Glass Balustrades in Queenstown

Steep sections and lake views

Queenstown is built on the steep slopes around Lake Wakatipu, so the homes stack up the hill and every deck is about the view — out over the lake, across to the Remarkables, or up the lake toward Glenorchy. The balustrade has to disappear, which makes frameless glass the obvious choice. A channel system keeps the barrier minimal and lets the view through. On the steeper sites the decks are often stacked one above the other, each with its own balustrade.

The conditions here are the most demanding we work in. The UV is extreme, the winter freeze-thaw is real, and the temperature swing between seasons is large. The hardware has to be specified for all of it — UV-stable seals, stainless that won't pit in the cold, and channel systems that handle the thermal movement that comes with the temperature range. It's a different spec from anything we do in Auckland.

Alpine-rated specifications

On a Queenstown deck I'm thinking about UV, frost, wind, and the temperature swing from a summer afternoon to a winter dawn. We use stainless fixings rated for freeze-thaw, UV-stable seals on the glass, and channel systems engineered for thermal movement. The powder-coat on any aluminium is specified for high-UV alpine exposure. On the most exposed hillside decks we'll sometimes go up a glass thickness for stiffness in the wind. It's all about a balustrade that still looks good after several alpine winters.

• Frameless channel systems for steep lake-view decks
• UV-stable seals and powder-coat for extreme alpine UV
• Stainless fixings rated for freeze-thaw cycles
• Optional thicker glass for exposed hillside decks

Shower screens for alpine homes

The apartments and homes in Queenstown tend to have well-proportioned bathrooms, often with a view, and a frameless hinged shower door in toughened glass is the finish that suits. We measure on site so the screen fits the actual opening, and we use hardware rated for the alpine environment so it doesn't degrade the way standard fittings would. We don't fit pool fencing in Queenstown — the climate and the build style don't call for it.