While balustrades have been sought after for their stunning addition to your home’s looks, it serves one greater purpose: safety. Balustrades are designed to keep people from falling from high places, and their looks are just a bonus.

So, with that said, if you are planning to install balustrades, one of the most important things to consider is their height, durability, and more.

Here is the Australian regulation for balustrade heights and other factors in certain applications in your home:

For The Stairs

If you have stairs in your home, you need to have balustrades installed. Otherwise, you’re only creating a safety risk for those using the stairs.

That said, the height of the balustrades will highly depend on the stair’s drop. If it is a meter or higher drop, then there should be balustrades. However, if it is more than four meters, then you will need to install balustrades in such a way that people cannot climb over them. 

For The Pools

For your pools, you will need to pay careful attention to local regulations. This is because regulations can differ from one place to the other.

With that in mind, if you are in Queensland, your pool needs balustrades that are at least 1.2 meters. At the bottom of the handrail, there can be no more than a 10cm gap. This is to stop any children from trying to crawl under the fence and getting into the pool, endangering their life.

As Handrails

If you are thinking of using balustrades solely as handrails, you will need to make sure they’re sturdy and tough, even over time. Fortunately, many balustrades have the ability to stay strong over many years. However, they do deteriorate over time.

If you are planning to use tensioned cable balustrades, it is vital that you check whether it sags beneath the one-meter mark over time. On the other hand, if you are using wooden balustrades, you need to check them for problems like rot. It can weaken the balustrade, forcing it to fall below standards.

For General Home Use

For general home use, the local handrail regulations state that balustrades are at least one meter high, with the measurements taken from the floor to the top of the balustrades. The reason for this is, you know it, safety. Any lower, and having such short balustrades is as good as having no balustrades. This is why so many balustrades you find are made and built to those dimensions.

So, if you’re planning to use balustrades at home, know that there will be regulations you need to follow!

Conclusion

All in all, balustrades can look stunning in your home, but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice safety for it. Balustrades can look awesome and still be safe at the same time, so take the time to work with professionals that can help you design and create balustrades that not only meet regulations but also look great in your house!

Aussie Balustrading And Stairs offers steel and stainless steel stairs, wireless balustrading, and more. If you are looking for balustrade suppliers in Perth, reach out to us today!