Glass Balustrades in Castor Bay

A quieter beach suburb

Castor Bay doesn't have the buzz of Takapuna but that's exactly why people like it. It's a smaller beach, a quieter street, and the houses tend to be a bit more tucked away. The work here splits between original baches being done up and new family homes going in. Both come to us for balustrades because the deck is usually where you sit to watch the sea, and a glass barrier keeps that view intact.

The esplanade properties get the full force of the afternoon sun off the water, so I often talk to homeowners about a slight tint on the glass. It cuts the glare without darkening the view, and on a west-facing deck it makes the space usable in the late afternoon when it would otherwise be too bright to sit on.

Retrofitting older decks

A lot of Castor Bay decks we work on are originals being brought up to current code. The timber's often fine but the old balustrade — usually timber or wrought iron — has had its day. Side-fixed spigots are my go-to here because we can fix to the existing deck edge without rebuilding the whole structure. It keeps the cost down and the disruption minimal.

• Side-fixed spigot balustrades for retrofitting existing decks
• Optional tinted glass for west-facing esplanade decks
• Marine-grade fixings standard on all coastal installs
• Toughened safety glass certified to NZS 4223

Pool fencing and shower screens

Some of the larger Castor Bay sections have pools, and we fit frameless glass barriers that meet F9 requirements without making the pool area feel closed in. For bathrooms, the new builds here tend to have well-proportioned ensuites where a frameless shower screen is the right finish — clean, no frame to collect grime, and it makes the room feel bigger.