Monday, November 16, 2009

Most Commonly Used Balustradings

By Paul J Coleman

First introduced by an Italian architecture in the renaissance era, baluster, known collectively as balustrades, are little posts that reinforce the upper portion of a railing. They play a significant role in the designing, and structuring of a house, and beautify its interior.

Balustrades can be made of many different materials, such as wood, wrought iron, cast iron, or glass depending on individual preferences. Care has to be taken to ensure that the material you purchase merges with the rest of the dcor of your house. If you have used wooden furnishings throughout your house, then the best bet would be to go for wooden balustrades. If the balustrades are for use on the roof, or terrace then concrete is used as it can withstand harsh weather and rain.

Balusters made out of polyurethane have also seen an increase in demand. Marble balustrades can embrace elegance, but they are not commonly used, as they are expensive. Balustrades can also be created from brass and bronze, but they need frequent care to ensure their shine is remained intact.

With the rising consciousness of people to become more eco friendly, there has been a significant decrease in demand of wood balustrades. Another reason for this is that wood can be easily damaged by humidity. Balustrades made of glass are a popular option, and in areas of the United Kingdom, toughened glass is frequently used for their creation.

Since balustrades are available in a wide range of designs, and shapes, you can pick the one that best suits the structure of your house. The most common design used by people is the elongated oval one.

They can help beautify the staircases, handrails, roofs, terraces, and balconies, and give then a stylishly unusual look. Balustrades are mainly used for staircases. If you house is equipped with a giant staircase, which is the centre of attention for the house, then you can give it a classier look by adding balustrades on it.

A certain set of regulations has to be followed in the construction of balustrades. These regulations can be divided into two categories, which are domestic or residential, and public areas. The regulations are concerned with the height of the balustrades and the load that it must be able to withstand along with the handrail. For domestic balustrades, the height is 0.9 metres from the supporting surface to the top of the handrail. The same height is required for balustrades used in staircases in residential homes. For external balustrades like those on the roof or terrace, the height is 1.1 metre.

Before deciding what kind of balustrade to use, it is important to analyse your requirements as well as the dcor of your house, so that your selection blends in with the architecture of your house.

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