What are balustrades and why are they important for safety in your home?
Guest post by James Andrew
If you have invested in buying a property, you want it to look good and you want it to be a safe place.
The last thing you want to happen is for someone to get hurt while living in, or visiting, your home.
This is why you need to pay attention to aspects of your property that provide protection.
Once such aspect is the balustrades in your home.
The aim of this article is to explain what balustrades are and why you need to ensure that they are installed in your home, and well maintained.
What are balustrades?
The word balustrade sounds very grand; but balustrades are actually very common place, they consist of a series of posts or columns, topped by a rail.
You find them on staircases, platforms and terraces, including in your own home.
The foremost aim of a balustrade is to provide protection.
They can also form an important part of the interior décor of a property.
From a safety point of view if you do not have secure balustrades in place in your home, it’s easy for people to have accidents.
Looking at balustrades as a item of décor, it’s important that they fit within their surroundings.
Why are balustrades important?
We have already touched on the importance of balustrades for safety purposes; let’s look at this in
more detail.
Imagine someone is visiting your home.
You have a balustrade fitted to your raised terrace but it’s old and you do not pay much attention to it.
Your visitor leans on the balustrade, it gives way and they fall to the ground below.
Not only is the person likely to get hurt, you will feel guilty and could be sued by the injured party.
It’s not worth taking the chance when it comes to balustrades.
You need to ensure that they are good quality, securely fitted and well maintained.
If you want information about the fitting of balustrades, click here for more information.
The decorative aspect of a balustrade
We have established that balustrades are essential in your home.
This being the case, it’s important that you see them as an integral part of your décor.
If you do this well you can actually use them as an impressive feature that catches the eye.
Balustrades can be made from different materials, with the most popular being timber, metal and glass.
The material you choose will depend on how your home is decorated as well as your budget.
Do not forget that it’s also possible to have balustrades outside your property.
They can still be used to add to the overall visual appeal.
You also need to ensure that this type of balustrade is able to withstand varying weather conditions.
Now you know what balustrades are, and why they are so important.
Do not neglect the balustrades in your property.
Doing so could be dangerous and someone could end getting seriously hurt which is not something you want to happen in your home.