The first thing to consider when choosing a Glass Pool Fence

Glass pool fencing has become the most popular option for Australian home swimming pools over the past 10 years, and it is easy to see why. It is an aesthetically pleasing option providing you with uninterrupted views of your pool. Most importantly, if the correct material is used and installed by licensed professionals, it is a highly secure safety barrier. Like with any structure, a sound foundation is paramount in ensuring the longevity of your fence, so let us start with the basics by getting your foundations right for spigot fixed glass fencing.

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Foundation

The ideal foundation for installing glass fencing is a steel-reinforced concrete slab. Glass fencing can also be installed onto a timber deck if it is blocked out sufficiently (more information below). Suppose you do not have either of these foundations for any location. In that case, you plan to install a glass pool fence, A continuous concrete steel reinforced strip footing with a minimum dimension of 300mm wide X 200mm deep is required (footing depth can be 150mm if tied into the existing slab with starter bars).

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Many clients ask, “Why can’t we just concrete the spigots into the grass and save the money on doing an entire strip footing?” in short, wind-loading to the glass. Glass is a very different product to traditional aluminium fencing where pad footings are possible. Aluminium fencing is a much lighter product with many openings in its design to allow wind to pass through it. In contrast, glass fencing is one solid piece of glass that will work as a sail to a yacht and pull the spigots straight from its foundations with heavy winds.

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Ensure that concrete footings are the same height and thickness as the main pool slab as it will create an unnecessary stepping point which will require a custom raked panel (More on stepping points on future blog posts).

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Concrete (Core Drilled Spigot Glass Fencing)

Concrete is the primary foundation used to support a glass pool fence and will also be the most secure. When installing a concrete slab, a steel-reinforced slab with a minimum depth of 150mm is required for our technicians to core drill 90mm-120mm deep and structurally grout the spigots into place. We core drill our fencing 100mm from the edge of your concrete foundation (centre of 77mm hole) to ensure that there are no “blowouts” of your concrete base.

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When planning for the installation of your glass fence, please ensure that your tiles/pavers are installed prior to calling Glazed Co to install your glass pool fence. Our Weka core drills and Huskvana core drill tips are German made and of the best quality on the market. This allows us the confidence to drill through 99% of tiles on the market with ease whilst providing our clients with the peace of mind they will not have cracked tiles.

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View our projects here

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Timber (Deck Mounted Spigot Glass Fencing)

Glass fencing is a popular choice for timber decks. While a few extra steps are involved in securing your glass pool fence, it is still a viable option that will stand the test of time.

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Timber is a natural product that will twist, contract and expand between seasons (or between extreme weather events). When installing a structure on a material with these characteristics, it is essential to have your deck sufficiently blocked out to ensure your fence remains in line and structurally sound for the long haul. A minimum of 135mm wide and 45mm deep of timber (MGP12 or greater quality) blocking between your floor joists for the entire perimeter of your pool fence is required to ensure that all stainless steel bugles are installed into structural timber (decking boards are a cladding material and are NOT structural). This blocking will also assist with supporting the additional weight of your pool fence to your deck.

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Although blocking your deck is a significant component of installing spigot fixed glass fencing to your deck, it is not the only one. Top rail or stainless steel glass to glass brackets are essential in providing tensile support to your glass fencing when the timber structure twists/contracts/expands. Without the aid of either a top rail or glass to glass brackets, your fence line will move over time and, in extreme cases, can cause glass panels to break. Following these simple steps will give you the peace of mind that your investment into your home will be one that you will be proud of for many years to come.

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See our Rouse Hill Residence project to view an example.

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Explore the possibilities with Glazed Co. today. Please get in touch with us to discuss your project with our team.

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