Guides
Price and regulations
What does a balcony railing cost?
From €160 net per running metre, depending on the system: stainless steel with horizontal rods from €160, with vertical balusters €190, black steel with flat bars €190, with framed glass €220, stainless steel with glass €230. Side mounting adds €10 per metre, matt or graphite glass €20 to €35. The configurator works out the price for your measurements.
Railing height under German building codes
Under § 38 of the model building code (MBO), a balcony with a drop over 1 m needs a railing at least 90 cm high, and over 12 m at least 110 cm. Each federal state's code can differ.
Clear gap between balusters
Stainless steel with vertical Ø 12 mm balusters has a clear gap of at most 110 mm. The gap allowed on your balcony is set by your federal state's code.
Railings in an owners' association
In a German owners' association (WEG) the railing is often common property. Ask the property manager whether the owners must approve before you order.
Measuring and planning
Measuring your balcony for a railing
For an enquiry, each side's length in metres, the shape, the mounting type, the floor the balcony is on and photos of the balcony edge are enough.
Railings for new builds and older buildings
In a new build, measure once the shell slab is finished and give the planned thicknesses of screed with waterproofing and floor covering. On an older building, the slab, its edge and the substrate decide between top and side mounting.
Replacing a balcony railing
The new railing is sized from the balcony edge, fixing surface and substrate, not from the old one. Existing holes can be reused only if their position and the substrate suit the new system.
Materials and colours
Stainless steel, black steel and glass
Three systems have stainless steel posts with glass, horizontal rods or vertical balusters. Two are galvanised, powder-coated black steel with flat-bar balusters or framed glass. The glass is always laminated (VSG).
Colours and finishes
Stainless steel with glass and with horizontal rods comes satin or polished, with vertical balusters satin; black steel is powder-coated in a RAL colour. Glass comes clear or matt, graphite and bronze each with a clear or matt interlayer.
Railings for small balconies
Side mounting leaves more floor free, because no base plates stand on it.
Installation and care
Top or side mounting?
Top mounted, the post stands on a base plate on top of the balcony slab; side mounted, it hangs on an anchor plate fixed to the slab edge. We settle the mounting type before fabrication.
Installing a railing yourself
The kit contains posts, infill, corner connectors, end caps and assembly instructions. Every part is checked and labelled, and the fixings depend on the system and the order.
Cleaning and care
Clean the railing with water and a mild, non-abrasive cleaner, more often by the sea or a pool, because chlorides attack stainless steel.
Glossary
- AISI 304
- Chromium-nickel stainless steel, called V2A in German. Chlorides from sea air and pool water attack it more than AISI 316 (V4A), which adds molybdenum.
- Eurocode 3 (DIN EN 1993)
- The standard for designing steel structures. It is used to prove that posts, handrail and their steel connections carry the loads; anchoring in concrete is designed to DIN EN 1992-4 or the anchor's European Technical Assessment (ETA). EN 1993-1-4 covers stainless steel.
- DIN EN 1090
- The standard for executing steel and aluminium structures. Part 1 sets how a manufacturer proves the conformity of load-bearing parts and marks them with CE. Our TÜV Rheinland certificate is no. 2627-CPR-1090-1.PL0227.TÜVRh.22.02.
- Execution class EXC 2
- One of the four execution classes under EN 1090-2, from EXC 1 to EXC 4. The higher the class, the stricter the welding and inspection rules. Our certificate covers EXC 2, load-bearing structures in all types of building.
- Fall protection (Absturzsicherung)
- § 38 of the model building code requires it once the drop exceeds 1 m; state building codes can differ, and Bavaria requires it from 0.50 m (Art. 36 BayBO).
- RAL colour
- A colour from the RAL Classic range with a four-digit number, such as RAL 7016 anthracite grey.
- Powder coating
- Powder paint is applied electrostatically and baked on in an oven. The black steel systems are galvanised first, then powder-coated.
- Safety glass (ESG/VSG)
- ESG is toughened glass that breaks into small blunt pieces. VSG is laminated glass: panes bonded by an interlayer that holds the fragments. We use VSG 44.2 (two 4 mm panes, two interlayers) for a 0.5 kN/m handrail load, and VSG 55.2 for 1.0 kN/m on request.
Ask about a railing for your building
Send the measurements and a few photos of the balcony or stairs. You get a non-binding indicative price, net.