Glass Balustrades in Herne Bay

Heritage villas and modern glass

Herne Bay is full of beautifully restored villas, many of them right on the water's edge. The challenge here is adding a modern safety barrier to a character home without spoiling it. I've found that a frameless channel system, kept low and simple, is usually the answer — it does its job and stays out of the way. Where a handrail is needed, a slim powder-coated aluminium rail in a colour matched to the villa's joinery reads as part of the house rather than an add-on.

These homes are often on steep sections dropping toward the harbour, so the deck is the outdoor room. The balustrade has to be safe at fall height, but it also has to disappear so you can enjoy the view across to the harbour bridge. Glass is the only material that really does both.

Waterfront exposure

There's no buffer between a Herne Bay waterfront deck and the sea. Salt spray, wind and UV all hit the fittings directly. We don't cut corners here — every spigot, channel trim and bolt is 316 marine-grade stainless, and any aluminium is powder-coated to a coastal spec. I'd rather spend the homeowner's money on the hardware that lasts than on something they'll have to replace in five years.

• 316 marine-grade stainless on all waterfront fixings
• Powder-coated aluminium rated for direct coastal exposure
• Discreet channel systems that respect heritage facades
• Optional toned glass to manage glare off the harbour

Pool fencing and shower screens

A few Herne Bay properties have pools tucked into the garden, and we fit frameless glass barriers that keep them compliant without dominating the landscaping. Inside, the bathrooms in these villas are often generous once renovated, and a hinged frameless shower door in toughened glass finishes them to the standard the rest of the house sets.