fixings are not supplied, as the right one depends entirely on your surface
- Swageless turnbuckle and plain buckle connectors, 7 of each per tensioned run
- No swaging tools required
- Stair runs use plain undrilled posts, drilled on site to the pitch

Correct tensioning matters: taut with no visible sag is enough. Expect to re-tension once a few weeks after installation as the wires settle — that is normal, not a fault.

Is Wire Right for You?

This system suits projects where:
- The drop is under 600mm and guarding is not required
- Clear views and airflow matter more than anything else
- A near-invisible edge is the point
- Stainless finishes complement the design
- The setting is coastal or exposed

Order everything sized to your run with the Build Your Own wire balustrade kit.